What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[Gilberdyke John]

Today I removed the bellows from my two smokers. The smokers are heavily covered with tar deposits. Following a recommendation form a friend I have placed the smokers in a bucket of caustic soda. I am told this cleans them well. I am yet to be convinced!!!! I will replace the bellows with new ones purchased from Simon-the-Beekeeper. They are almost identical in every way with the old ones.

Don't mess about unnecessarily with caustic soda. Use a blowlamp to bake/char the deposits and they scrape off pretty easily.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wooden sides? I burnt out one set of bellows this year. Not a very sensible choice of material but they all seem to use the same.

what else would you use? plastic?

Metal would only get hot and you'd burn your hands on it.
You're supposed to put the fire inside the smoker not vice versa

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Don't mess about unnecessarily with caustic soda. Use a blowlamp to bake/char the deposits and they scrape off pretty easily.

 

[victor meldrew]

Wooden sides? I burnt out one set of bellows this year. Not a very sensible choice of material but they all seem to use the same.

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[Parsonage Bees]

what else would you use? plastic?

Metal would only get hot and you'd burn your hands on it.
You're supposed to put the fire inside the smoker not vice versa

Must admit I put it in a metal box on the roof of the van and drove home with it lit. Side of bellows got burnt up at the bottom.
Repaired with some thin aluminium over the plywood and some duct tape. You could put metal over the bottom part of the bellows on one side.

 

[Brian Bush]

Thank you for your reminders about the dangers of caustic soda. I am very aware of how nasty it is. Whilst at school an experiment in chemistry placed me in the firing line of a caustic soda mixture that blasted out of another students test tube.
I was blind for a week and have an irritating scar on one eye that annoys me still 55 years later.

 

[Brian Bush]

Wooden sides? I burnt out one set of bellows this year. Not a very sensible choice of material but they all seem to use the same.

A cautionary tale. I suppose you use the metal box to prevent setting the car on fire.
I wonder how many beekeepers have experienced the smell of smoke in a car when they were certain they had extinguished their smoker?
I know I have but I drive an estate car. I wonder about beekeepers who put it in the boot? One of the bee inspectorate told me of his experience many years ago.
At least the metal box confines the fire and new bellows are less than £5 per set.
What metal boxes do others use? The custom made ones sold by T.....s seem expensive to me.

 

[colinc]

The custom made ones sold by T.....s seem expensive to me.

I don’t have a need for them but regardless of cost they are cheaper than a burnt out car, or an accident when the car fills with smoke. Smokers are designed to smoulder so are by design very difficult to put out once lit. An air tight metal box is probably the safest transport for them.




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[jenkinsbrynmair]

Store them on their sides - they go out in no time at all

 

[madasafish]

A cautionary tale. I suppose you use the metal box to prevent setting the car on fire.
I wonder how many beekeepers have experienced the smell of smoke in a car when they were certain they had extinguished their smoker?
I know I have but I drive an estate car. I wonder about beekeepers who put it in the boot? One of the bee inspectorate told me of his experience many years ago.
At least the metal box confines the fire and new bellows are less than £5 per set.
What metal boxes do others use? The custom made ones sold by T.....s seem expensive to me.

I carry a water spray. Spray the smoker internals to extinguish fire.(Only when travelling - don't do it at home)

 

[enrico]

If I remember correctly RAB( Oliver 0900) set his car alight with a smoker!

 

[Brian Bush]

I have just spent an hour in the garage. The caustic soda worked a treat. 2 Shiny smokers with no tar or crud. SWMBO was most impressed. I have made a bracket for one set of bellows and now screwed on the 2 new bellows. 2 super clean shiny smokers.
I don't use them on my bees most of the time but they are always useful when a friend has an awkward colony and needs help.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I carry a water spray. Spray the smoker internals to extinguish fire.(Only when travelling - don't do it at home)

bit of a bugger relighting it afterward

 

[madasafish]

bit of a bugger relighting it afterward

I just tip it all out and leave it open to dry out...But if I had to re-use soon afterwards,then I agree.

 

[Millet]

I find it pretty easy to open the smoker and tip the smouldering contents out..

 

[madasafish]

I find it pretty easy to open the smoker and tip the smouldering contents out..

Doing it on someone's lawn or decking is not recommended.....

 

[Millet]

Doing it on someone's lawn or decking is not recommended.....

Never thought about that...

 

[Beefriendly]

As an aside does anyone know of any stockists of spare bellows for Dadant smokers, these are the ones with 4 bolts to secure them. Plenty of spare bellows around but non with the 4 bolt Dadant mounting.
Dadant themselves do them, but looking for UK supplier.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As an aside does anyone know of any stockists of spare bellows for Dadant smokers, these are the ones with 4 bolts to secure them. Plenty of spare bellows around but non with the 4 bolt Dadant mounting.
Dadant themselves do them, but looking for UK supplier.

Thornes I think or definitely National Bee supplies in Okehampton

 

[Beefriendly]

Thornes I think or definitely National Bee supplies in Okehampton

Cheers, Thornes, don't seem to do the 4 bolt one...but national bee supplies do.
Ta.