Manual radial extractor conversion to electric cordless drill drive

[Garry R]

I successfully did this conversion on my 9 frame radial extractor (up to a point) this year but you have to be really careful with the cordless drill as any rapid stop using the keyless chuck on the cordless drill does not allow any free wheeling so I had a rapid release connector to pull off the shaft but again you have to take care to time it right or you can wrench your hand if you get it wrong! I have now got over this by using a needle roller clutch ,one way bearing attached to the drive shaft where the manual handle was so as soon as the drill is stopped the extractor continues to rotate without the drill following on. As a matter of interest the shaft is 15mm and of course the bearings are supplied as 14mm or 16mm (sod's law is alive and well in the honey world) so I had to turn the end of the shaft to 14mm on the lathe. However my question is this. Is there an advantage in a radial extractor to have the ability to reverse the rotation ie is the recovery of honey more efficient if you rotate in both directions. If so then you need to be able to use a separate bearing used the opposite way round on the shaft quickly interchangeable as the unidirectional nature of the bearing dictates this. It is not a big deal but not worth doing if is not necessary? Any advice from those who have the all singing all dancing electric extractors?

 

[fizzle]

Sorry did you invent the wheel or was that a question?

 

[blackcloud]

My extractor will slow down when the off button is hit,then once stopped will we a few slow turns backwards.
I can't see any advatage.
I'm told that the controller is used in other machines which may explain the function.

 

[Garry R]

Thanks for your comments.

 

[BeezerGoode]

My Konigin runs in one direction, stops and reverses to run in the other direction.

The forces acting on the frames (and on the honey relative to the comb) will be different for each direction of rotation but, as it is hard to see a downside to it running two ways, I’ve never bothered to see if it makes any real difference vs just running it in one direction.

 

[Garry R]

Have now ordered up a second bearing so I can do a quick change and reverse the drill rotation to suit. Thanks all.

 

[Xander]

Surely it doesn't matter which direction of rotation as all the forces are from centre out regardless. Unless the air resistance within the chamber helps push out the honey from the cells

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

my question is this. Is there an advantage in a radial extractor to have the ability to reverse the rotation ie is the recovery of honey more efficient if you rotate in both directions

Not really - my Lyson just rotates in one direction. I remember my former association had a Lega with the ability to run in both directions - the chairman would obsessively stop and reverse the direction every minute or so!

 

[Garry R]

Not really - my Lyson just rotates in one direction. I remember my former association had a Lega with the ability to run in both directions - the chairman would obsessively stop and reverse the direction every minute or so!

I was thinking a minute or so after basically it was all extracted in one direction. For about £7 extra it seemed easier to do it now rather than later

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was thinking a minute or so after basically it was all extracted in one direction.

eh? unless it's a tangential, it will all have been extracted, no need to change direction

 

[drex]

When I got my extractor, which goes in either direction I looked into this. Did a full extraction in one direction and then the opposite. Nothing extra came out .