Smoker Question, How are the bellows secured to your smoker?

[einsteinagogo]

I've been using my own smoker for many years, and I think it's time to purchase a new one or design, this was a cheap unit, possibly a budget version, it was not purchased from fleabay, but recently I've noticed an issue with keeping it lit, and I noticed

1. the inlet "manifold" has become lose
2. the bellows are secured to the wire heat shield, not the body of the smoker, so the smoker moves up and down inside the heat shield, and therefore the bellow outlet hole does not puff air into the inlet "manifold", unless I hold and re-configure it correctly, which is a pain whilst working with bees.

I'm assuming this is a limitation of the cheap budget models, that bellows are not secured to the smoker body ?

it's just difficult to inspect via photographs, to be honest I've not really looked at other Beeks smokers in detail!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Strange - all smokers I have seen (cheapo or otherwise) have the bellows attached to the the smoker - by either screws or nuts to a bracket brazed to the main body.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Strange - all smokers I have seen (cheapo or otherwise) have the bellows attached to the the smoker - by either screws or nuts to a bracket brazed to the main body.

thanks I'll check again, but I'm sure I'd worked out why the "body of the smoker" was moving in the wired cage, if the bellows were attached to the body of the smoker it would not move up and down.

I quickly looked again this am, before work, I'll check again, and take a photo!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

could be that the heat guard is attached to the bellows bracket, and the bracket has become detached from the smoker body?

 

[oliver90owner]

I've been using my own smoker for many years

Something completely aside from the topic.

If the above is true, why are you posting in this section for beginners to the forum? There must be a simple reason?

 

[einsteinagogo]

I've been using my own smoker for many years

Something completely aside from the topic.

If the above is true, why are you posting in this section for beginners to the forum? There must be a simple reason?

My original mentor, encouraged me to purchase my own basic kit, which I did when I was mentored, and to ensure it was clean and tidy, e.g. original suit, hive tools, smoker to get used to them, I was mentored for several years, until they gave up in Dec 2012, from June 1st 2013, I "assumed" I became a beginner when a swarm turned up in my hive, and I actually had my own bees for the first time.

June 1st 2014 will be 12 months, so I therefore assume, I'm therefore a beginner or newbie, new kid on the block, if the mods do not like it being in the Beginners Section, then they could move it.

I believe I'm a beginner, so therefore I posted the question in the Beginners section, if wrong, sorry, then MODS MOVE IT!

I thought this was Beginners to Beekeeping, not Beginners to the forum?

Beginners section Are you thinking of taking up the wonderful hobby of beekeeping or have a beginner’s question?

It states, have a beginner’s question? and my beginners question to beekeeping is Smoker Question, How are the bellows secured to your smoker?

if it's in the wrong place, then move it!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just checked my smoker - the heat guard is indeed fiixed to the bracket attaching the bellows to the main body of the smoker, therefore in all probability the four spots of solder attaching the bellows bracket to the body have failed. Either get that re-affixed to your smoker (couple of rivets would probably do it, or re-braze) or buy a new one

 

[johnnie1uk]

L L Langstroth reckons you should light your pipe and give em a good puff of tobacco smoke.......

 

[REDWOOD]

L L Langstroth reckons you should light your pipe and give em a good puff of tobacco smoke.......

Have you seen the price of tobacco, I would rather burn rotted wood

 

[johnnie1uk]

mmmmm "put that in your pipe and smoke it"

 

[Swarm]

Long time since I got a waft of pipe tobacco. What a nostalgic smell.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Just checked my smoker - the heat guard is indeed fiixed to the bracket attaching the bellows to the main body of the smoker, therefore in all probability the four spots of solder attaching the bellows bracket to the body have failed. Either get that re-affixed to your smoker (couple of rivets would probably do it, or re-braze) or buy a new one

@jenkins, Your Answer is Correct, Grade A and 2000 points!

The all four spot welds have failed, you can hardly see the spot welds, absoutley crap and cheap!

I had too look very carefully but that is the issue.

Thanks

 

[pargyle]

@jenkins, Your Answer is Correct, Grade A and 2000 points!

The all four spot welds have failed, you can hardly see the spot welds, absoutley crap and cheap!

I had too look very carefully but that is the issue.

Thanks

I suspect most smokers sold these days are about the same ... My very cheap one (came via Germany on ebay but originated, from the look of the packaging it came in, somewhere in Eastern Europe) is made exactly the same but appears to be quite firm at present. My mentor's (very expensive one) from a well known beekeeping supplies firm .... is, sadly (and much to his annoyance !) indistinguishable from mine ... They'll probably all break there sooner or later - you just can't get real BRITISH engineering anymore .... I'll stop now before the rant uirge comes on ....

 

[einsteinagogo]

@pargyle, I like you sig.....started the year with 1, now have FIVE!

and as for the smoker, I may ask if they can spot weld it at work tomorrow!

 

[pargyle]

@pargyle, I like you sig.....started the year with 1, now have FIVE!

Ha ... I have enough trouble with them as it is ... dread to think what will happen next year !!

 

[Swarm]

Ha ... I have enough trouble with them as it is ... dread to think what will happen next year !!

You'd better start designing some lighter hives

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

or get his mam to knit some

 

[Pete D]

Checked mine................its held on with propolis

Its very cheap metal, whoever is brazing it needs to be careful as they could just put 4 holes in it !

Dont ask why but last year I picked up 4 large boxes, containing 55 smokers in total, all still in their original boxes and packaging for £3 each........Chinese I think, work really well and big enough to do 15 hives or more.
Almost disposable at that price which would save cleaning after use
So far got rid of about a dozen , gave some as raffle prizes and some to this years beginners.

 

[REDWOOD]

Mines fine I bought from ebay 5 years ago, it must be grade "A" chinese rubbish

 

[pargyle]

or get his mam to knit some

I think she could do a good line in hive cosys ... she'll knit for England !!