Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: NC Queen Bee on July 12, 2012, 11:55:11 am

Title: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: NC Queen Bee on July 12, 2012, 11:55:11 am
How many of you mark/brand/ingrave your equipment?? What do you use? Where did you get it and could you show pictures of the 'art work'????

I would love to get a custom branding iron to brand all my wooden ware.. I have the 'art work" on my labels and business cards--thought I could use that
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: mikecva on July 12, 2012, 12:28:10 pm
Branding is expensive IMHO and unnecessary unless you are a pollinator.  My thought is an honest person will not steal a hive and a dishonest person will put the hive where I will not find it. I pollinate apple and peach orchards and only marked my white hives with my corporate initials hand painted on about in inch high in one corner. The other pollinator that works the valley has done the same and we have a good working relationship with them. Neither of us have lost a hive (although sometimes when the owner relocates the hives it can be fun finding them  :lau:).   -Mike
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: danno on July 12, 2012, 12:33:58 pm
i made a iron out of 1/4 round stock heated and bent into my initials and welded together on the end of a 24 inch rod.   i build woodware in the winter so my shop wood burner runs alot.  just like branding cattle and free
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: AllenF on July 12, 2012, 06:01:05 pm
http://beehivebranders.com/ (http://beehivebranders.com/)
But the vast majority of bee keepers don't mark anything unless they are super large pollinators or live in a certain state that has registration numbers for bee keepers. 
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: hardwood on July 12, 2012, 08:06:22 pm
I brand mine with a propane iron. It wasn't exactly cheap ($600) but I ordered another head for a fellow commercial beek for an extra $100 and we split the cost. I.D. is required by the State here but I do it more to deter thieves than anything...even brand my frames.

Scott
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Bee Curious on July 12, 2012, 11:08:00 pm
I don't know if this is what you might be looking for, but Rockler Woodworking & Hardware will make up a custom branding iron starting at $55.  See their website under woodburning tools>branding irons.
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Nico on July 13, 2012, 01:49:26 am
In Australia bee-hives are to be registered,we are issued with a brand to be placed on the front of the hive.
I made my steel letter and borrowed my neighbour's horse branding numbers,then simply burnt them on.
Nico
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: bernsad on July 13, 2012, 03:25:57 am
Nico,

How did you burn them on, what do you use to heat the brand?
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: BeeMaster2 on July 13, 2012, 09:07:43 am
I took a cow to the butcher last week and they had a hog brander (that's the name that was on it) that had 1' numbers/letters that make the shape of the letter with pointed spikes. The spikes tattoo the ink into the hide. You put your code in a clamp that is connected to a hammer like device and dip it into black ink. As the animal goes through the chute, you smack the animal on the but and they are tattooed.
If you used this system you could smack it on your hareware and mark it very quickly with the points making holes with your  name or code.
If anyone has access to one of these things, let us know how it works.
Jim
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: BeeMaster2 on July 13, 2012, 09:10:36 am
Here is one I found on Google.
http://livestockconcepts.com/identification/2365-hog-slapper-tattooer.html (http://livestockconcepts.com/identification/2365-hog-slapper-tattooer.html)

This is the one that was at the butcher had.
https://www.bunzlpd.com/product.php?productid=169194&cat=99430&page=1 (https://www.bunzlpd.com/product.php?productid=169194&cat=99430&page=1)
Jim
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Intheswamp on July 13, 2012, 11:36:07 am
If you're not worried about a "precise" brand and can deal with a more freehand type this guy might can help you out.  I found him on eBay and his user name is razin.  My brand cost ~$55.00.  I had a slight problem with mine that I inquired about when he emailed me some "proof images" of some test brands....it appeared some of the letters were slightly lower than the the rest which would result in some letters not branding as deeply as others.  He assured me that that was not the case.  I was correct with my assessment and ended up having to file down the letters surfaces...after that it worked very well.

This is a simple iron brand.  I used an old (illegal to install now) gas heater...I removed three of the bricks and set the brand over the flame...worked great.  I don't think a propane torch would heat it very well.  

Here's what I got...  The first picture is a "proof" that he sent me....you can see that the "L" and "C" are both weak.  After I filed the branding iron down some it was much better.  Ed

(http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/intheswamp00/Honey%20Bees/BrandBeforeFilingSmall.jpg)

(http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/intheswamp00/Honey%20Bees/HiveBoxes_20120130_3976Medium.jpg)

(http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/intheswamp00/Honey%20Bees/HiveBoxes_20120130_3985Small.jpg)
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Greg on July 14, 2012, 07:16:20 pm
Do you think putting it on a fish cooker to heat it up would do the trick?
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Intheswamp on July 14, 2012, 07:51:26 pm
It should.  The fish cooker burner is probably circular whereas my old heater's burner is straight but depending on how long your brand is I would think it should heat up ok.  It takes a while to heat up initially and by the time I get finished branding my iron is *really* ready to go to work. :roll:  I usually make three brands on a single heating....subsequent heatings take less time to come to branding temperature.  Get some cheap welding gloves (Harbor Freight) to use with it...I use one gloved hand to hold the stem/handle close to the head of the brand and an ungloved hand to hold the tip of the handle.

The brand actually works pretty good for low volume use.  I've branded 14 and 18 supers (both ends) on two different occasions along with miscellaneous bottoms and tops...took a little time, but definitely doable.

Ed
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Nico on July 14, 2012, 08:26:59 pm
Hi Bernsad,
I used an lp gas heater I use for my cattle brands.It consists of 18" of 6" dia. heavy walled steel pipe,one end the gas burner is fitted,a 6"x4" piece cut out of the center to allow the brands to to be inserted to heat and the other end is sealed with four relief holes1" to allow for better heat transfer. 
I have mounted the heater horizontally on a waist high frame made up of scrap steel(a small work bench.)When I learn how to put photos on the forum I will post them. 
Nico
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Beeboy01 on July 14, 2012, 08:37:30 pm
I have a brand with my name on it which i got from Woodcrafter's ten years ago. It is made of cast bronze and works well but here in Florida they want the state bee keeper's ID number on the hives. I paint my number on the hives which are kept behind my shop in the back yard. I don't think anybody will risk driving a truck across my backyard to steal my motley little 6 hives.
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Nature Coast Beek on July 14, 2012, 10:10:19 pm
For the beekeepers that need a brand, I saw this listing on Craigslist (http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/grd/3110334818.html)...looks pretty good to me.

Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: b reeves on July 15, 2012, 08:28:46 am
Nature coast that is the guy that i bought from it works well
Bob
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: Intheswamp on July 15, 2012, 10:06:30 am
Nice looking brand, there!  Clean letters!

Ed
Title: Re: Marking or Branding wooden ware/equipment??
Post by: JackM on July 15, 2012, 10:18:16 am
Shoot, not hard to do if you have a friend with welding stuff.  I used to have horses, and we did freeze branding, using cold instead of heat to burn the skin.  So I still have that brand, made from stainless. I also brand any art work I do with the same brand in a very small size. Any 10000 btu LP setup should get it hot enough to do.  You want brand made, gimmie dimensions, desires, simple art work, and I can make it with carbon steel.