Reaming Results

[Haynes Forest Products]

When you guys REAM are you going bigger into new wood or just scrapping out the gunk? I wonder is not going big enough on the reaming might just SMEAR the gunk and slime into the tap hole walls.

[Dave Y]

It would have been wonderful except for a few things. One this was the worst season for sugar content in maybe 30 years.(that what i have been told) season average was 64-1. Two sap production was terrible! I produced around 3000 less gallons of sap than last year. This year I had 400 more taps and added vacuum to 2100 taps. The rig ran well It takes a long time to get it up to speed though. I could get 200gph out of it, not the 250 -300 that was claimed by sales people. but I was satisfied with that. I boiled around 27000 gal of sap on 20 cord of wood. Last yearI boiled 30000 on 40 cord of wood. I Was able to fire every 35-45 minutes depending on the quality of the wood. I did not have any wood that was recomended as being the best for this evaporator. Cut one year 20% mosture. My wood was much drier than that. I think that it would do better on wood consuption with greener wood due to more gases to burn. All in all I am happy with the Force 5. I think I will be even happier when I put an RO in front of it.

[kiegscustoms]

I think reaming the taps was the only thing that kept this season going for us. We reamed the day before the freeze and throughout the next week produced more sap than we did for the entire beginning of the season. I have a giant sugar maple outside my sugar house which did some odd things this year. First half of the season all taps ran equally well, with a sugar content about 4.2 at the beginning and dropping to 3.6 right before the freeze. I did not ream these holes but the 2 buckets on the south side slowed down a lot after the freeze and produced 2.2 sugar content, where as the 1 bucket on the north side filled a bucket once every 12 hours and had 3.1 sugar content right up until last weeks summer weather. ???

[TF Maple]

I think that it would do better on wood consuption with greener wood due to more gases to burn.

I didn't know there were gasses in green wood that contribute to the BTU's. I thought green wood provided less BTU's of heat because of the water that gets evaporated so there is less heat for whatever you are trying to heat up. What are these gasses in green wood?

[gomish]

When you guys REAM are you going bigger into new wood or just scrapping out the gunk? I wonder is not going big enough on the reaming might just SMEAR the gunk and slime into the tap hole walls.

I think most guys that gave this info said they go 1/64 larger. That is the same as 16 thousands of an inch, or 8 thousands of an inch per side. Cutting that small amount of wood, the bit had better be really sharp to cut a tiny sliver out of the hole, instead of smashing the fibers. Since this is my first year, I didn't know a lot, tried to use a standard 5/16 steel bit (with a brace), which hogged up my holes out of round (the bit clogged and would not cut, and I had to push way to hard). I knew at that point for next year I had to do something different. After looking at the pictures of the tapping bits to see how they were made, I found some at Surplus City outlet near Altoona PA, that looked exactly like the 20$ bits, for $1.65(Vermont American Brand surplus (wood/steel bit)). The flutes were cut deep and wide to allow the shavings lots of room to push out and the cutting tips were very sharp. I tested them on a large fresh limb I trimmed the other day, and they cut so clean, shavings feed out of the hole great, and I had to hold them back, as opposed to having to push like crazy with the standard steel bit. One is 5/16 and the other is 19/64 so, I will start with the small one and then ream the extra 1/64 if needed with the 5/16.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well I will say reaming helped me alot this year as well. I did 2 out of the 4 bushes I have. The holes were pretty much dried up. The 2 bushes I reamed gave me more sap after the freeze and the 2 bushes I didn't gave me nothing at all. Then the weather went warm again and it all shut down. A week later I pulled taps and the ones I reamed looked as fresh as the day I did it and the ones I didn't were nasty black and slimy. Haynes what I did and have done in the past is the initial tap goes in at 1 1/2 and I ream with the same size bit and go in another half inch. It seems the holes close up enough to cut out the black nasty wood and get the holes back to fresh. I just have to wonder if the research on reaming was all part of the strategic selling point of the sales of the taps of the future. All I can say it works for me and has many times in the past.

[Haynes Forest Products]

gomish I wouldnt use the old brace type bits because the only sharp part of the bit is the face of the bit. The sides then smear the wood fibers. NOW I cant say that it close the fibers from sap transfer. What if we used a smaller bit than the 7/16th we use and then ream? my taps would fit in a smaller hole.

[3rdgen.maple]

Haynes the only thing that ever concerns me when I ream holes is not getting a nice round hole to seal against the tap. I tried the smaller bit deal once and did not like the results. So just how do you center the bigger bit in the hole ism my question. Atleast with the sam size bit it fits better and does not have the tendency or atleast not as much to wobble all over the place. Now if you could have a pilot bit welded on the larger bit you might be onto something.

[Haynes Forest Products]

But then the pilot section would penetrate the dead wood. I alway keep my drill at high speed when I have had to retap a hole that some little helper was doing.

[maple sapper]

I reamed some holes myself. Had good success. I do agree the weather working with you makes it worth the effort. Also noticed holes that were dry. Onces reamed were welling up very quickly. Just like the original tapping day. So right away, I knew it was worth it. I do think that the long warm trend is what made the reaming an ideal thing to do especially with the nice freeze. I did not go larger on the bit. I used the same size and it was amazing that the hole on the far inside was already filling in, based on the amount of material coming out.