August Journal

[Parker]

220- I know we sound like a broken record,,,BUT WE HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT,,,in my opinion you are MUCH better off having 1300 TIGHT vaccum taps at 22"(or more) than 3000 gravity taps,,,in a couple of diffrent ways #1 you are going to spend less money for your start up cost,,#2 you are going to get more sap from the 1000 on vac. #3 you will only be tending (tapping-maintaining-dealing with landowners-hauling sap from) the 1 bush,,,In the woods I tap this past spring I got around (dont have the #s in front of me) 9? gallons of sap per tap on gravity,,in my worst vacuum woods I got 19.5? gallons per tap-my best was 21 gallons a tap....
As for the vacuum system,,,its up to you how much $ you want to spend,,,Yes you will have to get a releaser,,this sprining I got a big Lapieere for $850,,,,,,my pumps are sp-22 surge piston pumps (should be able to find one on craigslist in your area from $250-$500),,,run by 5.5 HP hondas,,a couple of pulleys ($350) then a 5 gallon jug as a fuel tank and your in the BIGSAP game......you will spend less in money and time and get much more of a return with vacuum,,,,if that were not the case big timers who do this for a living would all be gravity,,,SET IT UP VACCUM!!!!!

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

A-men, once you try vacuum, especially above 20", you will wonder how you could do it otherwise. Parker is dead on. It also allows you to pick up some of those taps that won't go into your gravity system by using ladders etc. If you don't use vacuum this year, at least set it up so you can. I can't reach any of my bushes with electric but gas powered vacuum does the trick.

[KenWP]

Well we actually had 4 days with no rain and I got a big day in cutting firewood. I worked around a few more maples giving them some room and got a lot of firewood in the process. No wonder some of these trees never did well last year they were in caves of trees. Couple of trees I cut almost a cord of wood to get them standing alone.
Anyone else notice that some trees look like fall already.

[Whitetail24]

Ken

Down here in the southern part of Ontario the trees are starting to change their shades of green. In fact, the walnut trees around the house have started to drop their leaves, golden rod is just starting to bloom, which is a good 2 weeks ahead of the norm.

Whitetail24

[3rdgen.maple]

Black walnuts have dropped their nuts early and are about half the normal size. Got maples turning colors here and there and dropping their leaves already. Acorns are falling prematurly also. Apple trees are ripe. Weird year Get ready for an early winter. On a side note went to our local race track tonight and watched Kasey Khane and Ryan Newman race USAC cars. Got to talk to them after the race 2 very nice people. And Ken 4 days here with no rain and I did not even get any maple stuff done. So use to working in the rain does not seem right so I spent some time enjoying the weather. My dad is trying to talk me out of tapping this fall. He does not want to help and says Im on my own on this one. Hmmmm Oh well pretty much done all the work myself last year anyways. Im still on the wagon with the fall tapping thing but once I get something in my head I gotta give it the old college try.

[dano2840]

fixed sugar house roof, going to get the 40"x12 this week or next week, sugar wood still not all put up, say any one have a 40"x12 wood fired arch they wana get rid of?

[KenWP]

Tried to cut firewood today into stove lengths. First chainsaw had the chain break on me so that I now know what gloves are for. Second chainsaw was cutting good but for some reason the exhaust smells so bad my helper refused to work around it so I had to quit a bit early. Have to figure out how to get the exhaust to not smell so bad. This is a new problem with the last batch of gas I bought. I might not get any firewood cut this year if I don't figure this out. Will change to a different brand of oil .
It feels like fall out there tonight. Last two nights have been way to cold for August.

[3rdgen.maple]

Hey Ken alot of the guys I ride snowmobiles with add some additives to their oil that makes it smell like liqorice or strawberries and a bunch other sweet smells. Sounds funny but it works. Nothing like stopping in a restaurant smelling like a 2 stroke. The stuff actually works pretty good. We get it at our snowmobile, motorcycle shops.

[PerryW]

Ken,

make sure you are mixing the oil at the correct ratio.

My Stihl uses 50:1 ratio, but will smoke more if running the 32:1 Lawnboy gas mix.

And make sure you don't get screwed up by the funny Canadian measures like imperial gallons or liters (litres).

[Maplewalnut]

Got back yesterday from a short weekend trip to Vermont. Beautiful country up there, first time I had spent any time in the state. Stopped at a few tourist traps and a few 'sign at the end of driveway' sugarhouses. Tried to preach my message to make B grade syrup! Took a trip to Bascoms to stock up on glass but never made it as far as Maple Guys. Maybe next time.

Need to get going on stringing some more tube. Have about 100 more taps to pipe in and then a decision to not put out buckets and go with all vacuum taps or still put out buckets and try to do close to 400 taps on a 2X6 ouch!

I know, I need an RO but its not going to happen this year. Decisions, decisions.