Tapping bits?

[MASSEY JACK]

Hey Kevin, I hope you keep signing on to this site.....you 're the funniest sapperdoodle on this thing Makes for some good readin.... and you obviously know a whole lot more about this stuff than I do.

[mountainvan]

I wrote bout the irwen bit. it does leave a sliver if you push to hard as mentioned. I have a piece of 1/2" copper on the bit as a stop. goes in 2" reams out the shavings and is alot easier to pull out.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Massey Jack- Did you get your VT quality control manual yet?

[markcasper]

Kevin, I don't know about pushing on it hard, never thought I did. Remeber the old ATOM attachment for chainsaws. Well, thats what I used to use years ago and maybe that was some of the problem. When I bought the tanaka, I just used a fleet farm special bit and now that I got the DRILL DOCTOR, I won't be buying anymore bits.

The Irwin cut nice and clean, except for that &#@&*^$# sliver at the beginning. Mark

[Dave Y]

Kevin,
Had a MSC big book at my finger tips just to dumb to look in it. I ordered four of the bits. They sould be here today. Thanks for the info. Hey that sap refractometer I got from you last May works great. I tested the four trees I have In my yard, 3 are 2.8 and 1 is 2.4. It will be very will be very helpful in weeding out the week sap trees. Thanks

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Mark- Yea those chain saw tapper were a trick to use? It's the operator/not the tool.(Never tryed one myself)/Seen some use em' though. Seems as though you have to have the RPM's up and barely bump the bark of the tree and then when it started drilling you pushed in to the depth you wanted. Had to be steady or you had an oval hole.

Probably after you drilled a couple thousands taps with it in your lifetime you knew all the tricks for drilling a nice hole every time?

[lew]

Yeah, those chainsaw tappers were fast. You had to be careful with everything you did with one of those. From having solid footing so you didn't slip to making sure the drill was positioned the way you wanted before you even got close to the tree. But once you got used to them, you could make a hole in half a second (or less). Just wind up the saw and push against the tree. You couldn't hardly feel any resistance when you pushed the bit in. It was just a quick in and out. The only thing I didn't like about them was that you held the saw sideways, and that was uncomfortable.

[MASSEY JACK]

Kevin, yes I got the Vermont guide and have read most of it. They seem to recommend using bleach often and rinsing even more. All of the bigger producers that I know around here don't use anything but water any more. They don't like squirrel chews or want to risk off flavors i'm told. I recognized the guidebook. My Dad gave me an old one a few years ago. Thanks for the info and the prodding. It is a good little book to have.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Also much more dangerous 8O

[maplehound]

Well I tried one of those $2o bits today. Wish I had left it at the dealers though. It kept pulling in to deep and stalling my drill out. Atfter about 150 taps I broke it off in the tree. Now how can I get it out? It is recesed back in about 1/4" and the sap is pouring out around it. Good thing I had another regular bit along and used that to finish tapping.
Ron