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Thread: Lunchbox Vacuum Releaser

  1. #81
    Haynes Forest Products Guest

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    Why is it so hard to find the leaks with the air driven pump verses a Surflow pump?

  2. #82
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    North Grenville, Ontario
    Posts
    969

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    Quote Originally Posted by Haynes Forest Products View Post
    Why is it so hard to find the leaks with the air driven pump verses a Surflow pump?
    I don't have any experience with a sureflow but what I do know is that with the lunchbox when you have 1 leak it effects the whole system. The whole system full of sap gets sucked out instantly and you have to wait for it all to fill back up again to find leak. I made all my connections at 6 way star quick fittings. I made pieces of 5/16 tubing with a quick connect on them and a plug. To test for leaks I close air to pump off with a ball valve installed at pump. Disconnect all 5/16 lines. Plug lines comming off the star fitting. And hook 1 up to 6 way star. Turn pump back on and see how it cycles. If it levels off to a normal slow moving column of sap. Then it's got no leaks. If it races though the 5/16 then there's a leak. I jus repeat this cycle for every line.
    I tried with ball valves on all 5/16 lines but it works better with the plugs. I think it was because the smallest ball valve I could find was 1/2". So I reduced it to a barb fitting for 5/16 on both ends. The larger diameter of inside of valve was screwing with the flow. It would cause all the gases to get pulled over the sap and then not pull sap in very well. So I got rid of them. I've been thinking of going back to them and reconfigure it so it's facing upwards. But it's working the old way so why change it.
    600 taps on vacuum
    Lapierre mechanical Releaser
    CDL electric releaser
    2.5 x 10 CDL Venturi ( new for the 2024 season )
    Home made modulating auto draw off
    Homemade RO 2 x 4" membranes
    CDL 16 x 16 bottler
    Wesfab 7" filter press
    Delaval 73 vacuum pumps

    12 hives of bees

  3. #83
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Catskill Mts, Ulster County NY
    Posts
    603

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    I'm running a small number of taps on my Lunchbox this year (25), but it's doing a great job. My usual tap count would be in the 50-75 range, but I lost access to some trees in this area.

    Leaks have been an ongoing issue with the system. I have not used star fittings, but just "T" my lines into the main line. This year I switched to all all 3/16 lines, and I find that the system holds a vacuum much better. My return and air lines are still 5/16.

    Next year I will probably move this to a more productive bush, if I have a place to power the compressor.
    Gary / Zena Crossroads / 42˚ 00' 24" N / Hobby in Early '70s, Addiction since 2014

    175+ taps on 3/16 (60 of which are on two Lunchbox Vac/Releasers)
    12x34 timber framed sap house w/attached 10x34 shed roof for storage
    2 x 6 Smoky Lake hybrid pan on Corsair arch with AUF/steam hood/preheater/concentric exhaust
    7.0 KW Sun Power PV System, Smokey Lake Filter Press/Steam Bottler, Modified NGMP RO - 2 4x40 posts 200 gph

  4. #84
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    20

    Default Star fitting on box

    Quote Originally Posted by Bricklayer View Post
    I've had the lunchbox now for 3 seasons. And the star fitting right on the pump is the best method.
    What star fitting did you use that mounted right to the lunchbox?

  5. #85
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Sugarhill NH
    Posts
    723

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nogden3929 View Post
    What star fitting did you use that mounted right to the lunchbox?
    Mine came with an adapter to 3/8 npt
    30x8 Leader revolution, wood fired blower, steamaway/hood. 903 taps all but 54 on pipeline and 3 vacuum systems. Hauling sap this year with a 99 F350 7.3 diesel dump and of course back up is the Honda 450 and trailer.

  6. #86
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Sandstone, Minnesota
    Posts
    483

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    Lunchbox releaser, I see Deans website is no longer available. Is he out of business???
    Scarlet Jewell Sugar Shack LLC
    Sandstone, MN 55072
    16 x 24 sugar shack
    crescendo auto drawoff,

    Home built ro with a Dow xle 4040 membrane.
    1 1/2 hp motor on 220 drawing 8 amps
    Gravity feed


    300 taps on vacuum

    2 x 6 Smokey Lake Corsair arch with blower and pans and preheater
    1529 Massey Ferguson, Yamaha Wolverine

    https://www.facebook.com/ScarletJewellSugarShack

    Instagram. Mapleshack

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOnmFMBgU10

  7. #87
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Westfield, NY
    Posts
    245

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    Amazon and E bay say no longer available.
    backyard hobbyist
    Mason 2x3 w/AUF
    2020 - added small vacuum and gravity 5/16 tubing and sap sacks
    N 42* 18' 31."
    W 79* 34' 15."
    https://www.saptapapps.com/map/31868...-aab748a6394e/

  8. #88
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Middlesex Vermont
    Posts
    655

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    I had email him a month ago and he said it was no longer available.
    110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing

    2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
    2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
    2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
    32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
    57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
    55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144

  9. #89
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Mitchell, Indiana
    Posts
    41

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    I made one similar to the lunch box using a Flojet G57 model pump. It works quite well.

  10. #90
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Berwick, ME
    Posts
    64

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    I bought a Lunchbox a few years ago. It is basically a small cooler (you can see it on YouTube) with a Flojet H58 10000 syrup pump hanging on a bracket. The pump is submersible and the cooler is filled with water which keeps the pump from freezing even when temps drop into the 20's at night. I have about 90 taps hooked up to the Lunchbox and can get 18 to 22 in.HG I bought another pump for around $80.00 on Ebay last season, bolted it to a stand and use it for pumping concentrate into my head tank. I just did an online search for the H58 series pumps and it appears that they are no longer making them. I would think that the newer model Flojet syrup pump would work. You can easily make a "Lunchbox" if you are somewhat handy.
    2015 - 40 buckets w/ drop lines
    275 oil tank evaporator
    2x4 flat pan
    made 5 gallons!
    2016 - 90 buckets
    same evaporator and pan
    hoping to make 12 gallons
    2017 - 85 taps on vacuum w/lunchbox
    50 buckets
    Smoky Lake 2X4 drop flue pan

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