Extractor restoration project- advice needed

[beekake]

I'm on the verge of restoring a Thornes Mk 1 (I think) radial extractor. It has a crank on the top, and the cage (a 9 frame model) is coated in some sort of thin white plastic/ vinyl.

THe mechanism works fine, but there are a couple of things I'm a bit unsure about, so I thought I'd throw a couple of questions out there after searching this forum, the bbka forum, and the internet in general, and failing to find any clear answers. I'm hoping someone out there might have some experience with this type of extractor to help me come to some decisions:

1) the plastic on the cage is cracked and flaking off. I am not sure what metal the cage is made with, but I assume steel. Could I just take the plastic off, clean the metal cage up and then use as is? Or perhaps the metal under the plastic might not be 'honey safe'.

2) hand cranked extractors are obviously less desirable than motor operated ones, but I've only used a side cranked extractor before. What are the pros and cons of a top cranked extractor?

thanks for any insight- I'm enthusiastic about the project, but I also have some worries that it might take more work than I have time (& money) for. The extractor needs to be fit to service about 8 or 10 hives that provide an OSR crop in June, and a second 'hedgerow' crop a couple of months later.

Thanks for any insight!

 

[NickB]

I wouldn't rely on the the metal being "Honey Safe" ie Food Grade as it has been plastic coated,and they wouldn't do that without reason.The metal is probably mild steel (cheap and easy to work) and will rust quickly.
The way to procedd would be to remove all the plastic coating,get the cage sand-blasted and re-coated.
Look up "Plastic coating" on the search engine of your choice,and ensure that they understand that the item is for Food Use! (This is where a lot of their work comes from,but better safe than sorry)
Alternatively,you could have a fabricator make a replacement up in Stainless Steel and it will last practically for ever.
Might even work out cheaper in the long run....

 

[alanf]

The cage is not food safe under current regulations and never will be. By the time you replace all the relevant bits, you might as well start new.

 

[Dishmop]

If you are going to sell your honey......buy a new one.

I have all the bits except a drum, but I just cant be bothered.
I take off a few frames a year and let them drain into a stainless pot in the kitchen.

 

[itma]

9 frame radial? Sounds like one of the 'universal' range.
// But strangely, I don't see you saying what the drum material is ...
/// If its not stainless or food-safe plastic, this is scrap, not a 'project'.


Thorne's should be able to sell you a new cage for just over £100.
That sounds to be definitely needed - whatever else may be required or worth doing.



They *should* be able to also supply whatever new bearings, supports, gears it may use. A local engineering/fabrication firm might offer an alternative, but it shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for T's.

Really, they are the people to talk to about this.
They even have a (not cheap but maybe worthwhile) motor conversion...

 

[VEG]

what are the walls of the extractor made out of

 

[beekake]

The drum is plastic.

 

[itma]

The drum is plastic.

It is probably (9 frame radial) an early 'universal'.
Check the handle detail with T's catalogue illustration and you can discover whether it is the lighter or heavier weight/duty version.
And confirm my comments in my earlier post.

 

[Amari]

If you are going to sell your honey......buy a new one.



With 7 hives here in Suffolk hopefully yielding for sale plenty of OSR I would strongly advise buying a new motorised extractor. My wife and I congratulate ourselves every extraction session that we no longer have the terrible grind of turning the handle for hours on end..

 

[beekake]

Whst kind of extractor do you have then? You can probably tell that my budget is limited by thinking about taking this on...the cheapest t*'s motorised extractor is ~£700, which is way out of my league, even taking into account my wildest fantasy honey yields...!

 

[VEG]

maybe buy a new cage for it thornz have them

 

[Amari]

Whst kind of extractor do you have then? You can probably tell that my budget is limited by thinking about taking this on...the cheapest t*'s motorised extractor is ~£700, which is way out of my league, even taking into account my wildest fantasy honey yields...!

Ok, I understand and sympathise. I was assuming if you are near OSR and your colonies in good nick you might have got 200 lbs honey which at £3-4/lb (see my post today re honey sales) would just about pay for a T's extractor which is the one we bought about 6 years ago.

 

[beekake]

Any money made from sales this year goes mostly towards paying for equipment bought in the last 2 years. But 200 lbs honey sounds about right for this year I think!

 

[beekake]

Yes, I've looked at that option and will compare to the recoating option. But I think that, once I start going down the 'replace all parts' route, I might as well go down the 'buy a new one' route! Suddenly there is a lot more to consider than I first thought.

 

[VEG]

Put it on e-bay it will sell

 

[itma]

Yes, I've looked at that option and will compare to the recoating option. ...

For honey for sale these days, I don't think there is a "recoating option".

 

[Dishmop]

Suddenly there is a lot more to consider than I first thought.

Spoilsports arent we...

 

[Dishmop]

Ebay item number

251288105887