Cost of wax dipping setup in Australia

[kalium]

Are there places in Australia that sell hot wax dipping setup ?

I've been looking into it lately, and with just the cost of materials (3mm steel tank
with 5mm on the bottom, and ~72kg of parrafin/microcrystalline wax, for dipping
a single box) it's going to cost ~$800.

I'm curious as to how much an off the shelf unit costs.

Cheers

[BeeMaster2]

Kallam,
If you only have one hive or just a few, the better question might bee, is there anyone around you that will dip your hive equipment.
Jim

[swiftden]

I built a wax dipper myself and have bought all the wax as well. i am yet to fire it up but i need to soon to get ready for spring . it will be my first time to ever try it.
I also built an extra skin around my tank with 2mm sheet to create a warm air pocket around the tank to cut back on lpg. only time will tell how well it works .

[prestonpaul]

I would give R & E McDonald in Castelmaine a call, they supply wax (along with other bee keeping products) and have a very nice gas fired dipping unit. I believe they had it made locally to them but I am sure they could put you in touch with the manufacturer. I don't suspect it would be cheap but it is a very well designed setup and in my opinion well worth the money.
It can be seen in action mid way through this video: http://youtu.be/Wah3zfgvmq0

[kalium]

SawdstMaker,
currently I only have two hives, and so investing in a dipper with no plan on expanding my hive count
would of course not be the best idea :) I'm hoping to expand into a semi-commericial (50-100 hives)
in the next few years. Although even at that level it might be questionable. I've also started to look into
who around me might offer dipping as a service.

swiftden,
What mix did you end up going with? The RIRDC document about wax dipping talks about 50/50 paraffin/microcrystalline but
from talking to others that seems way too much, more like 90/10. What did you end up gong with?
I got a final quote back and the wax + shipping would be about $800...does that sound about right to you?

prestonpaul,
Thanks for the tip. That's a nice looking setup they have. (also nice series of videos!)

[Suncat]

I am new to this beekeeping gig, but i must ask why go to all this effort when you can get plastic boxes for not a lot more in cost than timber ones, and you don't need to paint / dip them.

Are they better for the bees?

Thanks
John

[kalium]

I am new to this beekeeping gig, but i must ask why go to all this effort when you can get plastic boxes for not a lot more in cost than timber ones, and you don't need to paint / dip them.

Are they better for the bees?

Thanks
John

Good point. I've read a bit about them. Some people love them, others not. Perhaps it is time I tried one myself.

[Willy]

I am new to this beekeeping gig, but i must ask why go to all this effort when you can get plastic boxes for not a lot more in cost than timber ones, and you don't need to paint / dip them.

Are they better for the bees?

Thanks
John

Good point. I've read a bit about them. Some people love them, others not. Perhaps it is time I tried one myself.

I've just received my first 10 plastic hives from Nuplas. Very impressed so far.

I imagined that they would be thin walled and easily cracked but they are  heavy duty and very solid. Took me 30 minutes to have 10 boxes ready for use straight out of the box.

 They are about $10 dearer than a timber box but if you put a cost on your labour they would work out far cheaper than timber.

Nothing worse than spending all that time treating and painting boxes only to have them chip the first time a hive tool touches them and undo all that hard work. Only thing worse is having bees and honey exposed to copper napthenate.

In my opinion there is no comparison, all plastic for me from now on.

Willy

[swiftden]

Not sure about cost i got my microcrystaline wax from another bee keeper. I got 3 x 27kg boxes for $120 a box. He bought a few pallets of it at once. I will add 10-15litres of boiled linseed oil . It is what the beekeeper i know uses and then he paints them while hot but they end up looking like plastic coated.  im going to fire it up hopefully in the next couple of weeks to dip a heap of new supers
Regards
Allan

[Anybrew2]

Hey Willy how much each were the plastic box's bud.  I love them but I had to stop buying them as they were cost me nearly $50 each, I get flat back wooden hives for &17.

Cheers
Steve

[Willy]

Hey Willy how much each were the plastic box's bud.  I love them but I had to stop buying them as they were cost me nearly $50 each, I get flat back wooden hives for &17.

Cheers
Steve

G'day Steve,

Yeah forget everything I've said. They've just put the price up on the nuplas boxes I was buying. I think they're about $38 now and thats getting too expensive.  I bought plastic boxes just before the price wise and wish I had bought more. I love them but I'll be going back to wood as well.

Willy

[Anybrew2]

I hear ya Willy, Plastic box'x are awesome. The price sux Butt though.

[kalium]

Not sure about cost i got my microcrystaline wax from another bee keeper. I got 3 x 27kg boxes for $120 a box. He bought a few pallets of it at once. I will add 10-15litres of boiled linseed oil . It is what the beekeeper i know uses and then he paints them while hot but they end up looking like plastic coated.  im going to fire it up hopefully in the next couple of weeks to dip a heap of new supers
Regards
Allan

Yeah that's a good price. I'm going to have to look at alternative sources. Although TBH I think I will wait until next winter. Busy enough as it is.

[rawfind]

you might want to try treating the inside of your boxes with linseed oil mixed with turps

[Richard M]

blooper

[Chiefman]

Does dipping the box in wax create more condensation within the hive?

[jayj200]

thats a good question! I have one too. what is turps?

[weedyau]

Turps is a petroleum-based replacement for the vegetable-based organic solvent turpentine, a traditional solvent used by painters.

Not to be confused with 'getting on the turps', which is something I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon when the school year ends.

[rawfind]

Turps is a petroleum-based replacement for the vegetable-based organic solvent turpentine, a traditional solvent used by painters.

Not to be confused with 'getting on the turps', which is something I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon when the school year ends.
[/quote}
the mineral turps just dilutes the linseed oil down and helps it absorb into the wood, it then evaporates leaving just the oil in the wood