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Thread: Length of drops for 3/16"

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Central WI/Merrill WI
    Posts
    407

    Default Length of drops for 3/16"

    Getting started with my 3/16 setup. I have very minor slope where the trees are located and then at the end I drop off fast. I've seen some vids for 5/16 basic setup and would assume that 3/16 is about the same? The vid that I watched showed making 3' drops. Does this seem like a good standard length? In some ways it seems a bit long, but to reach around it sounds about right?
    2017- 80 taps on 3/16 natural experimenting with Sap Sucking options
    The original Homemade XLE 4040 RO http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...RO-suggestions on a dolly
    7" short stack filter press w/air diaphragm pump

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Lawrence County Ohio
    Posts
    350

    Default

    This was my first year with tubing, made all my drops 3' (100 3/16, 100 5/16). Some were a bit long,but overall I believe it made tapping a whole lot easier for this rookie.

    3/16 is the BOMB. I only got 125 taps in, 96 /16 and the rest 5/16. Some days the 5/16 just dribbled and the 3/16 ran like crazy. Net year I'm adding RO and another 200 taps, and replacing most of my 5/16 with 3/16- I am fortunate- (except for my knees and sore feet) to have 350' of elevation between my sugar shack and the top of my sugar bush. But my trees are in sparse clumps. I ran 2100 of 3/4 mainline, and only have 5 entries for the laterals. I have one 5/16 lateral up in a holler with 22 taps, branch lines coming into a 4 star adapter, 100' elevation on those lines from the main to the top trees- they are definitely getting 3/16 next year! Some days they didn't run, and the 3/16 taps 100 yds away were gushing.
    '12 15 jugs - Steam pans
    '17 125 3/16 - 18" x 72" drop flue on homemade arch
    '18 240 3/16 - Deer Run 125
    '19 450 3/16 - Converted RO to electric/added a membrane
    '20 600 3/16 - Maple Pro 2x6 Raised Flue, added AOF/AUF
    '21 570 3/16 - Built steam hood, Smoky Lake filter press
    '22 800 3/16 - Upgraded RO to 4 4x40
    '23 500 3/16 - Re-plumbed RO, new "Guzzler"
    '24 500 3/16 - Steam Away, DIY 8x40 RO

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Rutland, Vermont
    Posts
    326

    Default

    We made our 3/16 drops 30" to leave enough room for next year with a new spout.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Birdsboro PA
    Posts
    1,326

    Default

    3' is good. Just wrap the extra around the tree best you can to take up slack.
    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

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Alcona County, Michigan
    Posts
    1,134

    Default

    When I make a new 3/16" run, I make the drop so that it reaches about 2' above the tee on opposite side of the tree (the back side). That way next year I can shorten it a little if I replace the spile and move the tap 90* around the tree (the upstream side), then next year 180* to the downstream side, and finally, to the front side. After that, I plan to drop the spile 6" and rotate 45* for the next four years.
    CE
    44° 41′ 3″ N

    2019 -- 44 Red Maples - My home and sugarbush are for sale.
    2018 -- 48 Red Maples, 7 gallons
    2017 -- 84 Red Maples, 1 Sugar Maple, and 1 Silver Maple , 13 gallons
    2016 -- 55 Red Maples, 8 gallons
    2015 -- 15 Red Maples, 6 Birches - 3+ gallons maple syrup
    An awning over my deck is my sugar shack.
    An electrified kitchen sink and an electrified steam table pan are my evaporators.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Central WI/Merrill WI
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    OK we prebuilt 59 of the 60 taps and tees into 3' drops in the comfort of the shop. I have vacuum gauges, but may end up cannibalizing a couple of the tees. I do see that Lapierre makes a nice end line drop line hook that would do this for me. I can always come back to these. My present stuff is all CDL and it doesn't seem that they offer these.
    2017- 80 taps on 3/16 natural experimenting with Sap Sucking options
    The original Homemade XLE 4040 RO http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...RO-suggestions on a dolly
    7" short stack filter press w/air diaphragm pump

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Alcona County, Michigan
    Posts
    1,134

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Diesel Pro View Post
    OK we prebuilt 59 of the 60 taps and tees into 3' drops in the comfort of the shop. I have vacuum gauges, but may end up cannibalizing a couple of the tees. I do see that Lapierre makes a nice end line drop line hook that would do this for me. I can always come back to these. My present stuff is all CDL and it doesn't seem that they offer these.
    I'm not sure what you are getting at here. At the top of a line, you can get away with just a spile if you don't plan to install a vacuum guage. You just use the Chinese finger trap method on the cheap Chinese yellow woven 1/4" rope to attach the end to the tree.
    CE
    44° 41′ 3″ N

    2019 -- 44 Red Maples - My home and sugarbush are for sale.
    2018 -- 48 Red Maples, 7 gallons
    2017 -- 84 Red Maples, 1 Sugar Maple, and 1 Silver Maple , 13 gallons
    2016 -- 55 Red Maples, 8 gallons
    2015 -- 15 Red Maples, 6 Birches - 3+ gallons maple syrup
    An awning over my deck is my sugar shack.
    An electrified kitchen sink and an electrified steam table pan are my evaporators.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Danbury, Connecticut
    Posts
    331

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Diesel Pro View Post
    OK we prebuilt 59 of the 60 taps and tees into 3' drops in the comfort of the shop. I have vacuum gauges, but may end up cannibalizing a couple of the tees. I do see that Lapierre makes a nice end line drop line hook that would do this for me. I can always come back to these. My present stuff is all CDL and it doesn't seem that they offer these.
    get the right 'end of line hooks'. it makes install easier and put a gauge on each line. its easier to troubleshoot and keep tabs on each line for day-to-da monitoring.

    I made some 24" drops, some 30" drops and then i made a bunch in the field one day, and used an exact measurement of 'half a chevy pickup tailgate'. pretty sure it's close to 30", they seem to work well, they're long enough to wrap around the small trees, and big enough to put pretty much anywhere on a big-ole tree. the 24"s are a little tight on some trees and will get an inch shorter every year of their lifespan
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Carroll, Maine, United States
    Posts
    203

    Default

    I used 32in this and they worked well. Little long for smaller trees but thats not a problem really. I like to use the sliders for end of line. They make tension adjustments easier.
    2008---35 buckets--3 gal syrup
    2015---150 on 3/16 gravity&50 Buckets
    2016---350+/- on 3/16
    2017---700+ on 3/16
    2018---700+ on 3/16 added 500gal milk tank

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Central WI/Merrill WI
    Posts
    407

    Default

    What I have: 3-16-end-of-line-hook-750-600x600.jpg









    What I want: etnmfy218z.jpg

    This one fitting will save me 2 Tees.
    2017- 80 taps on 3/16 natural experimenting with Sap Sucking options
    The original Homemade XLE 4040 RO http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...RO-suggestions on a dolly
    7" short stack filter press w/air diaphragm pump

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