Who makes their own foundation?

[JamezF]

I've seen youtube videos of people using a leaf press with olive oil as a release agent. I've also seen people using the silicone sheet presses using all sorts of stuff, including water. I found a video of an Australian chap who doesn't use anything with the silicone sheets and just peels them away from the foundation. In the video at least, it seemed to work well enough.

As I still haven't got around to making my own silicone sheets yet and because it appears to be possible to buy them cheaper than the stuff to make the moulds, I've bought a couple. I'm just trying to work out how best to set it up for use at the moment (in terms of allowing excess wax to run off somewhere I can collect it easily and so on).

James

 

[Peterjay]

I've seen youtube videos of people using a leaf press with olive oil as a release agent. I've also seen people using the silicone sheet presses using all sorts of stuff, including water. I found a video of an Australian chap who doesn't use anything with the silicone sheets and just peels them away from the foundation. In the video at least, it seemed to work well enough.

As I still haven't got around to making my own silicone sheets yet and because it appears to be possible to buy them cheaper than the stuff to make the moulds, I've bought a couple. I'm just trying to work out how best to set it up for use at the moment (in terms of allowing excess wax to run off somewhere I can collect it easily and so on).

James

The silicone moulds have a turn-up at the edges, and you don't easily get wax running out everywhere.
In addition, they are oversized for National foundation, so in any case, you don't need to get hung up about the wax reaching every edge.
I've never used water or any other release agent on my silicone mould and I've never had a problem getting it freed. I don't wait long, and release it whilst still warm, and then start on the next one.

 

[Antipodes]

Hi all - I'm going to have a bash at making some of my own foundation with a Leaf Press. It'll be a learning experience, and I'm not too precious about the quality of the outcome, as most, if not all, will be cut into strips to use as starters for foundationless frames. Thus far I have been (badly) making flat sheets for the same purpose, by dipping a paddle into molten wax.

The question I have is relating to the release agent.

The Dave Cushman site and the above posts mention using detergent (soapy water) as a release agent. I'm completely averse to introducing anything containing synthetic chemicals into the hive, and this therefore gives me the ick. Also, I'm not a molecular chemist so don't know whether the soapy water will sit on the surface of the wax - and can therefore be completely rinsed off, or whether it will be partly assimilated into the material itself.

For this reason, when making my crappy flat sheets, I have been using olive oil as a release agent instead. Seems quite effective.

Any comments on the either my soap worries, or the wisdom of using e.g. olive oil would be welcome before I embark on my little journey. Cheers.

I would have anticipated a residue of olive oil on the wax, but I assume you didn't find that happened?
Is it an expensive leaf press? Stainless or aluminium? Please do post a little video in due course...

 

[Garry R]

The one I make just has a sloped tray and the wax runs off the bottom edge when you pour the wax on the top and lower the top silicone sheet onto the bottom one. I collect the surplus wax in a baking tray well wetted with water and a drop of washing up liquid mixed in it. The silicone sheets do not need a release agent/ I think that would happen OK if you use the cheap moulds with the bottom edges cut off. I make my own sheets for the mould. The foundation produced is thick but the bees love them

 

[boywonder]

I would have anticipated a residue of olive oil on the wax, but I assume you didn't find that happened?
Is it an expensive leaf press? Stainless or aluminium? Please do post a little video in due course...

My flat sheets came off the paddle a little greasy, but it didn't stop the bees working the wax strips I cut. To my mind, better a residue of something as natural and benign as olive oil, rather than detergent, though I guess that can be rinsed with cold water (unlike the oil) - assuming it doesn't get into the wax itself.

Our Association are getting rid of some old kit, and I managed to pick this up for £20. It needs a good clean, but otherwise seems in tidy condition. At that price, there's nothing to lose in giving it a try.

Even though they don't look like it, the plates are actually copper.

When I give it a go (invariably at the end of the season), I'll happily post a video

 

[JamezF]

We've been cutting a sheet of ply that we laminated with gloss white laminate at work, so I've taken an offcut from the waste bin to use as a base to work on when pressing foundation with the silicone mould. Hopefully it should be easy to scrape waste wax off.

James

 

[boywonder]

Went to the apiary this evening, to strim, and took the opportunity to check the state of the supers. Well... I'm glad I did, as it's clear I urgently need to give them yet more space. I have the boxes, but not enough drawn frames to fill them all. As such, and as I have no shallow foundation in the cupboard, I'm going to knock together a couple of boxes-worth of foundationless frames in the morning...

... Which is a very long-winded way of saying that I had an excuse to test the leaf press (to make some sheets for starter strips), and to get to grips with the basic techniques, before coming back and having a 'proper' go at the end of the season... which I promise to video - not least as I can't find helpful videos myself.

Anyway, I tried the olive oil as a release agent, and it was crap.

As such, I thought I'd try the soapy water - if only to be able to contrast the results. Only after re-reading the page on the Cushman site did it become apparent that the guidance is to properly slosh this into the press in decent quantities (he said 500ml) before quickly tipping the excess out, and pouring the wax onto the still liberally wetted plate.

The result was extremely pleasing - especially for a first attempt:




Soapy water it is then.

 

[Antipodes]

Went to the apiary this evening, to strim, and took the opportunity to check the state of the supers. Well... I'm glad I did, as it's clear I urgently need to give them yet more space. I have the boxes, but not enough drawn frames to fill them all. As such, and as I have no shallow foundation in the cupboard, I'm going to knock together a couple of boxes-worth of foundationless frames in the morning...

... Which is a very long-winded way of saying that I had an excuse to test the leaf press (to make some sheets for starter strips), and to get to grips with the basic techniques, before coming back and having a 'proper' go at the end of the season... which I promise to video - not least as I can't find helpful videos myself.

Anyway, I tried the olive oil as a release agent, and it was crap.

As such, I thought I'd try the soapy water - if only to be able to contrast the results. Only after re-reading the page on the Cushman site did it become apparent that the guidance is to properly slosh this into the press in decent quantities (he said 500ml) before quickly tipping the excess out, and pouring the wax onto the still liberally wetted plate.

The result was extremely pleasing - especially for a first attempt:


View attachment 40485

Soapy water it is then.

Thanks for the update. Looks good.