Tradex - Perrycroft Bees

[bontbee]

Hi,

Did any of you lucky ones who managed to get to Tradex this year see this?

https://perrycroftbees.co.uk/cadbee

May I ask what you thought about it? Thanks

 

[sean-a]

I saw it and thought that it was a really interesting idea.
I would like to see how the bees take to the foundation, but I thought that with strong backing paper the foundation would be really strong and do away with the need for wire reinforcement.

Interested in the views of others.

 

[bontbee]

Thanks Sean. I don't think I'm familiar with "backing paper". How does that work? ta

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Didn't really hang around for the sales spiel but for over two hundred quid I'd have expected something a litle better than what looked like a bit of kit my grandfather knocked up in his shed (He was a crap carpenter by the way!)

 

[3bees]

Didn't really hang around for the sales spiel but for over two hundred quid I'd have expected something a litle better than what looked like a bit of kit my grandfather knocked up in his shed (He was a crap carpenter by the way!)

To be fair the rollers were the very clever bit. My husband and I studied them closely, very impressed with the engineering. Even I could make the wooden bits.

 

[madasafish]

I saw it and asked if they could extend the width to do lang jumbos (I was apparently the second to do so). That means extending the roller width from approx 25cm to 30cms... and risk of roller bending in middle and impression not working properly.

From his comments , that suggests they have had that problem before with existing sizes..

I suspect it needs a lot more development before an unsuspecting purchaser is let loose on it.. At a suggested sp of c £250, i would expect it to be fully tested and user proof. So being a cynic, wait until 2019 for any sales...

 

[oliver90owner]

Wooden? How cheap!

Metal and proper sized bearings/shafts should alleviate any bending tendency.

If not, its no good.

 

[3bees]

Wooden? How cheap!

Metal and proper sized bearings/shafts should alleviate any bending tendency.

If not, its no good.

No, it's only the frame that is wood. You must take care not to misrepresent, both you and JKB are making sweeping statements about something you have not seen. You both carry a lot of weight on this forum, with this comes responsibility. Many on here, rightly or wrongly, look to you for advice.

The frame is made of wood, however the rollers are made from a robust plastic composite material. The item is currently being developed, the 'inventor' was careful not to make claims he could not support. One can maybe understand why he has not explored the 'jumbo' langstroth route yet, hardly a big market for this niche product.

Surely we should be giving people like this considered feedback to encourage innovation in our hobby?

BTW it is purely coincidence that this guy lives just 10 miles from me, I met him for the first time on Saturday.

 

[Poly Hive]

Any weighting is in your head.

PH

 

[Noddy]

I have a 3D printer and a CNC router, maybe I should head over to Thingiverse and see if they have any roller plans....

 

[Anduril]

On YouTube there is this from a Russian by the looks of it https://youtu.be/vJEi8CXrAbE
A lot of thought has gone into it. Maybe the inventor could put something up on YouTube to appeal to a wider audience!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

both you and JKB are making sweeping statements about something you have not seen. .

And maybe you should heed some of your own words and read what I said before shooting your mouth of and having a pop. I WAS THERE! at Stoneleigh, I saw this bit of kit, I was intrigued and interested, I inspected it.

But if you are going to persuade someone to part with 200 odd pounds of their hard earned, you have to think of the whole package, a pair of what may well be well constructed rollers fixed into something that looks like it's made in someone's garden shed out of bits of scrap MDF and plywood doesn't convince me it's going to produce more than a few sheets of foundation before creaking it's way into collapse. And it's not just a 'concept' item they are offering the outfit for sale on their website for £235.00
I may as well invest in one of the myriad well constructed robust looking foundation rollers offered on fleabay for just a little bit more cash.

May be OK for the dilettante beekeeper with but a hive or two and maybe a flohive to maintain but definitely not for someone looking at saving a bit of money on foundation or of buying on shares with a fellow beek or maybe as another loan item for the BKA

 

[3bees]

And maybe you should heed some of your own words and read what I said before shooting your mouth of and having a pop. I WAS THERE! at Stoneleigh, I saw this bit of kit, I was intrigued and interested, I inspected it.

"Didn't really hang around for the sales spiel for over two hundred quid I'd have expected something a litle better than what looked like a bit of kit my grandfather knocked up in his shed (He was a crap carpenter by the way!)"

Your words - not mine.

You clearly didn't look closely, the item was a lot more than MDF and plywood.

 

[BKF Admin]

I have a 3D printer and a CNC router, maybe I should head over to Thingiverse and see if they have any roller plans....

I have made a couple of these so have plans.
Anyone else got a 3d printer ?

With a hunt around online you will find the code for a few different foundation sizes.

 

[yeogi75]

for that price for half a dozen hive lot better two tubes of silicone make your own mould

 

[yeogi75]

I use these for small runs of foundation simple, if it doesn't look right re-melt and recast, at the same time as making candles and the rest of wax objects.

 

[BKF Admin]

3d printed wax foundation rollers on an £80 3d printer.

 

[BKF Admin]

The best way to make rollers is with a CNC 4th axis.
Mount aluminium tube on a mandrel and cut with air assist or paraffin coolent

 

[Noddy]

The best way to make rollers is with a CNC 4th axis.
Mount aluminium tube on a mandrel and cut with air assist or paraffin coolent

Mine is a 6040 with a 4th axis and a 1.5kW water cooled spindle. Sits idle most of the time, I should really get using it more.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And maybe you should heed some of your own words and read what I said before shooting your mouth of and having a pop. I WAS THERE! at Stoneleigh, I saw this bit of kit, I was intrigued and interested, I inspected it.

"Didn't really hang around for the sales spiel for over two hundred quid I'd have expected something a litle better than what looked like a bit of kit my grandfather knocked up in his shed (He was a crap carpenter by the way!)"

Your words - not mine.

You clearly didn't look closely, the item was a lot more than MDF and plywood.

loks like someone's trying hard to sell this.
swallowed the whole thing, or just a shill?

just because I didnt listen to their spiel, doesn't mean I didnt have a good look.
Basically, not worth the two hundred quid. hardly worth a hundred