Which Blow Torch

[Lucky Bee]

Can anyone recommend a blow torch that has enough power to heat up a branding iron. I need to brand my hives and my current blow torch doesn't seem to have enough umph!

 

[oliver90owner]

Try a smithies forge?

 

[midnight sun]

Can anyone recommend a blow torch that has enough power to heat up a branding iron. I need to brand my hives and my current blow torch doesn't seem to have enough umph!

MAPS gas blowlamps should cope. You can buy them from good plumber suppliers, cost about £50. Good price if you have lots of uses for it (I have.)
The normal butane blow lamps can't usually but enough heat out and take all day.

 

[Lucky Bee]

Thanks for the advice. Smithy's forge sounds good, less chance of me setting fire to anything!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Can anyone recommend a blow torch that has enough power to heat up a branding iron. I need to brand my hives and my current blow torch doesn't seem to have enough umph!

A decent plumbers torch (not one of the toys with integral bottle), a gas hob, a coke fire or if you have horsey friends who use a hot shoeing farrier and can synchronise with his visits maybe use his portaforge.
The iron doesn’t need to be glowing white hot, just hot enough to sear the wood.

 

[itma]

A barbecue should work ... (better than a blowlamp - you don't want focussed silly-high temperature). Just give your brand time to heat up.

 

[Cussword]

A barbecue should work ... (better than a blowlamp - you don't want focussed silly-high temperature). Just give your brand time to heat up.

+1

 

[einsteinagogo]

Can anyone recommend a blow torch that has enough power to heat up a branding iron. I need to brand my hives and my current blow torch doesn't seem to have enough umph!

Get something which will also allow you to flame your hives with also, and kill two birds with one stone...(you do flame your brood boxes and supers, at the beginning of the year), also handy for weeds as well.

Sievert....available online and from Machine Mart, and a 3.6kg/6kg propane bottle.

 

[Thymallus]

.(you do flame your brood boxes and supers, at the beginning of the year),

Nope, I find the polystyrene melts......

 

[einsteinagogo]

Nope, I find the polystyrene melts......

does it ?

 

[Thymallus]

Yes.
It's a well known physical property of polystyrene's exposed to high heat.

 

[Swinton apiaries]

Nope, I find the polystyrene melts......

What do you use then cellulose thinners
O wait

 

[Thymallus]

What do you use then cellulose thinners
O wait

Don't be daft! What's with the O wait?.......perplexed of North Yorkshire

 

[Swinton apiaries]

Don't be daft! What's with the O wait?.......perplexed of North Yorkshire

Have you ever put thinners on poly it melts faster than you would get any propolis and wax off the used box it was a joke about using poly hives instead of wooden hives sorry couldn't resist

 

[einsteinagogo]

Yes.
It's a well known physical property of polystyrene's exposed to high heat.

I would have never guessed!!!!

 

[Thymallus]

Oh I see. Ha Ha....

 

[Thymallus]

I would have never guessed!!!!

No, you probably wouldn't have
Which is probably why you asked the question?

 

[einsteinagogo]

No, you probably wouldn't have
Which is probably why you asked the question?

my propane torch melts most things like butter, and so does my thermal lance!

no where did I leave that poly nuc!

 

[Thymallus]

my propane torch melts most things like butter, and so does my thermal lance!

no where did I leave that poly nuc!

Am I detecting a slight anti-poly hive bias here?

 

[einsteinagogo]

not at all, I've poly hives, nucs, mating hives (technically poly) couldn't give a monkeys cuss, whether there wood, poly, plastic....made of mud...