Tangential extractors, manual - how many frames burst?

[Parsonage Bees]

Roughly half my frames burst when I use my manual tangential extractor. Usually on the first side.

Frames with bought foundation, 2 horizontal wires or w-shaped wires with embedded wax, foundationless they all burst. The ones that don't tend to have had brood in them.

Pretty hacked off! Is is just me? Is it the extractor? (it only has 2 vertical wires to support the comb.)

 

[pargyle]

Technique .... you need to start very slowly and stay slow for quite a while, don't try and speed up the first side too much .. turn the frames and then start slowly again ... give it time. You can then speed up a bit but do it gradually. Turn the frames again and re-spin the first side - you can then spin the first side quicker.

It's better to spin long and slower than short and fast.

I've put new, unwired, foundationless frames in my manual tangential extractor and even these have not blown out ....

The reason the frames blow out is that the weight of the honey on the unspun side plus the centrifugal force (which is enormous when you spin quickly) multiplies the weight of the honey many times and the comb won't stand the strain.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Roughly half my frames burst when I use my manual tangential extractor. Usually on the first side.

Frames with bought foundation, 2 horizontal wires or w-shaped wires with embedded wax, foundationless they all burst. The ones that don't tend to have had brood in them.

Pretty hacked off! Is is just me? Is it the extractor? (it only has 2 vertical wires to support the comb.)

Being somewhat brutally honest I'd suggest it's you. There's a huge? mass of honey on the inner side of the frame and spinning the rotor too quickly causes it to force itself through the sheet of comb. On the first pass spin gently, to cause the free flowing content of the outer side to be flung outward to the wall of the extractor. Then turn the frames round so the still full side is facing outwards and spin again. Note there isn't the mass of honey on the inner side this time when you spin so you can build up to a greater speed without damaging the comb. When this second spinning is complete you can turn the combs round again and spin out the remainder of the partly extracted side. Tangential extractors do involve more work but can deal with less fluid honey than radial ones.

 

[enrico]

Being somewhat brutally honest I'd suggest it's you. There's a huge? mass of honey on the inner side of the frame and spinning the rotor too quickly causes it to force itself through the sheet of comb. On the first pass spin gently, to cause the free flowing content of the outer side to be flung outward to the wall of the extractor. Then turn the frames round so the still full side is facing outwards and spin again. Note there isn't the mass of honey on the inner side this time when you spin so you can build up to a greater speed without damaging the comb. When this second spinning is complete you can turn the combs round again and spin out the remainder of the partly extracted side. Tangential extractors do involve more work but can deal with less fluid honey than radial ones.

 

[Murox]

Being somewhat brutally honest I'd suggest it's you. There's a huge? mass of honey on the inner side of the frame and spinning the rotor too quickly causes it to force itself through the sheet of comb. On the first pass spin gently, to cause the free flowing content of the outer side to be flung outward to the wall of the extractor. Then turn the frames round so the still full side is facing outwards and spin again. Note there isn't the mass of honey on the inner side this time when you spin so you can build up to a greater speed without damaging the comb. When this second spinning is complete you can turn the combs round again and spin out the remainder of the partly extracted side. Tangential extractors do involve more work but can deal with less fluid honey than radial ones.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

extracted hundreds (if not thousands) of frames tangentially, can't recall having one blow on me (it's usually radial extraction that kills the odd frame)
I suggest you need to revisit your technique

 

[philipm]

Always a temptation to spin like mad causing the wax in the frame to bow out and eventually break. I,ve learnt by past experience start slow is best.

 

[Garry R]

On a tangential the force on the foundation due to the honey on the inner side on the first spin is huge - basically it has nowhere to go except by busting through the foundation. I agree - slow and steady on the first side then before you get it completely clear turn the frames and build up again. Then turn back to side one and clear completely. It's slow - hence why people go radial when they build up their bee stock.

 

[madasafish]

I extracted 450lbs honey in 2018 from 8 hives in a manual tangential extractor. I broke no frames (but was 100% knackered)

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I know. Slow. ! Steady. ! Turn them multiple times. ! Urggh. Of course it's me.

I must admit I sort of lost it and this happened.



Thanks for the serious responses to my rather petulant post . . . . Ben

 

[Amari]

Roughly half my frames burst when I use my manual tangential extractor. Usually on the first side.

Frames with bought foundation, 2 horizontal wires or w-shaped wires with embedded wax, foundationless they all burst. The ones that don't tend to have had brood in them.

Pretty hacked off! Is is just me? Is it the extractor? (it only has 2 vertical wires to support the comb.)

With six hives you maybe get 18 supers p.a. = 180 frames. That's an awful lot of work with a tangential (how many frames does yours hold?).

I've used T's fairly basic 9-frame electric radial for 10-15 years without breakdown. All my super comb is unwired. I very rarely get a blow-out. A worthwhile investment IMHO.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

With six hives you maybe get 18 supers p.a. = 180 frames. That's an awful lot of work with a tangential (how many frames does yours hold?).

I've used T's fairly basic 9-frame electric radial for 10-15 years without breakdown. All my super comb is unwired. I very rarely get a blow-out. A worthwhile investment IMHO.

4 frame extractor. Don't know the make. Second hand. Had to modify as bearings, gears and fasteners rusted! So I've invested in this one.

3 supers per hive! Err, no. Not that that worries me. My (almost) end-of-season extraction was under one super/hive average. And, when they get around to capping things off, there might be another couple in a week.
With a new out apiary and 3 nucs I now have 11 colonies. Plus buckets of honey. And no retail outlets apart from car boot sales.
I'm probably best with 3 colonies. It's all got a bit out of hand.

Somebody asked me whether I was making money from my bees. This years honey might pay for an upgraded extractor. There's always something to spend your money on.

. . . . Ben

 

[Amari]

4 frame extractor. Don't know the make. Second hand. Had to modify as bearings, gears and fasteners rusted! So I've invested in this one.

3 supers per hive! Err, no. Not that that worries me. My (almost) end-of-season extraction was under one super/hive average. And, when they get around to capping things off, there might be another couple in a week.
With a new out apiary and 3 nucs I now have 11 colonies. Plus buckets of honey. And no retail outlets apart from car boot sales.
I'm probably best with 3 colonies. It's all got a bit out of hand.

Somebody asked me whether I was making money from my bees. This years honey might pay for an upgraded extractor. There's always something to spend your money on.

. . . . Ben

While I'm reducing my hives (down to 5 a.t.m), @SteveG on here is hoovering up every village shop within miles of here to soak up the honey from his expanding empire. He might give you some tips!

 

[blackcloud]

First tip is a decent queen in the box
But everything doesn't have to be a pissing contest.
If you're happy with your colonies and they're making at least some contribution then so what?
I have some truly pitiful feral stock that don't produce much more than yours but they've paid for all the honey harvesting side of things over again even at my low retail prices.
I'm quite happy with things as they are

As above with the extraction gently does it..
I dry my frames out with a final blast at warp factor 11 and had no damage except two frames that had the wire hanging out of the sheets when they arrived.
Vendor remains nameless.
My foundationless frames survive the abuse too which is rather rewarding

 

[Parsonage Bees]

But everything doesn't have to be a pissing contest.

 

[Amari]

But everything doesn't have to be a pissing contest.

Tell us more!

Mine was five-bar gate walking home from junior school with mates. Mind you, it was Carmarthen.......

 

[blackcloud]

All I would add is that the vicar discovered dogs eat yellow snow

 

[ericbeaumont]

retail outlets apart from car boot sales.

Wrong location unless you can get top money.

 

[SteveG]

While I'm reducing my hives (down to 5 a.t.m), @SteveG on here is hoovering up every village shop within miles of here to soak up the honey from his expanding empire. He might give you some tips!

Paying the hobby I love - local shops, online websites, farmers market once a month, built my own website. FB and honesty box at bottom of drive. fills the long winter days.. Enjoy.
Plenty of honey this year, knackered.
Next year!! lots of wheat and barley in our local area, OSR big zero next year..

 

[Erichalfbee]

built my own website

Address?