DIY Wax Foundation

[Olivia9801]

I enjoy a practical challenge and have wanted to have a go at making my own wax foundation. I make all my own hives and frames, so this would be an extension of my beekeeping diy commitment.

Today I was loaned a metal wax foundation press, and will have a go very soon.

However, I am wondering if there’s anyone else on this forum who has done or does this, that has devised a jig for embedding the wire into the wax foundation?

There are lots of videos on doing this with the wires being pre inserted into the frames, but I would prefer to do this by ending up with wired foundation like those we buy from our beekeeping suppliers here in the U.K.

Regards

 

[Hivemaker.]

However, I am wondering if there’s anyone else on this forum who has done or does this, that has devised a jig for embedding the wire into the wax foundation?

We make all our own foundation and have a wiring setup/jig/machine that wires the foundation exactly the same as the commercially wired foundation in the V pattern, it is very easy to wire about 200 brood sheets an hour with it.

 

[Ian123]

You simply make a jig to hold wire lay sheet on and a small elec charge through wire am sure there are embedding rollers as well. There must be something on net

 

[Olivia9801]

You simply make a jig to hold wire lay sheet on and a small elec charge through wire am sure there are embedding rollers as well. There must be something on net

I looked for quite a while yesterday for a video on this topic about wiring, but they were all related to the frames where the wire is inserted through the side frames.

Will have another look today!

Regards

 

[Wingy]

I use the wired frames and have made some of my own wax foundation (silicone press) which I fix into the frames by using a 12v battery and passing a current through the wire. Two things I have found about home made foundation is that it’s a bit thicker & more brittle than bought stuff. It would be easy to make a jig to do the same to produce wired foundation the same way.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Two things I have found about home made foundation is that it’s a bit thicker & more brittle than bought stuff.

Depends on what you use to produce it, cast or rolled, here it is rolled as thin or thick as required... and is not brittle.

 

[Ian123]

Depends on what you use to produce it, cast or rolled, here it is rolled as thin or thick as required... and is not brittle.

Am sure you have some decent kit and don’t sit there making 1 sheet at a time in a press

 

[wightbees]

You can get lower end market hand roller as on flea Bay.

 

[Beefriendly]

I think Pete is referring to rolling the wax into thin sheets before putting through the impression mould. I could be wrong but candelling makes them more flexible.

 

[Wingy]

Depends on what you use to produce it, cast or rolled, here it is rolled as thin or thick as required... and is not brittle.

Yes quite correct I’m casting it, works just fine but uses a bit more wax. For my use and number of hives a press & roller is not financially viable at the moment

 

[Olivia9801]

Nice to see some responses on this issue for those that make their own foundation.

My first efforts at this also showed the sheets were thicker than shop bought, but I thought it maybe down to the actual temperature of the molten wax at the time its pressed? If it’s to thick then is because your wax is not hot enough and subsequently it increases it’s viscosity and becomes thicker?

Someone in USA who does this told me last week on the internet that the best temperature for the wax to be at time of pressing is 85 degrees. I haven’t had time to have another go, but when I do, I want to try and manage the molten wax temperature far better and am interested to see if this will produce a thinner sheet?

Regards

 

[Anduril]

You could buy this booklet from beecraft for the wiring board. Here

 

[Wingy]

What are people using to melt wax for making foundation and keeping it up to temperature between making each sheet