Wooden honey press

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stewart carnan

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uk
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National
Does anyone have plans for a wooden honey press the the oblong type on legs with a screwed rod.
 
Honey Press

Yes Mike your first picture only not so modern have seen these two when searching for plans, i may have to use my imagination and make one, just missed one on e-bay and it has put me in the mood to make one, these presses may be a one off.
 
what are they using for the bag?
 
Not what you're looking for, but seen different type with a lever maybe a metre long attached to the press part. Bit like a giant garlic press idea. You hang dumbbell weights on it and it gradually squeezes down. Means you don't have to keep going back repeatedly just to turn the screw a bit more. Gravity does the work.
 
https://sites.google.com/site/topbarbeehives/beekeeping/honey-press

shows a picture of one.

I have made a similar one using the article as a guide.

It works well.

BUT:
the stresses involved are huge and you must reinforce the corners with bolts. Otherwise if you rely on wooden dowels and glue, your press will last 20 minutes if you are lucky.

Mine is made of pallets, a surplus car jack and the seat of an old school chair... Cost - glue, bolts (!) and paint.
 
Honey Press

Thanks Madasafish, i have taken note of the replies.
 
Forgive me, but why use a honey press when other methods are available?

The bees have to work so hard to make the stuff, that it seems callous and wasteful to destroy it.


Clearly, I'm missing something.

Dusty
 
Forgive me, but why use a honey press when other methods are available?

Two possibilities that I can see - Top Bar Hive or Heather.

The TBH basic method is crush (as in mash up the comb) and strain (just using gravity). Pressing gets more honey out than gravity alone!

Heather honey doesn't co-operate with simple centrifugal extraction.
Hence it is commonly sold in the comb (sections or cut comb).
If you want to separate it from the wax, pressing is less involved than using fancy methods of "loosening" it (before centrifugal extraction). .



I'd be tempted to try and get double duty out of a stainless apple press … (albeit with a different filter bag!)
 
I use my honey press on TBH combs.

(I also run beekeeping with minimal investment: my total investment in 11 hives plus press,bees etc has been c £500..)

I am a mean OAP...
 
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