Cleaning frames

[enrico]

Anyone who attended Murrays talk last night would have seen the frames he uses. First grade lime wood (no knots), fully made up and wired for around 90p each. Can be supplied in any size but 2000 min order (frames I think, not £). Foundation is then cheaper if not wired as well. Think I will be winding down my stock of pine seconds and looking at these in future.

Please send your old ones to JBM he needs some kindling!

 

[Mint Bee]

this is not any old kindling, this is kindling that is carefully impregnated with organic resins and wax by specially selected bees to provide a superior fire lighting experience.

not going to be cheap

 

[pargyle]

this is not any old kindling, this is kindling that is carefully impregnated with organic resins and wax by specially selected bees to provide a superior fire lighting experience.

not going to be cheap

Steady... I can see a business opportunity here ... we may need to discuss a partnership.... could be a nice little earner... superior naturally impregnated kindling... sold on ETSY to those with money to burn !

 

[pargyle]

Are you using fishing line for wiring? I know a lot do. Stainless gives countless opportunities to clean and reuse without any need to rewire and is well worth the tiny investment involved.

No I use stainless wire but after a few years in the comb and the rough way I remove the old comb from the frames it tends to need replacing anyway...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Anyone who attended Murrays talk last night would have seen the frames he uses. First grade lime wood (no knots), fully made up and wired for around 90p each. Can be supplied in any size but 2000 min order (frames I think, not £). Foundation is then cheaper if not wired as well. Think I will be winding down my stock of pine seconds and looking at these in future.

I must admit I’m impressed with those.

 

[Mint Bee]

Sure we can work out a deal for the new luxury range of kindling Phil

 

[Newbeeneil]

But to be fair we are not all in it for the money. I actually enjoy cleaning frames. I actually enjoy looking after my kit. I actually enjoy not burning money. I would never be able to factor in labour costs. I would have gone into liquidation 39 years ago. I understand some of you do it as a business but some of us just do it for the fun of it

Oh I certainly agree it's not all about money, that was just for an illustration but time is valuable. I dislike making frames almost as much as cleaning them which is why I tend to make them in tranches of 30 in any half hour I can find. More than that is boring!
I do however have 5 grandchildren and if I was to spend 5 hours cleaning frames that would be half a day I couldn't spend with them.
As in much of life, it's all about priorities.

 

[pargyle]

Sure we can work out a deal for the new luxury range of kindling Phil

I'm thinking cellophane packets tied up with a ribbon.... might even make it in time for Xmas ?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I'm thinking cellophane packets tied up with a ribbon.... might even make it in time for Xmas ?

I have the cellophane and ribbon........
Plenty left over from merchandise ready for the upcoming village table top sale

 

[Moobee]

I take it you mean is it worth keeping the wax....the answer is no
But if you mean is it worth cleaning the frames to reuse..... the answer is yes!
Take the wax out. Takes a couple of seconds if cold.
Takes a minute or two to scrape the wax off the frame and remove the fixing top bar and the bottom bar opposite it.
It is as quick as making a new frame up!
It is ready for new wax when you need it. Slot the wax in, fix the two removed bars and you are there. I have frames that have been reused loads of times!
I apologise if you were just talking about the wax

I've got a couple of frames of fermented ivy honey from last year which I didn't know what to do with (apart from bung in the freezer to stop it getting wax moth or getting any more alcoholic!) so that could be a good use for those. Ta!

 

[rolande]

No I use stainless wire but after a few years in the comb and the rough way I remove the old comb from the frames it tends to need replacing anyway...

I think it must just be the rough handling as I've yet to see stainless degenerate to the point it needs replacing just as a result of being used to hold comb.

 

[Moobee]

Well ...it's probably too late and too far to make it worthwhile (you are about 25 miles from me) but you could have borrowed my old Burco boiler I use to clean my frames. But .... my frames are foundationless and I nail and glue them so they are worth cleaning and re-using. I just scrape the wax off and they then get washed in a hot solution of washing soda, takes a few seconds a frame. I replace the horizontal wires as they usually come away with the comb. I'm not cheap but I can't see a reason to burn perfectly good frames if they can be re-used. If I was having to dismantle them to replace foundation I'd probably not bother and go for new.

I bought my old Burco for a tenner off ebay .. not the prettiest looking boiler but it does the job- if you expand and have more frames to clean it's worth keeping an eye open for a cheap one - washing soda costs next to nothing and a bit of electricity ... clean 50 frames and it's paid for itself.

Ah that's very kind. I'm loath to. chuck out something I took time putting together so will have a go at removing the wax and seeing if i can scrape it out.
I actually managed to get a Burco boiler on Freecycle earlier this year, having driven across Hampshire to pick it up only to get it home and find it didn't work. Changed plug, still nothing. Figured it would cost me more to get it mended so sold it on Marketplace for a tenner! Have been keeping an eye out for another one though.

 

[Moobee]

Well 83p if there are a dozen frames, and given that Moobee only has three hives I reckon that's not far off what she probably paid, she's unlikely to be buying vast numbers in sales (of course I might be wrong), but even at a fiver seems a waste, unless she literally has money to burn.....

Simon

Trying to limit amount of extra stuff to buy as I cant hide everything from my OH! And i'm retired so I have time to do this kind of stuff. I try to wait for sales, buy in bulk and make or assemble as much as possible too but when I first started no-one really tells you just how much spare stuff you are going to need, or that the bees don't care if it's not first grade.
First hive was a lovely National Bee Supplies cedar pitched roof national on its own stand.
My friends think the two next to it now look like favelas in comparison!

 

[Skinfaxi]

this is not any old kindling, this is kindling that is carefully impregnated with organic resins and wax by specially selected bees to provide a superior fire lighting experience.

not going to be cheap

Brilliant.

 

[E&MBees]

Trying to limit amount of extra stuff to buy as I cant hide everything from my OH! And i'm retired so I have time to do this kind of stuff. I try to wait for sales, buy in bulk and make or assemble as much as possible too but when I first started no-one really tells you just how much spare stuff you are going to need, or that the bees don't care if it's not first grade.
First hive was a lovely National Bee Supplies cedar pitched roof national on its own stand.
My friends think the two next to it now look like favelas in comparison!

So true, wish I had known that. They all get seconds now and to be honest I think I would struggle to identify the first quality hive parts that I originally brought. Given I have a young family, any savings are welcome!

 

[pargyle]

I think it must just be the rough handling as I've yet to see stainless degenerate to the point it needs replacing just as a result of being used to hold comb.

Yes, I just hack the old comb out with my hive tool - not that careful to be honest - usually at least one strand breaks and at that stage it's easier to cut ir out and replace it ...