Winter Tip for newcomers - smoker

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Save up and treat yourself to a Dadant, it's a must for anyone with more than a handful of hives

I've often heard that the large Dadant outperforms other smokers but I can't see why that should be so. You can get smokers for a fraction of the price in similar dimensions and design that will function for hours (and survive periods in a metal box between apiaries) if you have the knack with fuel and lighting. I'd really like to know what's special about the Dadant. I'd get one if it really was in a class of its own.

EDIT Sorry, I've just seen that you've been singing the Dadant praises above - but I can't see WHY it should be better, all other things being equal.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've often heard that the large Dadant outperforms other smokers but I can't see why that should be so. You can get smokers for a fraction of the price in similar dimensions and design that will function for hours (and survive periods in a metal box between apiaries) if you have the knack with fuel and lighting. I'd really like to know what's special about the Dadant. I'd get one if it really was in a class of its own.

EDIT Sorry, I've just seen that you've been singing the Dadant praises above - but I can't see WHY it should be better, all other things being equal.

I've always found it easier to light and definitely easier to keep going with plenty of smoke than the cheaper models. It may be down to the fact that there is a tube that goes from where the bellows blows air in right to the centre of the smoker rather than just depending on the air finding its way in.
It is also built to be a workhorse rather than a mantelpiece ornament (I remember someone on here whingeing about what it looked like rather than how it functioned) and will take a real hammering. I found one once at the association apiary which was probably nearly as old as me, and it was still going strong.

 

[fiat500bee]

I have before now forgotten the smoker on top of a hive and gone home for lunch, remembered as I was about to set out late in the afternoon so as I was passing that apiary popped in to get it, and it was still smoking away.

...what...the hive?

 

[The Poot]

I just give mine a quick blast with my flamer occasionally and brush out all the remaining cinders

Tried that today - worked really well. Had a right good fire going on for a while!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Q.. How are folk cleaning the bellows and wood parts.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Q.. How are folk cleaning the bellows and wood parts.

washing soda, scrubbing brush

 

[Brian Bush]

I take the bellows off my smokers and soak them in a caustic soda solution for a couple of days. They come up like new. i then replace the bellows or add new ones if necessary.

 

[madasafish]

Q.. How are folk cleaning the bellows and wood parts.

I learned this from a BI.

I cover the bellows wood parts and the leather parts I touch with wide-ish masking tape - approx 25mm wide.
When it gets dirty I either apply another layer (in a hurry) or remove the old tape and replace.

No cleaning needed.

(Yes I know I am lazy...)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I take the bellows off my smokers and soak them in a caustic soda solution for a couple of days. They come up like new. i then replace the bellows

No wonder - if they've been sat in caustic soda for two days

 

[drex]

No wonder - if they've been sat in caustic soda for two days

I hope they mean washing soda!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Going off at a tangent one of the night shift maintenance guys in the glucose refinery was asked to nip up a dripping flange under the ion exchange cells. There was a pool of liquid on the floor underneath. Instead of housing down and squeegeeing he threw a piece of cardboard down to sit on while he worked. The pool was deeper than he thought and consisted of dilute caustic soda solution from the last regeneration. This soaked into his trousers and although dilute it caused considerable irritation to his scrotum. He walked like a saddle sore cowboy for a few days. Caustic soda requires healthy respect!

 

[Bee Bumble]

Going off at a tangent even further (unconnected to beekeeping)... I was at Gibraltar point on a bird ringing course many years ago. At one point a Sparrowhawk was caught and offered to a trainee to ring. The birds safety comes first and he was instructed how to handle it- it was passed to him with the wings under control folded by the body as they would be in nature when the bird was perching at rest.
Next he had to get the legs under control since they are long and their talons are sharp. We usually give the bird a stick to hold to calm it (since they are normally either flapping their wings in flight or perching). The trainee failed to follow instructions, could not control the birds legs and held it too close to his body.
The Sparrowhawk however, found something the ideal shape to grasp - the trainees scrotum. It could not be persuaded to let it go and to pull the bird sharply away could cause injury to either party. After some debate it was decided to take them to the local hospital in Skegness. But first we had to get the pair to the nearest car which was quite a long way. We hoped the bird would let go voluntarily at some point, but it did not. At the hospital, the medical staff (after some discussion) found an instrument which was used to prise open the birds foot without injury to it. The good news is that the Sparrowhawk was returned to its point of capture and released unharmed. The trainee was kept in hospital for treatment.
I never did hear what his outcome was. Perhaps Amari could let us know what the likely outcome would have been?

 

[Brian Bush]

I hope they mean washing soda!

No Drex I mean caustic soda. An old beekeeping friend purchased caustic soda by mistake for washing soda. He tried it on his smoker and it brought up the stainless steel brilliantly. My science is a little rusty but I recall you can make a simple soap with a strong alkali i.e. caustic soda, and grease. The tar in the smoker acts as the grease and the alkali in the caustic soda frees the residue from the metal. I only do this on stainless steel smokers!!!!. The solution does not need to be too strong, hence the 2 days in soak.

 

[drex]

Sorry. I too will use caustic occasionally on stubborn clean up jobs. Folks need to know the difference and that caustic is much more dangerous than washing soda

 

[understanding_bees]

I've found my smoker lid sticking loads this season, and the holes in the lid have been a nightmare to clean.

I wonder though if using my blow torch to clean it, wouldn't that make the metal brittle eventually

You have asked whether the metal may become brittle. I know that the process of hardening steel requires it to be heated to a high temperature, and then cooling it very rapidly. If you heat steel, and let it cool slowly, it will be annealed (become softer and more ductile).
The temperatures for hardening or annealing are typically quite high. Even if you heat your smoker with a blow torch, I do not think that you propose to cool it suddenly. Just let it cool slowly and there should not be any risk of the metal becoming brittle. You should be aware though that if you heat stainless steel to a high temperature that it will discolour, and you may not be able to get it to shine again!

 

[Curly green finger's]

You have asked whether the metal may become brittle. I know that the process of hardening steel requires it to be heated to a high temperature, and then cooling it very rapidly. If you heat steel, and let it cool slowly, it will be annealed (become softer and more ductile).
The temperatures for hardening or annealing are typically quite high. Even if you heat your smoker with a blow torch, I do not think that you propose to cool it suddenly. Just let it cool slowly and there should not be any risk of the metal becoming brittle. You should be aware though that if you heat stainless steel to a high temperature that it will discolour, and you may not be able to get it to shine again!

Thanks for the reply.. Funny I'm just starting to clean it now, its had a right hammering this season.

 

[Curly green finger's]

500 grams of soda crystals and I've topped up with cold water in a bucket, I will leave it for a few days even a week.
We will see what happens as I'll post further pictures.

 

[victor meldrew]

Just a thought, learnt the hard way. When you're done for winter and don't intend to carry out any more inspections make sure you leave the lid of your smoker open. Better still take the opportunity to clean it. Come the spring, if you've left it closed, you may have difficulties in prising the lid off. I leave mine open after every use but that might say more about me not cleaning my smoker regularly during the season!

Make sure it’s extinguished before leaving it unattended .

 

[victor meldrew]

I take the bellows off my smokers and soak them in a caustic soda solution for a couple of days. They come up like new. i then replace the bellows or add new ones if necessary.

Caustic soda . Dangerous stuff . Washing soda will do just as good a job .

 

[Curly green finger's]

Make sure it’s extinguished before leaving it unattended .

Oops e daisy!