WARNING don't spin hot frames

[stephenpug]

I had the day of work today as I am running out of supers so I thought I would take some capped ones of and spin them , What a mess the wax just disintegrated so a quick lesson learned = put them away until the weather is cooler

 

[joctcl]

or at night?

 

[meetballuk]

awesome new for those who just rented the extractor for the weekend!

 

[oliver90owner]

or at night?

Nah, just need to spin more slowly.

Possibly gramnulated? If so, it won't make a lot of difference.

Might even be one of them that does not use wired foundation or frames.

Operator error, I reckon, not temperature.

 

[Travelator]

I think hotter is better (within reason) - it makes the honey flow more freely.

Start off very slowly and only speed up when most of the honey has already come out. I've had a few frame explosions caused by spinning too quickly too early.

 

[stephenpug]

or at night?

Nah, just need to spin more slowly.

Possibly gramnulated? If so, it won't make a lot of difference.

Might even be one of them that does not use wired foundation or frames.

Operator error, I reckon, not temperature.

No Not operator error I have spun a few frames in my time
The frames were wired,tha honey was not granulated, and I spun at a slow speed
The wax was just too warm and it collapsed
What does everyone on this forum take issue with every bit of helpful advice given out
It is not surprising that membership is dwindling I think I might just read it in future and keep any advise to myself

 

[meetballuk]

i appreciated, it i will proceed with extreme caution as a result!

 

[rockdoc]

I'm afraid its the way many forums are these days 'Stephenpug'. I think we've all had a knocking or two from some of long term inhabitants of this forum. But on balance although they may not go about it as you or I might, their advise is often worth listening to. Please keep posting.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Thanks for the info, doing mine this weekend as well. Will wait until it gets cooler in the evening.

 

[madasafish]

I removed 3 x TBH honey frames from a hive yesterday - in bits. Collapsed in the heat under the weight - they were new combs and one black brood comb.

Honey was fine: lots of casualties though ...including my (nitriled) hands..

 

[joctcl]

No Not operator error I have spun a few frames in my time
The frames were wired,tha honey was not granulated, and I spun at a slow speed
The wax was just too warm and it collapsed
What does everyone on this forum take issue with every bit of helpful advice given out
It is not surprising that membership is dwindling I think I might just read it in future and keep any advise to myself

Keep advising, anybody spinning during the daytime in the next 24hrs would have benefited from your experience, Oliver was a bit fast out of the traps there.

 

[itma]

I had the day of work today as I am running out of supers so I thought I would take some capped ones of and spin them , What a mess the wax just disintegrated so a quick lesson learned = put them away until the weather is cooler

No Not operator error I have spun a few frames in my time
The frames were wired,tha honey was not granulated, and I spun at a slow speed
The wax was just too warm and it collapsed
What does everyone on this forum take issue with every bit of helpful advice given out
It is not surprising that membership is dwindling I think I might just read it in future and keep any advise to myself

Sorry to hear that you had a disaster with your extraction.

But todays maximum (shade) air temperatures weren't above 30C anywhere in the UK.
Your advice is contrary to standard advice/instruction.
Honey gets runnier as it is warmed. Hive (brood) temperature is around 34C, and a temperature around 30 is commonly regarded as a good compromise between getting the honey to run and softening the wax. Accordingly, the advice is to leave the box on the hive (above a no-hole coverboard) to keep it warm or to put it somewhere warm (like an airing cupboard) before extracting.

Your accident shouldn't have happened as a result of (air) temperature, and specifically the current warmish weather.
Unless you left the boxes in the sun …

Extracting when it is too cold (and the honey doesn't want to run, so you have to spin harder) seems to be the more usual reason for comb breakage. Particularly with tangential extractors …

It'd be worth having a bit more detail as to exactly what you did.
Did you have an OSR crop?
Is your extractor radial or tangential?
How fat were your combs (how many frames to the box?) and how did you uncap them?

 

[wbchive]

Please keep contributing. There's always someone who knows better, even when they don't. I've had warm frames collapse in the extractor - very messy. Presently I take off the supers and leave them in the kitchen overnight to cool down.
Steve

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I had the day of work today as I am running out of supers so I thought I would take some capped ones of and spin them , What a mess the wax just disintegrated so a quick lesson learned = put them away until the weather is cooler

One of our Apiary mentors advises users of tangential extractors should spin both sides of each frame slowly then spin both sides again quicker thus reducing the stress on the foundation and comb. Obviously takes longer but if you don't lose valuable comb it works for hobby keeping.

 

[Saffabee]

Was going to extract this weekend will do it at night now when the kids are asleep and I will spin sssssllllllooooww.

 

[enrico]

Was this a radial or tangential extractor? Just wondered as I can see that might make a huge difference

 

[stephenpug]

Was this a radial or tangential extractor? Just wondered as I can see that might make a huge difference

Hi enriico it is a four frame tangential spinner
And no OSR by me so no granulation just lime blackberry and clover with a bit of privet which has just started to flower by me

 

[enrico]

Ah! That makes more sense to me. I know you have done this a lot so I won't teach you to suck eggs but for the benefit of others, tangential spinners have the flat side of the frame facing outwards and need turning regularly. If you fail to turn them then the outer side spins all the honey out and and the inner side bursts through the wax due to the centrifugal force and the weight of the honey. They may need turning several times to spin a little out of each side in turn, that is the beauty of the radial extractor. They take longer to spin out and are not always so efficient but at least your frames tend to stay intact.
Thanks Stephen, useful thread to others in my opinion.
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

I agree.
I have a small four frame hand spinner as well as the giordan radial.
I spin one way gently then turn the frames spin gently one way then faster the other then turn the frames again and repeat. Never blown a frame doing it this way.
Husband blew ALL eight frames in the radial once.........he's not allowed to spin any more !!!!!!!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I agree.
I have a small four frame hand spinner as well as the giordan radial.
I spin one way gently then turn the frames spin gently one way then faster the other then turn the frames again and repeat. Never blown a frame doing it this way.
Husband blew ALL eight frames in the radial once.........he's not allowed to spin any more !!!!!!!

I had a friend who deliberately messed up domestic tasks until his wife stopped asking.