In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

FINALLY....Gonna go after some big white oak

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015.

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  1. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    There's been two huge white oaks down on my neighbors farm since Hurricane Sandy several years back and I've been patiently waiting to go after them........I have plans to make some boards our of one of the logs but that may not happen now as I'm losing time and don't have the funds right now for several ripping chains....

    my tree removal work is at a standstill due to weather conditions as of late......and that's putting a hurting on me.

    I've finally got my woods-beater snowmobile back together and ready for some action, so this weekend I'm going to start working those trees up for firewood. Also have to start gathering up wood for the maple syrup evaporator, and tap trees starting this weekend. Let the craziness begin......
     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  2. papadave

    papadave

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    Right where I want to be.
    I'll just watch from here.
    Frenzy isn't in my wheelhouse, anymore.:hair:
    Don't forget the go-pro.:thumbs:
     
    papadave, Feb 5, 2015
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  3. Stinny

    Stinny

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    +2 :popcorn:
     
    Stinny, Feb 5, 2015
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  4. papadave

    papadave

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    Right where I want to be.
    How many trees do you tap? How many taps?
    I have a funny feeling a friend will be calling soon to ask me to help tap and gather.
    I get a quart of syrup for my efforts.:thumbs:
     
    papadave, Feb 5, 2015
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  5. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    Aiming for 100 taps this year, PD. We'll see.......
     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  6. Stinny

    Stinny

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    Do you run lines between the taps Scotty, or tap & buckets? Had a buddy who'd tap quite a few trees at the old farm every spring. He had the perfect set-up because of the slope of the land. I guess he had around 20 trees down there. All of his lines ran down and over to the road where they dumped into a 55 gal container. He'd show up with his pickup & tank and park just a little bit below the container and empty onto the truck. Slick. Like PD, we'd get a quart of sweet stuff too... :yes:
     
    Stinny, Feb 5, 2015
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  7. papadave

    papadave

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    Right where I want to be.
    This guy's uncle is the one with the sugaring operation.
    Nice little sugar shack and a 3 pan system. They blow through a LOT of wood.
    Just enough room inside the shack for 5, maybe 6 people to have "refreshments" after collecting.
    Last time I helped, it was Peach wine, I think. Man, was that stuff gooder.
     
    papadave, Feb 5, 2015
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  8. Stinny

    Stinny

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    Wooooo Hoooooo... it's peach wine in the shack, chased by a little hot maple syrup... urrrrrrrrrp... :cheers: ... perfect.
     
    Stinny, Feb 5, 2015
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  9. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    I use jugs and buckets, and require snow to operate as most of my trees are over on the farm in a big draw, so I use the snowmobile to fetch the sap.....

    but I do have two properties (one is a local amusement park) where I tap quite a few trees. I'm hoping to get 20 sled-loads of wood out between now and next Saturday morning. I'll tap trees later this weekend, of all goes to plan.
     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  10. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Beware Scotty. The forecast is for several snowstorms to blow through in the next several days. I would not think you have to hurry on the tapping either as they are forecasting February to stay quite cold before warming in March. This may be one of those years where the sap runs slow but then suddenly it warms up and then you can't keep up. But when that happens, the end is near. Funny, one thing we always watched for were bees. If we saw a bee at the sugar shack, we'd usually say we had about 3 more days.
     
    Backwoods Savage, Feb 5, 2015
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  11. MightyWhitey

    MightyWhitey

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    Sure hope your "syrup factory" doesn't wind up looking like a lot of OWB's Scotty!!!!:sir::Yar:
     
    MightyWhitey, Feb 5, 2015
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  12. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    No dampers on my evaporator (it's got two-6" flues!), and lemme tell ya I stoke it super hot so there's usually nothing but fire coming out of the stacks! Looks like two big candles with blue flames at night!

    Only smoke is at start up and a little bit at reloads. ..
     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  13. red oak

    red oak

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    My FIL taps on his property. He uses about 150 taps and collects the syrup in buckets every couple of days. I wish I was closer so I could help him more. He built a huge brick fireplace years ago and goes through a lot of wood for the evaporator, but like Scotty burns it so hot usually the only thing you see from the outside is steam. It's awesome being in there on a cold day tending the fire and sampling the syrup!
     
    red oak, Feb 5, 2015
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  14. mike bayerl

    mike bayerl

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    Scotty, I have to say, it's way easier, clean, faster and cheaper to hire out a guy with a portable mill or take the logs to a local sawyer than to CSM boards. For example, I had about 650 bd-ft of quartersawn lumber cut from a white oak last year. Cost me <$250 and took only a couple of hours. When you add up the cost of chains and the time resharping, gas, oil, and the tremendously longer time, it's just not worth it. I'm convinced that CSM's are best used for enormous logs that won't fit a conventional mill or milling big logs where they fall.
     
    mike bayerl, Feb 5, 2015
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  15. My IS heats my home

    My IS heats my home

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    Pics if you can Scotty, would love to see what you got going on.
     
    My IS heats my home, Feb 5, 2015
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  16. wishlist

    wishlist Guest

    Glad to here your tapping again Scotty although it maybe a bit early? It certainly looks like end of February for me although I do have a bush on vacuum this year which will allow me to tap a bit sooner. I've got a pile of work to do before I get my 600 maples and 100 walnuts tapped.

    Remember as soon as you tap that tree it starts healing itself and sap flow will be reduced later as the season progresses.

    Be sure and post some pics of the oak!
     
    wishlist, Feb 5, 2015
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  17. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    Ok fellas, I finally got my woods-beater snowmobile back together thanks to Pallet Pete for bringing my sleds to DexterDay 's place back in Oct. I used the rougher of the two sleds that Pete brought me back from Michigan.

    Here's the sled on a little jaunt up to the one big white oak I plan on starting with this weekend......

    The video isn't the best (camera went out of focus in the one segment so bear with me), and the snow was horrible because of the rain and freeze we had, but once the trail is broken in it isn't so bad......

     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  18. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    wishlist it's good to hear from you! I will most certainly watch the weather and temps before deciding on an exact date to start tapping......I plan on only running three weeks this year, maybe four if the weather is right.

    The one oak I'm going to work up this weekend is in the video I just posted......forgive the poor quality as I still need to break a good trail in with the snowmobile before I attempt to haul the firewood sled up there and back 20 times. I'm also going to attempt making skis for the log splitter and taking it up there in the snow.....stay tuned.....
     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  19. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    Where these logs are I really would have some thinking to get them out......plus I'd be damaging the neighbors property, so I'll slab a couple boards and buck the rest for firewood.....
     
    Scotty Overkill, Feb 5, 2015
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  20. DexterDay

    DexterDay Administrator

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    Love the video Scotty! Glad I could provide a meeting place for you and Pete, and we could all run some saws at the same time!
     
    DexterDay, Feb 5, 2015
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