Honey harvest ready

[Jim in rush co]

I started building this uncapping station early last winter and finally got it done. Made of stainless steel and wood cut off
the farm years ago. Even went and bought a new motor driven 12 frame radial extractor. Should try it out about a week or so
after Labor Day.

 

[glennster]

wow! looks great! how many hives are you running?

 

[Jim in rush co]

Three, with hopes of going bigger if I can stay away from the surgery for a while. Do you use one of the electric heated knives? I bought a cold knife last year and really didn't like it. When my friend brought his equipment over he had a real old and heavy uncapping knife heated by water on hot plate. I was wandering if the wax built up bad on the electric ones or will it wipe off ok.

 

[Den N Ms]

Jim in rush co,I just use a old and heavy uncapping knife and keep it razor sharp.Set it down when not using it in a pot of hot water.
I have a electric knife but don't like it much ,the old one is so much faster and I like it better. I also use a old AI Root two frame flip/flop hand crank extractor works good for me.

Jim, I like your cabinet stainless sink and lid you made good job.
Take some pics of the harvest and combs while extracting and post them.

This post was edited by Den N Ms on 08/11/2021 at 07:21 pm.

 

[glennster]

i use a cold knife and keep it in hot water. a buddy of mine uses a heat gun to uncap. it works pretty good

 

[Jim in rush co]

Is your old and heavy knife something like this one of my friend's, it sure had a nice feel as compared to my light weight
new one. His cabinet and knife picture.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

I have long wanted to keep a hive , there are plenty of bees and food for them here but , sadly very few Apiarists .

 

[Den N Ms]

Jim in rush co,Yes Jim it looks just like that one.

 

[Jim in rush co]

I sure wish I could find one like it, do you know of anyone that makes or sells them?

 

[gears]

The wife just took 85lbs of honey from her 6 hives, 4 frame crank extractor and she uses a serrated uncapping knife I bent up for her (12 inch bread knife) she prefers it to the old heated (electric) knife.

She is also contemplating spacing the frames so they build out farther so uncapping is easier and having 3 fewer frames in the medium supers will make lifting easier.

Great looking extracting station.

 

[Jim in rush co]

I'm running 9 frames instead of 10 in supers but are using shallows at nearly 80 yrs this old body doesn't like lifting so much.

 

[Den N Ms]

I also use 9 frames in my hives,use a metal 9 frame spacer nailed into the top groove.It makes for much easier uncapping with the longer comb length,no need for scratcher to uncap combs.
As for an old heavy knife,look around flea markets ect you may find one.
I don't know what places like Dadant has as I haven't looked

This post was edited by Den N Ms on 08/13/2021 at 01:40 pm.

 

[Jim in rush co]

They say the capping's hold 10% of available honey, I take it that is using 10 frames so using 9 frames should be a little
higher percentage. My cabinet I made has a thermostat controlled heater to heat the basket and tank to make the honey flow
out of the caps easier. I use the plain metal frame rest and use 2 plastic 9 frame spacers to set the spacing and easier to
clean the rest.

 

[Den N Ms]

Gears,You say,She is also contemplating spacing the frames so they build out farther so uncapping is easier and having 3 fewer frames in the medium supers will make lifting easier.
You might mention to your wife that I have tried 8 frames in a 10 frame hive body and found that too much bee space causes them to build bur comb between the frames.but I think 7 would be a real mess.Nine frames works great and equally spaced and makes for easy uncapping and no burr comb.

 

[K Effective]

If you have an old knife you can keep sharp, have you tried the magnetic induction hot plates- you could keep the knife hot without the pot of water or a cord inside the knife.

Just an idea. Or, an excuse to buy an induction bolt heater...

 

[gears]

Den, the wife wants inner panel spacers (likely closed cell foam insulation) to take up most of the space of the missing frames to save weight and buildup the comb. That 10% of honey in the cappings, she lets it drain overnight and just tried a vodka rinse where she ended up with honey infused vodka and cleaner capping she was able to melt down for her wax ingots in preparation for the candle molds.