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Thread: Can I re drill a tap hole 1/32 larger

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    39

    Default Can I re drill a tap hole 1/32 larger

    Hi, I am new to maple tapping. Last year my sons, 10, 8, 6, and 4 wanted to tap some trees, so we tapped a few and made a quart of syrup. This year they wanted more. We put our 32 taps into 5 gallon pails this year, but I'm afraid that we tapped too early to catch the good run(s) later when the season really starts. If so, can we just re drill the holes our 1/64 or 1/32 larger and then re drive the tap? Since the tap is tapered I didn't know if this would work. we used 5/16 taps. Thanks for any advice.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Birdsboro PA
    Posts
    1,326

    Default

    You can, you'll see only marginal benefit from it though.
    first year 2012 50 taps late season made 2 1/2 gals.

    2013 2x6 homemade arch 180 taps. 20 Gals.

    2014 40 on 3/16 gravity 160 on buckets.

    http://omasranch.wix.com/omasmaple

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    DeKalb, NY
    Posts
    1,707

    Default

    Lot of work for little return

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,080

    Default

    You would be better off looking for new trees to tap if these dry up. You will need to find more in the future as you expand anyway.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    39

    Default

    Thanks for the replies, I will not waste my time with it. We have plenty of maples to choose from in our bush, so if push came to shove we would tap new trees then, but I think we are better off taking what we get and waiting until next year to tap the others. Thanks again.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Hudson/Somerset, WI
    Posts
    16

    Default

    I have only done this for four years now and what you said is my plan. I went 9/32 for my 5/16 taps because it was early and figured I could go to 11/32 if I think things bind up. Not all that much work for 30 taps in my mind. Never tried it though.
    2014 10 Taps for fun
    2015 20 Taps for even more fun!
    2016 20 Taps
    2017 40 Taps to double my fun again!
    2018 40 Taps

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