Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: adamant on August 29, 2011, 01:58:27 pm

Title: branding iron for wood were
Post by: adamant on August 29, 2011, 01:58:27 pm

What size unit and font do I get? Like the idea of branding my name on my hives.
I can get one with 1/2 " car rectors but not sure if that will be large enough. Also will they work on hives that where painted? What's your recommendations? Wattage? Font size?

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: fish_stix on September 17, 2011, 11:01:54 pm

Mine has 1" high letters with my first initial and last name. 3/4" should work fine. If you can swing the initial cost get a propane burner not the electric iron. Electric works great on cows but pretty slow going on wood. Ours hooks up to a BBQ style or even larger Rec Vehicle size propane tank. We can brand hundreds of hives in an afternoon, branding both end boards. Lot easier if you brand before assembly. And yes the propane burner brand will brand right through paint, but it's not pretty afterwards!

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: Michael Bush on September 18, 2011, 08:29:51 am

Mine are 1" and you can pick them out from the road.  Mine is propane.

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: forrestcav on September 21, 2011, 10:45:04 am

where do you get your branding irons at and how much? My state (TN) when you register issues you a number that you can brand on your boxes.

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: Michael Bush on September 21, 2011, 10:56:46 am

http://www.novatoolco.com/ (http://www.novatoolco.com/)

I got this one:
http://www.novatoolco.com/Brandingiron-BeeHive.htm (http://www.novatoolco.com/Brandingiron-BeeHive.htm)

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: Lone on September 21, 2011, 11:04:52 am

Hello Forrest,

We use the cattle branding irons here, but we already have the gas/propane burner.   If you can weld you could possibly make your own or there are plenty of folk who make brands.  Yes, it is a good idea to paint after branding wood.

Lone

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: forrestcav on September 21, 2011, 01:30:08 pm

yeah I considered making my own as well. The heat source isn't an issue as I can put it in my propane shoeing forge. I guess I'll look into some bar stock.

Title: Re: branding iron for wood were
Post by: Lone on September 21, 2011, 06:33:13 pm

Hello Forrest,

If you can shoe horses, you will be able to make branding irons with your eyes closed.

Lone