Glass or perspex for solar wax extractor?

[sjt]

Title says it all really. I broke the glass top to my homemade solar wax extractor so do I replace it with glass again or would Perspex do the job as well or is it less efficient?

 

[Finman]

Title says it all really. I broke the glass top to my homemade solar wax extractor so do I replace it with glass again or would Perspex do the job as well or is it less efficient?

Only way is to try.

I have only experience about thin and thick glass. Thick one 6 mm absorbed so much heat to itself, that wax did not melt. Glas was hot, but...
Thin 3 mm glas did not stand much handling and lots of glasses went broken.

 

[Poly Hive]

When I made one I scrounged a double glazed window from a window company skip and made the box to fit that. worked reasonably well or as well as one could reasonably expect in NE Scotland.

PH

 

[madasafish]

I made a double glazed unit from perspex in 2012, held together with gaffer tape.

Works a treat.

 

[pargyle]

You don't need double glazing - the cheapest thinnest greenhouse glass works well - just have to be careful with it. I think perspex or polycarbonate is a pretty good insulator so I wonder whether you would get the most benefit from the sun's rays with it ?

 

[Finman]

- the cheapest thinnest greenhouse glass works well -?

I have seen that it is best.

But the melter box needs good insulation., in bottom too.

 

[pargyle]

I have seen that it is best.

But the melter box needs good insulation., in bottom too.

Yes ... Mine is made out of 50mm Celotex/Kingspan for the sides and the base - works brilliantly.

Blimey Finnie - in agreement again - people will be talking !!

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes ... Mine is made out of 50mm Celotex/Kingspan for the sides and the base - works brilliantly.

Blimey Finnie - in agreement again - people will be talking !!

2mm single sheet of greenhouse glass... our local hardware shop sells in ready cut sheets
Paint whole bos matte black to absorb all the rays
Insulate as with above posters....
and face towards South by South West at 51 degrees......

( on a leyline perhaps?)

Nos da

 

[masterBK]

Gave up waiting for the sun so now only use large SS steamer (takes 15 BS combs) for all wax extraction producing over 55lbs per yr from 25 to 30 hives.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes ... Mine is made out of 50mm Celotex/Kingspan for the sides and the base - works brilliantly.

Excellent!
I've just stolen the pictures
Another project for Stan

 

[Millet]

Excellent!
I've just stolen the pictures
Another project for Stan

Poor Stan, i am surprised he does not log on in your name and get you banned... lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[pargyle]

Excellent!
I've just stolen the pictures
Another project for Stan

At this rate Stan is going to have a contract out on me !!!

It's actually dual purpose - the bottom is just a push fit and the internal dimensions are timber 14 x 12 size so it also serves as a hive cosy for the one timber brood box I have - which is not in use this winter as the chamber of secrets allowed two of my Paynes Poly Hives to mate in the autumn and I ended up with a spare one ... or at least that's what I told 'er indoors ... but I like things that can serve more than one purpose so it's there if I need it.

I can also use it as a steam extractor - there's a hole in the base through which I can thread the hose from a wallpaper steamer - but don't use glass on the top when steaming - it shatters ...(Been there, done that - very scary) I just substitute a piece of plywood with a few small holes in it when in steaming mode.

 

[oliver90owner]

All glass is not the same! Greenhouse glass, solar panels, etc are glasses with low iron content. Think here - beer bottle glass would not be good!

3mm acrylic sheet has a typical transmission of around 93%. Some double glazed units might need to be the correct way round as they have coatings to prevent radiation loss in one direction, so not good if the coating(s) stop the radiation entering!

Double glazing should be best in all scenarios - hot air rises and heat will be lost by conduction through the covering.

 

[pargyle]

If you are melting wax in the winter then a double glazed unit might be a good idea but from my experience on a sunny warm day ... it might just get too hot !

This is the result of full midday sun on the (probably only !) warm day last summer, with just a single sheet of greenhouse glass.

And a photo of my wax collection and initial filtering process !!

 

[busybee53]

Agree it can get too hot, in the London area anyway. My solar extractor was made from an old fridge with the door removed and replaced with a double glazed window panel and some of that foam strip draught excluder to reduce the gaps/keep bees out. The heat of the sun broke the glass. Not into shards and straight edges like glass usually does but into the most exact curved/wavy lines. Beautiful but useless. After that I always made sure there was a small gap when I used two panes of glass.

 

[madasafish]

If you are melting wax in the winter then a double glazed unit might be a good idea but from my experience on a sunny warm day ... it might just get too hot !

Summer day temperatures over 25C are rare as elephants' droppings here..

Down South you have Whipsnade so not so rare....

 

[pargyle]

Summer day temperatures over 25C are rare as elephants' droppings here..

Down South you have Whipsnade so not so rare....

Yeh ... I reckon we had three days last Summer that reached the twentys - semi tropical the Costa del Fareham compared to where you are !!

 

[Swarm]

Just use a poly brood box with a sheet of glass on top and sit it inside an upturned roof.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Now even I can do that