I’m guessing now is a good time to vape?

[Do224]

My colonies had multiple vapes in Sept…they’re on solid floors so I didn’t monitor the drop.

I’ve been waiting for them to be broodless to give them one last vape each. After all the cold weather, I decided now was probably the best chance of them being broodless…rightly or wrongly?

Temps were much higher today and there were bees flying so with the cluster seemingly dispersed i vaped the lot…

 

[Erichalfbee]

Doing mine on Friday
There will be brood I’m sure but only since the weather thawed.

 

[Andy3Sheds]

I had planned to vape today but the bees were flying so I thought i best postpone.
Since Id never done a vape I thought it a good idea to check out how stable the wand was as I intended to vape my poly hives through the mesh floor. I made a crude cradle arrangement connected the wand to a car battery and went to pick up some other bits and pieces to make an improved cradle when I returned after a couple of minutes I was suprised to find the pan had begun to melt and had rotated on the wand shaft

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had planned to vape today but the bees were flying so I thought i best postpone

why? the flying bees will get their dose when they return to the hive. When I do the September vape, the bees are always flying, and I never close up the entrance either

 

[madasafish]

Doing mine Tuesday.
Allotment's hives Thursday.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Did mine yesterday evening at the home apiary, bit of mizzle which wasn't ideal to keep the powder dry.

I think this is the ideal time however before the solstice, warm so the cluster is loose and after a prolonged cold spell.

 

[pargyle]

I had planned to vape today but the bees were flying so I thought i best postpone.
Since Id never done a vape I thought it a good idea to check out how stable the wand was as I intended to vape my poly hives through the mesh floor. I made a crude cradle arrangement connected the wand to a car battery and went to pick up some other bits and pieces to make an improved cradle when I returned after a couple of minutes I was suprised to find the pan had begun to melt and had rotated on the wand shaft

That's not good ... where did you buy the wand ? It sounds like they have used lead solder rather than silver solder or braze. If its got hot enough to melt the solder I suspect that the wiring may also be damaged ... it's 12 volts so it's not going to kill anyone but if the insulation on the wires is damaged it could short out an burn ...messy.

 

[madasafish]

Doing mine Tuesday.
Allotment's hives Thursday.

I lied:
Did Association Apiary Tuesday 12 hives
Did Mine Wed am - 12 hives
Did beginner's Wed Pm : 2 hives


Allotment hives Thursday. Four
Another 2 beginners Friday Three.

Contemplating buying a GasVAp to speed things up but my Scottish background is complaining.

 

[pargyle]

I lied:
Did Association Apiary Tuesday 12 hives
Did Mine Wed am - 12 hives
Did beginner's Wed Pm : 2 hives


Allotment hives Thursday. Four
Another 2 beginners Friday Three.

Contemplating buying a GasVAp to speed things up but my Scottish background is complaining.

Can you braze MIke.... ? It's all standard plumbing fittings and a piece of 22mm pipe cut lengthways and flattened out.

 

[pargyle]

And here's where John started ...

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/gas-vap-portable-oxalic-acid-vaporiser.43498/

He's still around here occasionally and must be delighted at how many have found the Gasvap a useful tool.

 

[Newbeeneil]

And here's where John started ...

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/gas-vap-portable-oxalic-acid-vaporiser.43498/

He's still around here occasionally and must be delighted at how many have found the Gasvap a useful tool.

I had a long chat with John at the NHS. He’s still refining things, especially the choice of torches

 

[pargyle]

I had a long chat with John at the NHS. He’s still refining things, especially the choice of torches

I've destroyed three culinary torches using the Gasvap on various trials. I don't think the problem lies with the torch ... the design of the gasvap means that a lot of heat builds up in the barrel between the torch and the body of the gasvap. It burns out the igniters on the torch and some torches just won't stay alight as there is insufficent air to keep the flame burning - because, although it's gas powered. it still needs oxygen to burn properly.

If you watch the video in my post above the redneck version has a gap between the flame tube and the body of the gasvap ... that allows the spent heat to escape and at the same time provides a source of air to keep the torch burning with a small hole in the flame tube.

It appears to solve some of the problems.

I found that the best way to sublimate is to use my Rothenburger torch with a narrow nozzle, just direct it down the flame tube - it is very powerful pinpoint flame and the sublimation starts almosy instantly.

Of course you need something to support the Gasvap like my top vaping thingy ...

https://cdn.imagearchive.com/beekeepingforum/data/video/12/12066-02938cd5fb998303d2220cd715e89b9e.mp4

 

[Erichalfbee]

.

Of course you need something to support the Gasvap like my top vaping thingy ...

https://cdn.imagearchive.com/beekeepingforum/data/video/12/12066-02938cd5fb998303d2220cd715e89b9e.mp4

Phillip. I need a couple of those. Vaping from the top is much easier because you don't have to shut the entrance
Vaped the rooftop bees yesterday so had to take the crown board off to put an eke on then wait and take it off again. All the floors have a vaping hole in the floor except this one for some reason.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I've destroyed three culinary torches using the Gasvap on various trials. I don't think the problem lies with the torch ... the design of the gasvap means that a lot of heat builds up in the barrel between the torch and the body of the gasvap. It burns out the igniters on the torch and some torches just won't stay alight as there is insufficent air to keep the flame burning - because, although it's gas powered. it still needs oxygen to burn properly.

If you watch the video in my post above the redneck version has a gap between the flame tube and the body of the gasvap ... that allows the spent heat to escape and at the same time provides a source of air to keep the torch burning with a small hole in the flame tube.

It appears to solve some of the problems.

I found that the best way to sublimate is to use my Rothenburger torch with a narrow nozzle, just direct it down the flame tube - it is very powerful pinpoint flame and the sublimation starts almosy instantly.

Of course you need something to support the Gasvap like my top vaping thingy ...

https://cdn.imagearchive.com/beekeepingforum/data/video/12/12066-02938cd5fb998303d2220cd715e89b9e.mp4

I made something very similar out of a block of oak prior to your design which works ok but I'm now converting all my floors for easy vaping with a skinny eke.

 

[madasafish]

Can you braze MIke.... ? It's all standard plumbing fittings and a piece of 22mm pipe cut lengthways and flattened out.

There's a project. Thanks Philip.

Yes i can braze.

 

[Mabee]

With regards to the gas vap needing air holes for flow, it does have holes at the end of the gas inlet tube! I had to go check as I thought maybe mine had burnt though. But if you run water through it you’ll see it flows out.
(my) panic over!