What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Newbeeneil]

Is that the B&Q version of the Evolution Rage 5 in the last photo?

James

No, I can’t remember what make it is tho.

 

[Moobee]

Or just buy sulphur powder and use an empty tin can inside an empty deep.

Well I’ve cleared the freezer out - some bags of party ice that were one giant block, a loaf of bread that’s well past it’s sell by date and we’ll be eating a few mystery meals this week so I can get the rest of the frames in for at least 72 hours!

 

[JamezF]

Well I’ve cleared the freezer out - some bags of party ice that were one giant block, a loaf of bread that’s well past it’s sell by date and we’ll be eating a few mystery meals this week so I can get the rest of the frames in for at least 72 hours!

Meals are always fun when what you thought was mashed potato turns out to be chicken soup

James

 

[Moobee]

Meals are always fun when what you thought was mashed potato turns out to be chicken soup

James

Tonight’s was black bean soup or squash & peanut curry! We did rock, paper, scissors for who got what….

 

[Newbeeneil]

Is that the B&Q version of the Evolution Rage 5 in the last photo?

James

Hi James,
I had a look at the saw this morning. It's a Parker PTS250
https://www.parkerbrand.co.uk/10-table-sawIt's ok for my needs and do es a pretty good job. A mate of mine bought it for a one off project and had nowhere to store it so offered it to me for £50

 

[JamezF]

I had a look at the saw this morning. It's a Parker PTS250

Well, well... It does look sufficiently similar to the Evolution model that I reckon they must come off the same production line. I wasn't aware that they were sold under another brand.

https://www.diy.com/departments/evo...corded-table-saw-r255mts/0849713077851_BQ.prd

James

 

[pargyle]

Well, well... It does look sufficiently similar to the Evolution model that I reckon they must come off the same production line. I wasn't aware that they were sold under another brand.

https://www.diy.com/departments/evo...corded-table-saw-r255mts/0849713077851_BQ.prd

James

The re-branding/own branding of machine tools has been going on for donkey's years ...these days, when you look at the majority of own brand and low to middle price machine tools the vast majority are pretty much identical apart from the name and the colours and perhaps very minor differences. They probably all come from the same factory in China or the Far East. Indeed, in recent years, some companies (Elektra Beckum for instance) have been bought by other companies and their successful products continued under a new brand name with no real changes to the design so you also find the same product, again, with a different name.

Most of my machine tools are old but well built, lacking some modern refinements but with virtually no plastic in them ...one of my lathes is nearly as old as me ! But I have:
Dewalt Radial Arm Saw
Strartrite Inca Planer Thicknesser
Kity Bandswaw
Elektra Beckum Table saw
Record Scroll saw (From the days when they were Sheffield made)
Record Belt sander
Myford ML8 wood lathe
Myford Mystro wood lathe
Hegner DML wood lathe
Record wood lathe
Union Graduate bowl turning lathe
(I know - I have Lathe compulsive collection disorder !)

None of the above are less than 25 years old I think and will probably outlast me. They work if a little lacking in safety guards (They didn't bother too much in those days). My planer is downright terrifying !

The only 'modern' machine tools I have are a Makita Mitre saw on a stand - really useful and transportable bit of kit and well made and a Titan bobbin sander (both bargains which I bought as not quite new).

My son has a similar collection of metalworking machine tools - most of them of a similar age but have been brought up to modern standards with modifications.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Well, well... It does look sufficiently similar to the Evolution model that I reckon they must come off the same production line. I wasn't aware that they were sold under another brand.

https://www.diy.com/departments/evo...corded-table-saw-r255mts/0849713077851_BQ.prd

James

Yes I think does look similar but I'm sure there is a lot of copying that goes on. However the Parker is almost half the price and a larger motor.

 

[JamezF]

The re-branding/own branding of machine tools has been going on for donkey's years ...these days, when you look at the majority of own brand and low to middle price machine tools the vast majority are pretty much identical apart from the name and the colours and perhaps very minor differences. They probably all come from the same factory in China or the Far East. Indeed, in recent years, some companies (Elektra Beckum for instance) have been bought by other companies and their successful products continued under a new brand name with no real changes to the design so you also find the same product, again, with a different name.

Indeed so. I was surprised by the Evolution one though as they seem to be making a bit of a name for themselves for producing reasonable quality machinery towards the cheaper end of the market. It's not perfect by any means, but the faults seem mostly minor and correctable. They even sell spare parts! In fact on the strength of their table saw and compound mitre saw I am almost tempted to buy their track saw, but I just don't think I'd use it enough to warrant the cost.

The really irritating thing is, as I posted elsewhere earlier this week, stuff like my Titan cordless drill/driver. That's available under at least half a dozen different brand names and clearly they all originate in the same factory, but it appears that they're deliberately designed so the batteries and chargers are not interchangeable. So when my Titan charger died it took me ages to find a viable replacement that would allow me to continue using a perfectly serviceable drill and batteries. So long in fact that I'd actually already been out and bought a new drill. Having two turns out to be a bonus though as now I can have one with a drill bit and the other with a screwdriver bit and not have to keep swapping over

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Went and told the bees

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Meals are always fun when what you thought was mashed potato turns out to be chicken soup

James

Sounds like most meals here at Brynmair - frozen or not

 

[drex]

Put varroa boards in a few days ago, to monitor brood cappings, rather than varroa. Today there were too many varroa on the board for comfort ( I never count) and few brood cappings. As it was 16 degrees I looked in one hive, still a bit of capped brood in centre of 4 frames ( about 4 inches diameter in the middle), but very few eggs and uncapped larvae. Think I will be doing winter OA in a couple of weeks. Normally done around early to mid December

 

[JamezF]

Went back to the scene of yesterday's crime and found my missing Apivar strip. Fortunately it had snagged on a bramble as I was leaving so there was no need to open the hives up again. I even remembered my smoker this time.

James

 

[W0otz]

4th vape carried out today - will keep an eye on the drop but suspect a 5th will be needed. Numbers thankfully dropped off rapidly after the first horrifying vape, but there were still more dropping after the third vape than I'd like to see.

Colony weights all good and all flying.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Indeed so. I was surprised by the Evolution one though as they seem to be making a bit of a name for themselves for producing reasonable quality machinery towards the cheaper end of the market. It's not perfect by any means, but the faults seem mostly minor and correctable. They even sell spare parts! In fact on the strength of their table saw and compound mitre saw I am almost tempted to buy their track saw, but I just don't think I'd use it enough to warrant the cost.

The really irritating thing is, as I posted elsewhere earlier this week, stuff like my Titan cordless drill/driver. That's available under at least half a dozen different brand names and clearly they all originate in the same factory, but it appears that they're deliberately designed so the batteries and chargers are not interchangeable. So when my Titan charger died it took me ages to find a viable replacement that would allow me to continue using a perfectly serviceable drill and batteries. So long in fact that I'd actually already been out and bought a new drill. Having two turns out to be a bonus though as now I can have one with a drill bit and the other with a screwdriver bit and not have to keep swapping over

James

James,
I have a Titan charger spare as after about 10 year my drill has died!!!!

 

[JamezF]

James,
I have a Titan charger spare as after about 10 year my drill has died!!!!

Is that the NiCad one, or the Lithium Ion one? I used to have the first, but when it eventually died after many years use bought the latter which is much smaller, but more powerful.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

I'm sure they should be cwtched up in bed!!!!!

 

[The Poot]

I'm sure they should be cwtched up in bed!!!!!

Same here. Will they be burning through their stores, or still adding ivy to their stores?
An email I had from Becky’s Bees, warned that they found the combs ivy bound and queens off lay, but now, with the mild weather continuing, the colonies need feeding, having consumed most of the ivy nectar.
(Couldn’t decide if she’s just trying to sell feed though…..)
It‘s all very odd.

 

[pargyle]

Same here. Will they be burning through their stores, or still adding ivy to their stores?
An email I had from Becky’s Bees, warned that they found the combs ivy bound and queens off lay, but now, with the mild weather continuing, the colonies need feeding, having consumed most of the ivy nectar.
(Couldn’t decide if she’s just trying to sell feed though…..)
It‘s all very odd.

It's not really surprising .. the weather for autumn has been remarkably mild. Bees don't work by the calendar - they work when the weather, general ambient temperature and forage allows them. The air temps have hardly dropped below about 10 or 12 degrees most days down here in the Costa del Fareham. When it's not raining the bees are still flying and clearly finding both pollen and nectar - I can see it coming in. They won't fly unless they know there is something worth bringing home. They are also well versed in managing their stores against energy expended and foraging takes effort and energy - if it's not productive they won't fly. All colonies in the South should be well stocked now .. nothing much to worry about until Spring as far as I'm concerned.

The worry point is always the false spring we have been getting in recent years .. a mild February gets them going and brooding starts and then the weather closes in during March before the spring blossom really gets going ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Same here. Will they be burning through their stores, or still adding ivy to their stores?

Mine have been the same. I took Apivar strips out of 5 yesterday and hefted them all. They are nailed to the stands.