honey extractor

[queenb64]

Hey all!!

ok heres the deal, I cant afford an extractor, so I saw somewhere someone made on from a 20 gallon metal trash can. Anyone seen it? does anyone have some good detailed pics of the guts that my hubby can use to make the guts? you know the basket and all. i was thinking that maybe the crank off a hand crank ice cream maker make work on it too. So thats my thoughts, hit me with your opinions. think it can't be done, cause i can just for the challenge( im double dog dare ya challenged LOL)  I just don't know if it will actually work. May turn out o be just a work of art.lol

  Another thought, how will the honey affect the can? Will it eat it?  hubby is a welder, i could get him to get a piece of stainless rolled I guess is it came to it. Just trying to do it on my own, he's busy with his radio controll airboat business.  

   Awaiting your thoughts and opinions.  I know ya'll got em   lol

[eivindm]

I don't know much about this, but there are plans for building your own equipment at beesrouce.com.  You can find plans to build a four frame extractor here. Good luck!

eivindm

[Lesli]

I've read that honey does react to some metals, so you might be better off with plastic. I know there are also plans for sale on eBay...

[Finman]

I did my first exctractor, but it was awfull. It worked but it let flavours out Huge ventilation with honey dropelts!  Also the forge against the frame basket is so big and the net bended and combs went broken.

Surely you find somewhere used exctractor. Take a touch to local beekeepers' assosiation. Little ones are not in imposible prices.

You must think that you are so efficient that you earn at least the exctractor.  

When you sell honey and people want to see the wonder how you exctract honey, what do you show them?

[golfpsycho]

Good point Finski.  If a customer or 2 wanted to look at your operation, clean  shining stainless steel is a better selling point than an old galvanized trash can.  Especially if its while your spinning with wax, globs of honey, and the occasional bee leg stuck to the sides.  Also, galvanized has to be treated with camcoat or something like that to be considered food grade.  Something about the acidity of the honey and the zinc I believe.

[Finman]

than an old galvanized trash can. .

galvanized will dilute to acid honey and then you have black bitter honey.

We have proverb: " Nobody's way of life is so expesive as poor's!"

[Robo]

I agree that in the long term finding a used on is your best bet.  

However, since you are just starting out and don't have a huge line of customers just dieing to see your extractor, there is nothing wrong with starting out with a home-made contraption.  Especially if you can aquire the parts relatively cheap.  Just keep in mind that I believe you can buy a small plastic extractor for around $100. Although everyone assumed you were selling honey, perhaps you are only extracting for personal use.   It is easy to recommend the best/expensive option without knowing the persons resources.  I'm sure if you had the cash, you would be out buying the latest SS exctrator avaialable.

As far a galvanized, yes the honey will react with it if you let it sit in it.  Extracting equipment was made out of galvanized metal for many years.  I would not be turned off by buying a old galvanized extractor if you can find one for a good deal.  As golfphyscho has said, you can coat them.  Or in the interim just don't let the honey sit in it,  as you extract, move the honey into plastic buckets.

[golfpsycho]

Galvanized worked fine for a very long time, and still does.  Small matter to seal it with camcoate.  I guess I just keep imagining a garbage can which I don't find too appealing.  You can build a honey press much more cheaply than I imagine a spinner would cost you.  Then you can harvest the wax as well.  Local bee clubs frequently have a small spinner you can borrow or rent cheaply.  Here, the club rents theirs for 15 dollars overnite, or 25 across a weekend, or will extract yours for 25 cents per lbs, and they keep the cappings. They have a couple 72 frame radials out back.  They are actually a commercial operation that supplys and works with the hobbyist.

Keep your eyes open.  There are alot of beekeepers out there that go about it very quietly.  They might help you out if you can feret them out and approach them in the right way.

[Robo]

Keep your eyes open.  There are alot of beekeepers out there that go about it very quietly.  They might help you out if you can feret them out and approach them in the right way.

Very good point.  I have a neighbor whose business is to deal with "animal nusiance"  not your mice/rats/cockroach stuff, but more like skunks, bears, bats.

Needless to say he got into beekeeping by getting calls to remove swarms.   He has no extracting equipment so he brings his supers to our honeyhouse and extracts.

He has about 10 hives and that is about his limit.  So,  I just give him a couple empty nucs to keep on his truck,  he charges to remove the swarms, and drops them off to us.

A win,win,win,win situation....

Win for the customer, their happy to pay to get rid of the bees
Win for him, he gets $$$ and easily gets rid of the bees (bet he wishes getting rid of the skunks were as easy)
Win for us - free bees
Win for the bees - new home vs. death

[Anonymous]

Author Message
queenb64
Member


Joined: 27 Sep 2004
Posts: 26
Location: Louisiana, moving to Arkansas
 Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 1:15 pm    Post subject: extractor    

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well thanks all, I knew I would get some good feedback. I am not selling honey YET, I dont even have any bees YET. I did build my first hive by my self( patting own back) not bad for a girl. I am just trying to get as much as i can for what funds I have, and I enjoy making things.

You all gave me very good advice, and confirmed some of the things I was concerned about. And brought up good points about the appearance of my extractor if any future customers would want to see it.Never thought about anyone wantiing to see. Im going to check out the sites you gave me the links to.

I did go to one site that had square wooden extractors but I figure that would be unhealthy as well. Even coating the would porbably wouldn't work becasue of the acids involved. Thanks for all your help, I knew I could count on all of ya.

[Anonymous]

I moved your reply so it would be with your first post.

 :) With that said I will point out that in the an earlier point in time galvinized were what extractors were made of and i bout a two frame hand crank A I Root model for $10.00.
But I aquried more colonies than I really care to hand crank honey from so Worked out a share croppers deal with a fellow club member. For a small presentage of my honey harvest and my help I get mine extracted and sold by him.
Another reason to join a club.
 :D Al