Securing motorised radial extractor

[Thymallus]

Appreciate some thoughts on securing a motorised radial extractor so it doesn't tip over and vibrate all over the place whilst in use.
This is a 9 frame jobbie, needs to be used in kitchen and needs to be moveable. I can't drill holes through floor! Figure attaching to a large board with countersunk bolts so doesn't rip lino.
I'd appreciate some input from those who have done similar as to best solution.

Forgot to mention it sits on three legs about 2 foot off the floor.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Appreciate some thoughts on securing a motorised radial extractor so it doesn't tip over and vibrate all over the place whilst in use.
This is a 9 frame jobbie, needs to be used in kitchen and needs to be moveable. I can't drill holes through floor! Figure attaching to a large board with countersunk bolts so doesn't rip lino.
I'd appreciate some input from those who have done similar as to best solution.

Forgot to mention it sits on three legs about 2 foot off the floor.

Putting castors on the three legs will dampen most of the bibration/jumping around although the extractor will 'walk' in gentle little circles, if you then make up a little triangle with holes on the apices for the vastors to sit in you will have the damping effect but with minimal 'walk' fixing the legs to something solid will just mean the extractor will just do it's best to tear itself apart

 

[Stiffy]

Appreciate some thoughts on securing a motorised radial extractor so it doesn't tip over and vibrate all over the place whilst in use.
This is a 9 frame jobbie, needs to be used in kitchen and needs to be moveable. I can't drill holes through floor! Figure attaching to a large board with countersunk bolts so doesn't rip lino.
I'd appreciate some input from those who have done similar as to best solution.

Forgot to mention it sits on three legs about 2 foot off the floor.

I have had similar problems in the past but don't want to secure mine down as it cannot be good for the extractor. The problem is caused by an uneven load, so I have found that adding frames with similar honey loads helps and also reducing the speed of the extractor until it steadies and then slowly increasing as the honey spins out.
Works for me
S

 

[Nige.Coll]

T's sell a stabiliser board
http://www.thorne.co.uk/honey-and-wax-processing/extraction/extractor-accessories?product_id=280

no idea if it works or what it will do to the kitchen floor.

 

[B+.]

Some extractors are deep enough for quite a lot of honey to pool in the bottom before it reaches the bottom of the frames (and slows the extractor). If yours has a resevoir, it will only walk/bounce around if there isn't enough weight to hold it down/balance it. Then you just have to manage the amount of honey under the frames. (if that makes sense)

 

[madasafish]

Attach to plywood base with countersunk bolts.
Place on table over an old sheet/cloth to prevent damage and clamp to table using woodworking clamps which will grip the table under table top.

All advantages of table use: no table damage (or drips)

 

[REDWOOD]

Loading the extractor helps, put equal weighted frames opposite each other and start off very slowly and gradually build up speed, if the thing starts jumping about reduce the speed again. If you notice new washing machines; they won't spin unless they have an equal load, not that I declare I know any thing about washing machines or how to load them

 

[Edwardking]

I have mine loosely bolted to a sheet of ply - allows a little movement to prevent damage. Bolts countersunk and heads covered with deep felt pads.

 

[Thymallus]

Thank you gentlemen for all your suggestions, most helpful. And in true beekeeping fashion not one answer the same . I like the castor idea, particularly as I'm about to throw away an old recliner chair with 4 perfectly good castors on it. Fitting them to the legs of extractor may be interesting and digging a deep enough hole on another block to stop it skating around the floor should prove challenging. I appreciate the weight in the bottom as it has quite a reservoir underneath....it's getting to that point.
Thornes stabiliser looks like it may cause damage to lino as I'm assuming it just skates around on it's castors and you fix your extractor to the board (not to the castors? Although they say the screws are self tapping? If anyone has one I'd appreciate more info as to how it performs as Thornes are little short on details and if it works well....shall we say my woodworking skills need more work....
I find at the start of an extraction (manual) that is nigh on impossible to get a decent balance (despite trying to have similar weighted frames) until you've done some light spinning hanging onto the thing to stop it moving about. But I'm open to more suggestions as it is a problem I'd like to solve, cos spending £360 on the motor conversion is not a small investment.

 

[Rich0909]

Our association one comes with a T shaped piece of wood about 75mm wide * 15mm thick with countersunk bolts for the three extractor feet. Extractor legs are under tension once on the bolts and it seems to work pretty well.

Rich

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Appreciate some thoughts on securing a motorised radial extractor so it doesn't tip over and vibrate all over the place whilst in use.
This is a 9 frame jobbie, needs to be used in kitchen and needs to be moveable. I can't drill holes through floor! Figure attaching to a large board with countersunk bolts so doesn't rip lino.
I'd appreciate some input from those who have done similar as to best solution.

Forgot to mention it sits on three legs about 2 foot off the floor.

Bolt big lumps of concrete around the casing. Oh sorry thats a washing machine

 

[REDWOOD]

If you want to be inventive try a few small coil springs sandwiched between two ply wood boards and stand the extractor on it

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I like the castor idea, particularly as I'm about to throw away an old recliner chair with 4 perfectly good castors on it. Fitting them to the legs of extractor may be interesting and digging a deep enough hole on another block to stop it skating around the floor should prove challenging.

No need to dig holes - just drill straight through the wood (castors won't damage lino)
everyone whinged about our association extractor bouncing all over the place, I discovered it had come with a set of castors not fitted (found them when I asked where the tangential convertor grilles were for deep frames - all still in plastic wrapping!) I fitted them and everyone has commented how smooth the whole thig operates now

 

[beesknee]

T's sell a stabiliser board
http://www.thorne.co.uk/honey-and-wax-processing/extraction/extractor-accessories?product_id=280

no idea if it works or what it will do to the kitchen floor.

This will solve your problem with no damage to kitchen floor, I have one and find it works very well, extractor moves in a gentle circular movement with no vibration.
hope this helps

 

[Thymallus]

Yes, that's very helpful. Thnak you. How is the extractor fixed to the stand, is it directly onto the castors or to the wooden frame? I'm thinking that different sized extractors will have different spacing between the legs.

 

[itma]

The Thorne product is a board with three "ball casters".

They make different boards for two different extractor ranges - the Universal and Mk2.

But you can buy that type of castor yourself and make up a board to suit your own particular extractor.

The casters are roughly £5 each for 25mm diameter.
For example https://www.locksonline.com/buy/Ste...apacity-Plate-Fixing-25mm-Diameter-10840.html

Bigger diameter balls support bigger loads and make less impression on the floor. But they are more expensive.

Ball castors permit more freedom to change direction with minimal effort, therefore they are most effective at allowing the whole thing to move freely rather than 'fight'.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've always found bigger balls are a double edged sword - sometimes an advantage but usually a hindrance (especially when hunting cross country with newly laid hedges

 

[wessexmario]

A simple and portable way of anchoring things is to use water.

Fit the extractor to a plank or board and stand the water containers on that to weigh it down. Many small containers can be stacked, making the lifting of individual containers easy.

(and once you've extracted some honey, containers full of honey also work!)
PS. I'm not sure what the vibrations would do to the honey... would it assist removing air bubbles?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

more concerned what the vibration would do to the extractor it would be constantly be trying to rip itself off the fixings - bound to stress the metalwork in the legs. Castors a much better idea - they absorb most of the vibration so the extractor just describes a sedate circular waltz across the floor. If that is of concern then it takes very little effort to stop it (I find the slight indentations where it's grouted between the floor tiles sufficient to stop 'walk' without increasing vibration to the unit)

 

[Hivemaker.]

If fitting roller balls and wishing to minimize damage to floor and prevent the extractor moving around too much, then use a board as a base to stand the extractor on, 18mm hardwood ply would do if only a small extractor, screw on some narrow battens around the edge to form a rim, leaving a distance of about 7" out from each leg... and make sure the board is level.