Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: ShaneJ on April 05, 2012, 05:48:12 am

Title: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: ShaneJ on April 05, 2012, 05:48:12 am
This is the whole thing assembled. The top board that takes the vacuum hose is fixed in place as I don't have the equipment to be able to make it slide in and out. I'll make a second top when I get access to some better wood working equipment.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=232&g2_serialNumber=2)



This is where the vacuum hose slots in and where you can adjust the amount of suction.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=238&g2_serialNumber=2)



I'm using household insect mesh under the lid.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=243&g2_serialNumber=2)



Where the business end plugs into.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=248&g2_serialNumber=2)



I'm going to try and use 38mm ID pool hose as its cheap and readily available. This one is 3m long.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=253&g2_serialNumber=2)



Inside the hose. It looks worse than it really is. It is fairly smooth to the touch.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=258&g2_serialNumber=2)



This girl supervised the whole project. Didn't help though.

(http://www.greenwattle.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=263&g2_serialNumber=2)


I gave the vac a bit of a test this after noon on some of my own bees. With the regulator fully open on top, there is just enough suction at the tip to suck in a bee if you give it a nudge or if they have a loose grip.

You'll notice in the pictures that I don't have a cutout shim, this is because I don't have the tools to be able to make something to allow some mesh to slide into. Also we don't have "hardware cloth" readily available that Robo uses. Anything that I have access to isn't ridged enough for the job. I'll have to think up something to use for the job.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: asprince on April 05, 2012, 08:01:07 am
Looks neat. You are wise to use the pool hose. The smooth inside saves lots of bees. You could probably use just a little more suction. Changing from fly screen to 8 mesh hardware cloth would help. The fly screen creates some restriction. I have used my Robo bee vac to hive hundreds of swarms and cutouts.

Good Luck,
Steve
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: Grieth on April 05, 2012, 09:53:25 am
I don't know why,  but we can't buy hardware cloth in Australia at any of the major hardware suppliers. I haven, t found any here.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: ShaneJ on April 05, 2012, 10:11:10 am
Yeah I cant find it anywhere. I can find stainless mesh but its not cheap.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: JP on April 05, 2012, 10:21:02 am
I don't know why,  but we can't buy hardware cloth in Australia at any of the major hardware suppliers. I haven, t found any here.

Even here we have to usually special order #8 as 1/4" seems to be the smallest most hardware stores carry in stock.

Good job Shane!


...JP
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: ShaneJ on April 05, 2012, 11:54:08 am
Thanks mate. Hope to get over your way some time to see one of your jobs in real.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: G3farms on April 05, 2012, 01:18:41 pm
Looks like a fine job to me.

Just need a cut out to go get now!!
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: Rex Smith on April 05, 2012, 03:02:22 pm
Do you use any gasket between the layers?  If so - you might have a bit better suction/flow if there's less loss around the seam of the wood.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: G3farms on April 05, 2012, 03:23:45 pm
A roll of 1/4" weather stripping works great!!
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: Intheswamp on April 05, 2012, 05:41:36 pm
If he has the regulator wide open and the suction will just pull a bee off the comb at the tip of the hose it sounds like he has plenty of suction...am I missing something???   :?

Ed
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: jmblakeney on April 05, 2012, 05:52:14 pm
May need to redo the regulator with a larger hole saw.

James
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: Intheswamp on April 05, 2012, 05:58:38 pm
May need to redo the regulator with a larger hole saw.

James
Ditto.

Ed
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: G3farms on April 05, 2012, 06:04:20 pm
Good call on the larger hole, but just about right right. Need to be careful sucking bees off of comb with nectar and honey, you can also suck it out and then you will have a big ball of dead sticky bees in the bottom of the vac.

On hot days I leave mine running or if I do turn it off open the top to let them have air and maybe spritz of water.

The weather stripping is for boxes that might be a little damaged.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: ShaneJ on April 05, 2012, 09:21:54 pm
If he has the regulator wide open and the suction will just pull a bee off the comb at the tip of the hose it sounds like he has plenty of suction...am I missing something???   :?

Ed

You're right Ed. If I close up the regulator there is plenty of suction.

I was planning on putting weather stripping around the edges to help seal it up, but it turned out to be not required.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: beyondthesidewalks on April 07, 2012, 08:24:30 pm
And a little bit of duct tape for those boxes that have an air leak or two.  Gotta get your man card with the duct tape... :)
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: AllenF on April 07, 2012, 09:59:46 pm
I second the duct tape.   The silver foil tape is still considered duct tape and works best.  I use foil tape to seal up hive boxes that have rotted holes in them.   With some white paint, all looks good.
Title: Re: My attemp at Robo's bee vac
Post by: divemaster1963 on April 07, 2012, 10:49:41 pm
for the slip screen. you could cut a 3/4 frame and then slot cut three sides and thru cut the fourth side. then get screen strip wood and staple the screen to it and slide it into the groove. I have done this for a freind and it works.

john