Filed under: January 2013
Sap bumper and unloading zone
January 4, 2013
You may have to use your imagination just a little, but bear with me and I will explain 😮
Last year we would come up to this area with the team of horses pulling a sled with a full sap tank on it. We had to time everything perfect to have the sap tank unloading pipe in line with the pipe that went to the sugarhouse. The pipe is about 4-6 inches wide. It is flared a bit, but still makes for a small target.
The horses knew just about where to stop after doing it a time or two, but close enough for them was not always close enough for me! We only had to go around twice one time, but it makes for a whole lot of monkey business to make it happen.
I got the idea to create a bumper to slide the sled against. It would position the sled at the right height to unload. I am having a custom-made “sink” if you will, to unload into. It will be a stainless steel box measuring six feet long , eighteen inches wide and about a foot deep with a 3 inch drain on one end. The “sink” will be complete with a lid.
As we pull up to the unloading zone, we now have a six-foot target to hit. I am sure we can do that 😮 The lid will keep any debris from getting into the “sink” between loads as well as, between runs of sap.
I was trying to figure out how to make the bumper and keep the horses from wanting to pull us right over the hill. I came up with the idea to curve the bumper part, then build a fence to keep the horses where I wanted them.
I had most of the material, so the project cost us about $90.00. If it works it is priceless… if not, I’m not out too much. I do think it will work and plan to try it out tomorrow with an empty sled. The idea is the same … and no sloshing sap to add a degree of difficulty to the maiden trip.
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RicelandMeadows 