home · electrical safety · Do-it-yourself steam bee knife. Beekeeping knives: their use and methods of self-production. DIY steam knife

Do-it-yourself steam bee knife. Beekeeping knives: their use and methods of self-production. DIY steam knife

  • 1. Types of knives
  • 2. Do-it-yourself table
  • 3. Machine

Extraction of honey is considered one of the main jobs in beekeeping. Before you put the frames filled with nectar into the honey extractor, you need to remove thin layer wax from sealed cells. A table will help in this, as well as a knife for printing honeycombs.

Types of knives

There are several types of this tool:

  • electric knife;
  • the so-called steam knife;
  • needle fork.

The most popular are electric. Such devices differ from analogues in the presence of a heating element inside the working body, so it must be connected to an electric source. energy. When printing cells, an electric knife must be cleaned of particles of sticking honey and wax, for which it is dipped in hot water for several minutes.

Printing honeycombs with an electric knife

The second type, the steam knife, should be sharp, which will quickly cut off the wax layer. The blade of such a tool can be thick (requires additional heating) or thin (cuts the wax layer without heating). Note that the working part of the second option is somewhat shorter than that of the first, in addition, this device can be used for trimming honeycomb with drone cells, removing queen cells and other works.

When working with honey frames, always use two knives. While one is being used to print honeycombs, the second one needs to be heated in a container of hot water.

Needle fork appearance resembles a scraper. It consists of a plastic handle and a working body made of honed metal needles. During operation, the caps of the combs are collected on needles. Note that when cleaning the fork, it must also be lowered into hot water.

DIY table

For the installation of the described equipment, you need to prepare the following materials:

  • a stainless steel tank from a washing machine;
  • several wooden bars;
  • small mesh stainless steel mesh;
  • polyethylene film;
  • a few screws for fastening parts.

On the container you need to fix two wooden slats, they will be used as a stand for honey frames. Next, we make a groove for draining honey from wooden slats and films, we install it under the table. The tank must be installed on the left side of the table, and a compartment for laying frames is arranged on the right. Fasten the parts with self-tapping screws. After that, a stainless steel mesh is attached to the top of the tank.

Table for printing frames with your own hands

When working, the beekeeper prints the frames using any of the above tools. At the same time, the remains of the honeycomb remain on the grid, and the excess honey flows calmly into the reservoir. Such a device will take a maximum of an hour, but the benefits of using it compensate for the time spent.

It has a slightly curved handle - this is done to simplify opening the combs, and a pointed end that helps to open the cells with honey from the recesses, as well as from the hollows of the combs. The blade is sharpened on both sides, because it must be perfectly flat and even in order to less crumble the cast. Its 15 to 23 cm with a blade width of 35 to 45 mm.

During operation, this element beekeeping inventory must be heated to achieve this, it is enough to lower it into hot water. During operation, several pieces are usually used at once - until one has cooled down, the other at this time is heated in hot water. In addition to the usual types, there are also electric knives and steam knives, which significantly speed up the process of removing the cast.

A simple do-it-yourself bee knife

Production is carried out from a conventional clock spring. Optimal size: 32x170x0.5. The spring workpiece is leveled by bending in the opposite direction. For better cutting of the cast, it is better to leave the resulting blade slightly bent. The bending points must be heated with a burner or a lighter.

Holes on the spring can be drilled with an engraving drill. For the handle, 20 mm plywood is suitable, which needs to be turned on the sides using an emery machine, and then cut on it with a saw. The blade must be sharpened with a whetstone for finishing razors, to the width.

Steam bee knife

Externally it almost does not differ from simple. A steam tool differs from a simple one by the presence of a steam blade, to which steam approaches. In it, heating steam is supplied through an attached coil, to the two ends of which two rubber hoses are attached.

One of them connects the knife to the included tank - converter with a capacity of 5l. The other hose is designed to remove exhaust steam.

The cost of such a product is from 700 rubles. This option is more productive than the usual one, since it does not require warm-up time.

Its advantages: a large yield of wax on the bee colony compared to forks, honey does not get water (which often happens in ordinary ones). The main disadvantage is the need to work next to some kind of heat source, in stuffy conditions. At the same time, it is necessary keep an eye on so that the water in the barrel does not run out, because it is made of thin steel and can easily burn out.

DIY steam knife

blank for the steam version of this inventory item can be cut out of the freezer or some kind of stainless steel.

The optimal width for a knife is 40mm, and the length can be selected individually. Next, you need to bend the handle, for it it is better to use wooden lining.

Then pick up a copper tube with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 mm, then, bending it in half, position it so that it runs along both edges of the blade, and its ends go under the knife handle, and then solder it with phosphoric acid.

A steam generator can be made from a teapot with a sealed lid. Having fixed the flexible hose in the hole for the whistle with the help of branch pipes, bring the other end of the hose to the knife. The second hose must be connected to the other end of the copper tube and lowered into the sink.

Electric bee knife

The difference from other knives in this version is that their blade contains a heating element that heats the blade. The electric option is much more convenient than a steam knife. Its heating is carried out from the mains, the connection to which is carried out through a rheostat.

The blade is made of high quality stainless steel. The electric knife has an aluminum cover riveted to the blade. This knife has a one-sided sharpening. The electric knife always has a thermostat. The power supply is usually 12V. Power is usually regulated in the range from 20W to 50W.

The temperature is adjustable from 50 to 120 degrees Celsius. The electric knife weighs quite a bit, only 200-300 g. And it heats up in less than a minute, which allows you to maintain the right temperature when the work is very intensive. You can buy it in any specialized internet shop . On average, their price is 2 - 2.5 tons.

With the help of electric knives it is possible to remove the wax film from the honeycombs much faster, which makes it an indispensable tool for large apiaries. It also has an unlimited period of continuous operation, because it works in a cyclic mode.

When cutting the cast, it cools down, and during the preparation for the next frame, it heats up again. Before starting work, make sure that the power cord is not damaged and that the blade is clean. So that the quality of work does not deteriorate Blade needs to be cleaned periodically, placing at hand a special, fixed plate - a scraper.

To reduce the contamination of the knife during breaks in work, it must be placed on a special clean stand. After the work done, the knife should be cleaned and then rinsed with water so that hard-to-clean deposits do not form on the blade over time.

It must be stored in a dry place without a cover. The electrical element of the beekeeper's inventory must not be connected to the 220V network. When working with an electric knife, the main thing is to learn how to select the operating temperature. If it is too high, the honey will burn, and if it is too low, the knife may begin to crumple, and not cut off the bar.

How to make an electric knife yourself

An electric knife can be made from a scythe - in this option, the blade will be curved in such a way that it will be easier for them to open the honeycombs. To do this, a workpiece is cut out by a grinder, taking into account that the length of the knife blade will be 21 cm + another 2.5 cm for bending. Its width will be 4.5 cm. Next, you need to make a small central cut in the workpiece. At the same time, you need to work very carefully securing the workpiece with clamps. Then fixing it between the vise, heat it with a soldering iron to a pink color, make a bend for the handle.

You can’t bend a cold handle - the workpiece will break.

For the manufacture of a handle consisting of 2 halves, for example, fiber is taken. On one half, the grinder makes 2 cuts, where a copper bar is placed from the starter winding, which serves as a conductor from the knife blade to the wire.

Shinka screwed on directly to the product itself, with sufficient force for the necessary contact, with M4 screws. The wire passing from the knife to the transformer is better to take copper, with a cross section of 5mm.

As a source, you need to use a step-down transformer, the output of which is 12V, or a battery. An electric knife can also be made from an ordinary bee knife by cutting a slot along its length with a vulcanite circle, from the side of the handle.

Down conductors are made of very high quality stainless steel and are welded to the knife by special spot welding. The handle and blade can be connected with rivets.

To select the desired temperature, change the number of turns on the secondary winding with an interval of 4 to 6. The cross section of the wires going to the knife should be such that the wires do not heat up.

It is extremely important that there is normal isolation between the primary and secondary windings of the transformer. The transformer itself, as well as the secondary winding must be grounded. It is better to unplug the homemade electric knife from the mains while there is a working break in order to avoid overheating.

The invention of the steam knife was a real breakthrough in the field of beekeeping. Previously, no do-it-yourself honeycomb knife has been so effective and convenient to use. Beekeepers have finally gotten rid of the need to constantly dip a rapidly cooling blade into hot water.

Features of the design of apiary knives

The device consists of a cutter with a wooden handle, the blade of which is heated by a soldered "coil" (steam line) made of stainless steel. Steam for heating is supplied through a flexible rubber tube from a special tank - a steam generator. The second tube is designed to drain the condensate formed during use.

steam knife factory-made beekeeper has the following parameters:

  1. Blade with a hidden channel inside. The width usually does not exceed 250 mm, and the thickness is 2.5 mm.
  2. The heating element is a boiler. A safety valve is required.
  3. Hose conductor that supplies steam to the knife.
  4. Tank with a capacity of up to 5 liters and weighing up to 1 kg.

The total weight of this type of bee knife is not more than 1.5 kg. The advantage of this tool is that it can long time support desired temperature, but the process requires constant boiling of water in the steam generator tank. It is also necessary to control the liquid level. A knife is designed for printing honeycombs at home or with small size apiaries.

How to use correctly

Each unsealing process begins with a thorough check of the condition of the rubber tubes and the steam tube. It is important to make sure bandwidth each part, as a blockage could build up steam pressure and possibly rupture the canister. Before proceeding to cutting wax caps from honeycombs, it is necessary to wipe and dry all the elements of the knife. To facilitate the work, the blade is recommended to be sharpened.

The method of working with such a tool is very simple. First, water is poured into your tank, through a pipe designed for this. Further, they begin to heat it up with any device, whether it be a gas or electric stove.

Water vapor generated during heating enters the blade. It takes over heat, which provokes the formation of condensate, which is discharged through the other end of the steam line. To collect liquid under the edge of the tube, you need to substitute a container. By the presence of condensate discharged, it is easy to determine whether there is still water in the steam generator.

When the blade is hot enough, you can go to work. Steam, due to the stability of its own temperature, ensures uniformity of heating. After completing the collection, the excess liquid is drained, the beekeeping knives are washed with warm water and wiped dry. For long-term storage it is better to use clean and dry places.

Making at home

The simplicity of the design of the device disposes craftsmen to self assembly. It will take a few materials to make a steam knife for printing honeycombs with your own hands:

  • blade plate, preferably either aluminum or stainless steel;
  • copper tube, outer diameter 6 mm;
  • rubber hose, inner diameter 6 mm;
  • metal container 4-7 liters, which can be used as a tank.

The correctness of making a knife with your own hands is confirmed by the observance of certain requirements. First, the cutting plate must be heated evenly. Secondly, the handle fits comfortably in the hand. Thirdly, the blade must sharpen quickly and be manoeuvrable.

Video: homemade heated bee knife.

Advanced comb knives

Larger-scale beekeeping farms have significantly higher production volumes, so they need more powerful equipment. They use electric vibroknives. Its equipment includes, in addition to the standard set, also an electric motor.

Like a simple steam knife, the vibroknife requires the same preparatory manipulations and works on the same principle. The difference lies in the electric motor mounted on the wall, which transmits reciprocating movements to the knife. Naturally, the engine must be connected to a 220V network.

There is also an apiary electric knife, the blade of which contains a heating element. The temperature can be adjusted from 50 to 120 degrees, and the blade heats up in just a minute, which makes it possible to work at a high pace. Its weight is no more than 300 grams. The time of continuous operation is not limited by anything, this makes the electric knife indispensable in large apiaries.

Heated cutters of all kinds have greatly facilitated the work of printing honeycombs. The disadvantages are obvious - the need for heating device, water level control and limited tube size (up to 2 meters).

But, in comparison with ordinary knives, steam ones provide an even cut along the entire length of the frame with honeycombs and exclude water from entering the honey. A steam knife, unlike an electric or vibrating knife, does not need power, so it is always used in remote apiaries.

The price of finished products is not at all high and will fully pay off all the acquisition costs, but most beekeepers prefer to make a knife with their own hands, choosing stronger tubes, a larger tank and better metal for the blade.