Revi I have a sister blower to the one I ended up putting on my new rig. If you would like to play with it, its yours. I will even help out if I can if you need some cutting or welding done. Let me know and maybe we can meet up sometime.
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Revi I have a sister blower to the one I ended up putting on my new rig. If you would like to play with it, its yours. I will even help out if I can if you need some cutting or welding done. Let me know and maybe we can meet up sometime.
Be carefull with those blowers. You need to insulate the back sides of your doors at least, I saw a set of cast doors that were curled up like pretzels form adding a blower to a non-insulated arch front. The air tight arch fronts actually have a square tube around the door with holes drilled in them agled towards the door to keep it cooler, and they still get hot even with 2" of fire blanket for protection.
ALERT, ALERT, BIGSAP, BIGSAP!!!!! Upper 30s and close to 40 here this weekend, you guys think I should tap or are the trees just so frozen up I wont get jack? What you proud professionals think. Would I get any BIGSAP or just get disappointed? Theron
Theron,
If I were you I'd go tap everything I could right Now! Go put you snow shoes on and tap though the night. I wouldn't stop tapping till 1 hr befor super bowl kick off. Cause If you don't you may not get back into the woods till May!
Good Luck!
Theron, unless you have lots of help and can get all your taps in quickly, start tapping. My son and I dug out where the tanks go in the woods today. Tomorrow we'll put the tanks out and finish a couple mainline fixes in my big bushes. Saturday is another trip to town for more tanks. Sunday we'll finish putting out 5/16 that we take down every year. Monday I'm starting to tap!! With as much snow as we have it's going to be slow going.
Ill try putting a few out and see how I make out. Dont want to jump the gun too much. Dave- Slow steady growth, thats me. You dont think Id be out there all night running around the woods with my headlight and cordless yelling "BIGSAP, BIGSAP" do you? Theron
Good luck THEEEEROONNN Hope the sap is with you !!!
I got a lot done today, arch is done pans are on.. hood maybe tomorrow night if I clean the pans good.
Have another sugarer coming tonight to take a look at things, always fun to show off the setup and talk maple!!
Have to pick up some end of line fittings tomorrow and get back in the woods Sat/Sun Have a helper with me on Sat, and the family on Sun. Busy weekend but the weather looks nice, high 30's
Theron-see you in April. Between you and Matt wouldn't be much sap between Pa and maine to go around this year!
Theron,
Still too early, it is still January. No sense in tapping yet until the trees and ground get thawed a little. These temps will help, but one thing you have to remember this time of year is yet, it may hit the high temp predicted but it spends half of the day getting there and the other half cooling back down, so the high temp may only last a few minutes or an hour or so.
Sheeeesh.. It's not even February yet. We tapped 1st wkend in March last year and it was too early.
Plus, it's been so cold for a month that the trees will take a few days of warm weather to thaw out enough to run even a litle bit. Relaaaaax...Quote:
Originally Posted by WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER
Everyone starts getting itchy about now... I don't care what the weather is like now.. we will get a warmup then a freeze up and so on... it's early, for me, last weekend of feb or first of march for the past 10 years. take the time and get things done... take a few days and relax, because once it does hit... it's go time for a month or so
Theron,
I am just yanking your chain. I know there are about four days in the forecast that look favorable. I don't think I would waste my time. The fifteen day doesn't' even mention the big storm that is currently developing it the gulf. Depending on the track some folks could get 1-2 feet of snow or 1-2inches of rain. We can do without both.Typically if you get tapped early you will get a few days of sap and then set for a couple of weeks. Take the time you have and make sure you are really ready. I know I am the voice of reason. :)
Dave- When is the storm your talking of and do you think it will be rain here or snow? I know they called me from work and told me to pack my bags monday just in case for a storm the first of next week. Your talking about one down the road, right? Theron
Initially forcasters were comparing this to March '93 "Superstorm" Here, in the 'Cuse we got 43" out of that. Since yesterday, almost all models now take this wide right. Fish storm off the Atlantic with maybe the coast and NNE getting grazed. Still time for it to come back West.
The Wednesday storm this past week was supposed to stay well South until models moved it way North over us about 24-36 hours before it hit. So, we'll see. But current forcasts have moved this thing East and have weakened it. Couple of days ago, this was potentially HUGE.
If it did hit - we're talking the Tuesday/Wednesday time frame - this week.
We we had the small bush dug out today son-in-law spent 5 hours with his new Kabuota 2990 and high lift opening up the road. we can at least set the tanks and the vac pumps now. Main bush is stll buried under 30+ inches of snow. will be calling a friend with a F-250 and chains to plow it out.
Walked the main lines of the small bush yesterday and we have about30 inches of snow in the woods.
To all the guys in New England we in Pa laughted at last year when you tapped on shoes well I'm sorry I laughted,we will be tapping on snow shoes THIS YEAR!!!!
Will wait and see what the big storm brings us on Tues-Weds and then plow out the main bush. Should only have to do it once (I hope)
Jim
Got out today and cleaned off the wood pile and made the paths to the wood pile form the sugarshack.
I also took a walk thru the woods to had a nice talk with the trees, they are not talking though. Man all I want to know is it ok to tap.:rolleyes:
At this point I am ready to go it is just that every day whe I check the forecast it is just not quit right.
I have to go and dig out a pull off at the sugar bush that is located about 1/4 mile from the house, might do that tomarrow morning after work. I foresee that being a real treat, ice and frozen solid snow. I might have to take a pick with me.
Got out in the woods at 10 had to add a few more saddles to the mainline,Got that all done and went on cutting in drops,have around 230 in so that gives me 520 taps so far one more line to go for this year on this bush, sugaring season is right around the corner and still dont have my vac hooked up or even a realser yet, still havent got my r/o hope its here in time,.... hope to get my vac pump this week,
I laughed at myself last spring when I needed a ladder to pull taps. hope you don't have to try that one, it really slows you down. I didn't realize just how much snow there was until I looked at the taps after it was gone.
Im going to be pulling some taps with a step ladder for sure. IT SUCKS
I have about 18" of snow in the woods, and real crusty. snowshoes were a pain but a must. got almost all the laterals done except a few. I will go and start putting in saddles tomorrow. I will have to buy a couple more rolls to make drops. I have the Pinewood Derby for the cub scouts next Saturday to do so I loose one day in the woods.... but I think I'm in good shape now.
Next year should only take a couple weekends to get everything installed again, all depends on how well I mark everything before I take it down in April.
Mm3 How many taps is your new bush?
have about 2 feet here been wearing snowshoes,packs down a good trail,my woods has a nice packed down trail going to each tree,from running lats and putting in drops,sure it wont last too long more snow on the way tuesday, have to do it all over again AND AGAIN.
Dave 3%,
Very nice talking syrup and bees with you tonight! I have had a busy sugart day talking to a lot of my frieds ofro the trader.
Got a call from Keith Talbot newest member of the NWPA maple producers and he just got his stack up today! Now he needs the pans and he should be about ready to fire up the 3 x 7.
Chris
I wish we only had snow to deal with. I have to put on my YakTrax to get around, there is 1" of ice on top of the snow right now. What a pain in the butt.
I just can't imagine comeing back to remove the taps and only find them high enough that I need a ladder. Now thats alot of snow.
Sugarmaker,
Yup right back at cha!!
Bees are pretty fragile little insects.
Maybe when you get ready to do your steam-away I'll have to come out to give you a hand.
Glad to hear the little guy is doing good, too!!
Dave