New Extractor & Hive pics

[mick]

Geoff took the time to get this for me at a bargain price from a clearing sale up the scrub. Agents were employed to travel to an unnamed town in Country Victoria. A shady deal was done in the carpark of a Scottish Restaurant, cash was exchanged and shes mine! Thanks geoff!



I believe it is a Maitland Model, could be 30s-60s model. Tghe gate on it is a Pender Bros. the creme when it comes to honey gates. I dunno if I will paint it. I will give it a good scrub with soapy water, the once over, a bit of grease and away we go.

This is the feral hive, it has a new third super and a queen excluder.



This is the not so feral hive. Put the third super on today. Took two full frames from each of them before I added the third.



Just in time I reckon. Theres a good honey flow on here atm. Should be a bumper year, especially since this is the first time since I statred about 4 years ago that I am this well set up.

[Cindi]

Mick, you go!!!  That is wonderful that you got this stuff at a good deal, yeah!!!  And you gonna get some honey this year, what more can be said!!!  Have the most wonderful and awesome day, Cindi

[buzzbee]

That looks like an "Armstrong "extractor.Spin a box of honey and your arm is stronger!! We have one too. Seems like a great buy.Wish you the best with a continued honey flow Mick,you deserve a harvest with what you've gone through!!

[Moonshae]

That looks a lot like the old extractor I have in my shed. Might want to camcote it to give it a food-grade surface. galvanized steel isn't quite there anymore.

[mick]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Camcote eh? I will look that up. I was going to ask about what to do with the inside. After I clean it, Im thinking should I coat it with wax? leave it alone, or paint it with something? Look forward to reading your advice.

[Cindi]

Mick, I know, I know, what to do, what to do.  I obtained a massive old extractor this summer too.  It is probably, according to Brian Bray, pre-world war 1.  Ancient.  I have to do something with this one too, and now that someone has said to camcote it, I am wondering what that is too.   Someone also mentioned to sand blast it and paint it with a food grade paint, maybe gonna do that thing one day.  But for now I have a smaller 4 frame one that I got for $50.  I need to show pics of it, cause my Husband made a cool stand for it.   Good luck, I would love to hear about what camcoting is.  So good that you got that great deal, have that most wonderful and awesome day, Cindi

[mick]

Hey Cindi, I found this local product, http://www.wmss.com.au/catalogue/cleaning-sanitation-products/epoxy-paint/paint-epoxy.html looks like it will do me.

[Koala John]

Hi Mick,
Thanks for posting that link, it looks like the right stuff for what I need too (I'm in Melbourne). Did you buy it and have you tried it? I am about to order some in, but am curious about if it worked for you.

Cheers,
John.

[Koala John]

Hey Mick - I have the epoxy paint in my hand now  :-D
$225 for 5 liters delivered to Melbourne - not cheap, but a lot cheaper than a new extractor.
Yell out if you want any more info.

Cheers,
John.

[mick]

Geeze thats not cheap! but its like you said.

I think Im going to give the inside a coat of wax this season, will cross the bridge of removing it when I come to it! Come to think of it, Im sure they used the straight gal or even raw metal in the olden days.

[Robo]

Galvanized is not really an issue unless you use it for storing the honey.   If you just use it for extracting and drain the honey as you go, you will be fine.

[johnnybigfish]

Way to go Mick!
 Its looks just like mine except my crank goes off to the side. I think mines made of SS cuz it is still shiny. I got mine really cheap too...I would tell you how much, but one time, a way back, A guy got mad cuz some of us were telling about our "Good Deals"..We were probably off subject too, but what else is new, right!
Ok,....I cant help myself......50$
 It works really good too. Especially if you leave the valve open on the bottom(over a bucket, of course)...It spins better that way cuz it doesnt get full of honey! :)

your friend,
john

[Koala John]

Yes, mine is galvanised, and Im sure a bit of zinc isn't going to hurt - several decades of eating honey extracted and probably stored in gal doesn't seem to have hurt me!
But my extractor has a little light rust on the drum, and a quite a lot of rust on the baskets. It was becuse of that that I got the paint.
The paint went on easily, and the extractor looks like it's just rolled off the factory floor - very impressive. I'm hoping to use it in the next week or so - I've already lost a swarm or two due to being honey bound and have to try and get back ahead of the bees - I blink and they've raced past me!

Cheers,
John.

[mick]

Ah yes John, Geoff got mine for me for 50 buckeroos also!

[johnnybigfish]

 yeh, Mick...I thought this was a "Deal of a Lifetime"!

your friend,
john