How to convert wax block to usable foundation

[Jimy Dee]

Hello all
Has any one converted a block of wax into usable foundation by some process at home. If so what system works best? How do you do it? To clarify I am not asking what commercial producers will trade wax for foundation.

Secondly, has any one produced a sheet of smooth wax foundation without any cells embossed on it and how did the bees take to it? If it was successful and the bees accepted a smooth sheet as a foundation for a comb then it would negate the need for for such a press/embossing machine.

I hope some one out there has a system that works.
Thanks in advance
Jim

 

[REDWOOD]

Been there done that, got the baseball cap and tee shirt but very little to show from the whole experience, all in the passed now and moved on to better things like Thornes and Maisemores

 

[barneyward]

As a newbie I have been amazed how fast swarms will pull out a starter strip of foundation right down a whole frame (reinforced with fishing line) and lay it up. I suspect a thin unembossed sheet would be just the same. When they need it (after swarming) they happily produce worker cells vs. the drone cells a full colony tends to produce from a starter strip, which can be useful for varroa control.

I had similar thoughts initially (producing silicone moulds etc) but it just seemed more effort than it was worth. I reckon if you could produce a smooth sheet, you'd be fine. Bees know how to build!!

Regards,

 

[ratcatcher]

when I used top bar hives, I used to make all the smooth wax starter strips for them, just search on you tube, and yes, bees built great on them

 

[Jimy Dee]

Thanks for the replies. I suspected that bees would still work off smooth sheets. Good to get your experience in this regards.

The best video I found on utube was
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46R1QzMTHIk"]Part 3- Dipping Boards to Make Sheets: Volcano Island Honey Co.- Making Organic Wax Foundation - YouTube[/ame]

It seemed simple to make the foundation but I was wondering if there is any beekeeper on the forum that regularly does it with success? Comments and observations from such a beekeeper would be very interesting.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It seemed simple to make the foundation but I was wondering if there is any beekeeper on the forum that regularly does it with success?

Yes we make all our own foundation.

 

[beebopalula]

Yes we make all our own foundation.

What type of press / mould do you use please?

 

[alanf]

...If so what system works best? How do you do it?...

If you search around youtube there are a couple of examples. One I recall seeing is from Hawaii. The basics there are to dip a wet board into a tank of wax just above melting point. The film that forms can be peeled off each side of the board, then it's fed though powered rollers to emboss the hex pattern before trimming to size. Plus points are it looks like thin foundation, suited to reasonable volume production but you need a big tank and decent rollers. I see there's a link above. to that one, there are others in the series from the same source.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjIaqRNJIok and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8Tcrj9UGs are presses being used. There's a (German?) guy somewhere on the tube I saw using a water cooled version. Flood the press with a jug of wax, close, trim the excess, open and peel off. Looks thicker than rolled foundation, once rhythm is established it can turn out reasonable volumes.

Presses are available from Thornes but not cheap. Rollers too and even more expensive. There were posts a while back about rollers being available cheaply direct from China. Of course, if you want wire that's another step. You might want to consider wiring the frame as many Langstroth users do. Realistically, I think most conventional frame users in the UK see the prices of the kit and the time involved and pay the conversion rate for foundation from T, M, K or their agents.

 

[Hivemaker.]

What type of press / mould do you use please?

Similar setup as in the you tube videos below, and we wire all the brood foundation the same as the commercially supplied foundation.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgOHM6ZhS3M"]Beeswax foundation presentation - YouTube[/ame]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLqqbXr1J3Y

 

[alanf]

Similar setup as in the you tube videos below...

You mean as in the second one, with two people working and 10 standing around drinking and chatting? Looks like places I've been employed at.

May I ask, does rolling foundation make economic sense, or is it a hygiene issue?

 

[DulwichGnome]

http://www.three-peaks.net/PDF/Making Wax Foundation.pdf

I think this is the same people as the video above.

Mike.

 

[beebopalula]

Similar setup as in the you tube videos below, and we wire all the brood foundation the same as the commercially supplied foundation.


Beeswax foundation presentation - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLqqbXr1J3Y

Thanks, very interesting. A bit out of my scale / price range though!

 

[Finman]

.
From wax block to foundations...from few hives...

When I bring wax block to the beekeeping stuff supplier, I give wax to him and he gives to me foundations. It is £ 3/kg to get new foundations.

 

[ratcatcher]

Hello all
Has any one converted a block of wax into usable foundation by some process at home. If so what system works best? How do you do it? To clarify I am not asking what commercial producers will trade wax for foundation.

Secondly, has any one produced a sheet of smooth wax foundation without any cells embossed on it and how did the bees take to it? If it was successful and the bees accepted a smooth sheet as a foundation for a comb then it would negate the need for for such a press/embossing machine.

I hope some one out there has a system that works.
Thanks in advance
Jim

this is the one I followed, cheap and easy

http://youtu.be/S-oD33LFp7E

 

[Hivemaker.]

May I ask, does rolling foundation make economic sense, or is it a hygiene issue?

Yes to both questions.

 

[Jimy Dee]

Hivemaker - can you give any advise as to the dos and donts of making foundation at home.

Secondly, does the foundation really have to be embossed? Will the bees still use smooth foundation?

I am looking to see if I can get away with making foundation without having to lie to the loss of buying an embosser? Can I get away with smooth foundation? I do accept embossed foundation would be better but still looking for clarification on smooth foundation.

Thanks for every ones replies and information.

 

[ratcatcher]

Secondly, does the foundation really have to be embossed? Will the bees still use smooth foundation?



Thanks for every ones replies and information.

so those of us saying smooth works fine aint good enough???

 

[Jimy Dee]

sorry, lapse of concentration - debate settled - smooth works fine !

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

There has to be a way of floating wax on hot water, like glass-making

 

[joelsoo]

hey all, just resurrecting an old thread above...

from what i read, if we make our own foundation sheets SMOOTH, the bees still draw it out like one that had been embossed, have anyone tried it? if so, i think i'd give it a go and make flat sheets of wax like on this video below at 2min25s, and start using smooth sheets from next season on?