What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[Luminos]

Made up more 14 x 12 frames - rain, rain and more rain...

 

[MJBee]

And thunder and more rain

 

[alanf]

trying to build a solar wax extractor....moved onto a poly box, ...any tips here?

I have been experimenting with the poly boxes greengrocers throw away - the air cargo ones with exotic fruit. I had a double glazed panel, replaced because it misted.

First try (a couple of weeks ago when the sun shone) was to just prop the box up with the glazing panel on top and a greenhouse min-max thermometer inside. A couple of hours later the thermometer plastic box was wrecked and distorted. Hot enough then. Down to the cheap hardware shop for a roasting pan and loaf tin. Drill a line of 3mm holes in the bottom edge of the roasting pan. Prop up inside the poly box over the loaf tin with used bedding plant trays. I could have cut the box down, but the seal at the top is better as is and if it's not hot, ants are attracted.

Not long before the glazing panel got so hot the inside face cracked right across in 4 places and is now held together with tape at the edge. But it does work well. Possibly too well in that the wax and any honey gets very hot, the honey residue starts cooking to a toffee like consistency if it's left in for long.

Be careful of broken glass, something like twinwall polycarbonate would be safer and maybe not get quite so searingly hot. I'll look out for some to recycle, total cost so far is 6 quid for the kitchenware plus a wrecked thermometer from the greenhouse spares pile. I could have used foil, but this is a quality job - stainless for the roasting pan and non stick loaf tin .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finally got round to finishing the roofs and floors - quite proud of them actually (if you disregard the cr@p paint job (never had the patience for painting) finished off the last of the 5 year Ronseal I got in the sales last year but whilst looking around i saw that Wilko do their own brand much cheaper (2.5 litres for the same price as .75 of Ronseal) basically the same stuff although they didn't have 'Golden cedar' to match the stuff I had before so went for Mahogany and guess what - almost a perfect match!. Still got half a tin left - so I'll have to make something else now to save wasting it. Got a 5 frame nuc roof that needs a box to go on to!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

so I'll have to make something else now to save wasting it. Got a 5 frame nuc roof that needs a box to go on to!!

Then you won't have enough paint to finish it so you'll have to get some more then you will have just a little left..........

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Then you won't have enough paint to finish it so you'll have to get some more then you will have just a little left..........

Yerrrs - terrible isn't it!

 

[fatshark]

I have been experimenting with the poly boxes greengrocers throw away - the air cargo ones with exotic fruit. I had a double glazed panel, replaced because it misted.

First try (a couple of weeks ago when the sun shone) was to just prop the box up with the glazing panel on top and a greenhouse min-max thermometer inside. A couple of hours later the thermometer plastic box was wrecked and distorted. Hot enough then. Down to the cheap hardware shop for a roasting pan and loaf tin. Drill a line of 3mm holes in the bottom edge of the roasting pan. Prop up inside the poly box over the loaf tin with used bedding plant trays. I could have cut the box down, but the seal at the top is better as is and if it's not hot, ants are attracted.

Not long before the glazing panel got so hot the inside face cracked right across in 4 places and is now held together with tape at the edge. But it does work well. Possibly too well in that the wax and any honey gets very hot, the honey residue starts cooking to a toffee like consistency if it's left in for long.

Be careful of broken glass, something like twinwall polycarbonate would be safer and maybe not get quite so searingly hot. I'll look out for some to recycle, total cost so far is 6 quid for the kitchenware plus a wrecked thermometer from the greenhouse spares pile. I could have used foil, but this is a quality job - stainless for the roasting pan and non stick loaf tin .

In my experience, and in the changeable weather we have, a steam extractor beats a solar one every time. The solar extractor I built sits around unused most of the time. The steam extractor consists of a thick ply 'roof' and a modified floor - both of which stack with all the spare ekes, clearers, Snelgrove boards etc., - together with a steam generator (wallpaper stripper). It takes an hour or so to melt out 11 frames. These are sterilised, as is the box they are in ... Ready for re-use.

If you want to go the solar route, double glazing merchants often have dud units - leaking, cracked or otherwise unfit for sale - the one nearest me stacks them outside and they're always glad of a jar of honey.

 

[galileo]

Made up a couple of vortex clearer boards, a Miller feeder for Autumn, and a roof for the spare 6 frame nuc. Back aches!

 

[einsteinagogo]

I've heard many people using double glazing panels, maybe this is my issue, why do double glazing panels get hotter, generate more heat than 20mm of glass? (the insulated layer?)

 

[galileo]

I've heard many people using double glazing panels, maybe this is my issue, why do double glazing panels get hotter, generate more heat than 20mm of glass? (the insulated layer?)

I'd say so, yes - the heat is getting in, in the form of radiant energy, but being prevented from getting out by the insulation layer of trapped air and/or inert gas.

 

[alanf]

I'd say so, yes - the heat is getting in, in the form of radiant energy, but being prevented from getting out by the insulation layer of trapped air and/or inert gas.

That's essentially it, radiant heat passes through the glass and heats the surfaces inside. Those hot surfaces radiate heat out at a much lower level. The box contents would cool by conducting or convecting heat out but the insulation slows that down. A poly box and double glazed panels are more effective insulators than wooden boxes and single glazing.

Any solar melter obviously relies on sunny warm days so you do need storage for old comb until conditions are right. Once you do get a sunny week, it's five minutes a day to change the combs and empty the pan. If you have piles of comb you must render in November that's not going to work but it's fine for a few hives, costs little to set up and nothing to run. A recycled box means you don't even have to keep it over winter, just a couple of pans and a glazing panel.

 

[madasafish]

Just half way through an insulated solar wax melter.. Incorporates no novel or outstanding features and will be painted internally black. Needless to say the cash cost will be zero... pallets, screws, glue and paint from existing stocks..

 

[pargyle]

Just half way through an insulated solar wax melter.. Incorporates no novel or outstanding features and will be painted internally black. Needless to say the cash cost will be zero... pallets, screws, glue and paint from existing stocks..

Photo please when it's made MDF ... sounds like a project that I'd be up for in the winter !

 

[victor meldrew]

Finally got round to finishing the roofs and floors - quite proud of them actually (if you disregard the cr@p paint job (never had the patience for painting) finished off the last of the 5 year Ronseal I got in the sales last year but whilst looking around i saw that Wilko do their own brand much cheaper (2.5 litres for the same price as .75 of Ronseal) basically the same stuff although they didn't have 'Golden cedar' to match the stuff I had before so went for Mahogany and guess what - almost a perfect match!. Still got half a tin left - so I'll have to make something else now to save wasting it. Got a 5 frame nuc roof that needs a box to go on to!!

Snap!
My floors are as yours save for the fact my have an 18milx15mil fillet around the top!
I know the design on the Scottish Beekeepers site doesn't incorporate one but I feel that a bottom bee space hive doesn't afford a large enough gap under the frame bottoms ,a top space hive would sit directly on the omf? Yes the bees have direct access to the frames above the entrance slot but they need room to scuttle around the floor for cleansing ditties , dragging out corpses etc. ?
Vm


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

Snap!
My floors are as yours save for the fact my have an 18milx15mil fillet around the top!
I know the design on the Scottish Beekeepers site doesn't incorporate one but I feel that a bottom bee space hive doesn't afford a large enough gap under the frame bottoms ,a top space hive would sit directly on the omf? Yes the bees have direct access to the frames above the entrance slot but they need room to scuttle around the floor for cleansing ditties , dragging out corpses etc. ?
Vm


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I thought about that, true with top bee space you would need a bead there but as I'm bottom bee space I thought I'd try the first two without any extra and it worked - no debris build up or anything even after the winter, i suppose it helps being cold way so that all the seams are accessible from the entrance
t the price this bloke's charging maybe i should go commercial! :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEEKEEPIN..._Bee_Keeping&hash=item257f48b7f2#ht_637wt_958

 

[einsteinagogo]

That's essentially it, radiant heat passes through the glass and heats the surfaces inside. Those hot surfaces radiate heat out at a much lower level. The box contents would cool by conducting or convecting heat out but the insulation slows that down. A poly box and double glazed panels are more effective insulators than wooden boxes and single glazing.

Any solar melter obviously relies on sunny warm days so you do need storage for old comb until conditions are right. Once you do get a sunny week, it's five minutes a day to change the combs and empty the pan. If you have piles of comb you must render in November that's not going to work but it's fine for a few hives, costs little to set up and nothing to run. A recycled box means you don't even have to keep it over winter, just a couple of pans and a glazing panel.

okay, time to get a double glazed panel, from somewhere....

 

[victor meldrew]

I thought about that, true with top bee space you would need a bead there but as I'm bottom bee space I thought I'd try the first two without any extra and it worked - no debris build up or anything even after the winter, i suppose it helps being cold way so that all the seams are accessible from the entrance
t the price this bloke's charging maybe i should go commercial! :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEEKEEPIN..._Bee_Keeping&hash=item257f48b7f2#ht_637wt_958

Nice job though
I notice he has incorporated a bee space in his design!
VM


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nice job though
I notice he has incorporated a bee space in his design!
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you have a router it's probably easier and neater to rout a groove to hold the OMF in - also means the floor suits both types of beespace. Stupidly enough - after I'd finished those my friend revealed his new project - a home built flaming bench router!

 

[madasafish]

Photo please when it's made MDF ... sounds like a project that I'd be up for in the winter !

Yes photo will come..
A winter project? More like a day's...

 

[pargyle]

Yes photo will come..
A winter project? More like a day's...

Ahhh ... but what you may not realise is that I have several hundred 'days' projects lined up that SWMBO seems to feel are of a greater priority. My hive building exploits of the last two years, plus my wood turning, my beekeeping, allotments, hen keeping and other hobbies have rather depleted the stock of brownie points ... need to do some decorating to build them up a bit ... Unless of course, I can pretend I am making something she considers useful ? Now what else could a solar wax melter be described as ?