Make a honey extractor

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In this paper, we describe the simplest extractor device – the one of important honey bee supplies. This question is interesting to many novice beekeepers, especially pensioners. The proposed extractor is very simple in design and made of wood, except for the axle, bearings and pulleys. Honey is pumped on it simultaneously from two frames, both sides at once. The rotation is in the plane of the frame at a speed of 400-700 rpm.

Honey bee supplies - make a honey extractor (2)

Fig. 1.

Appearance of extractor is shown in Fig. 1. It is a vertically placed wooden drum of octagonal shape. The drum rotates the rotor with the framework. Drum is set on wooden legs, the height of which allow you to put  enamel bucket under a tap of extractor. Extractor is broken down into three parts (A, B and C). A cap is removed for making frames. By removing part B the rotor can be easily removed, that is done during the washing of the extractor. Boards of any species of wood are suitable for the manufacture of the honey extractors, but they should be kept dry and resinous. Thickness of boards is 20 mm (0.78”). The side walls of the housing of the  extractor for frames are 435×230 mm (17.1*9”), they are cut from a good boards (preferably whole). The dimensions are shown in figure 2, two pieces of each form.

Honey bee supplies - make a honey extractor (1)

Fig. 2.

For frames of 435×300 mm (17.1*11.8”) the sizes of parts are (mm): A – 770 (27.5”), b – 1110 (43.3”), B – 170 (6.69”), z – 385 (15.1”), g – 385  (15.1”), e – 220 (8,6”). Along the perimeter of each part of the body is well sheathed with 20-mm (0,78”) wide planks with size of 190 mm (7.48”). These boards are located with fibers across the perimeter. They are taken a bit longer than sheathe side and then they are cut under common cutting line. Lower rifles of parts A and b are edged with skirting strips of 40 mm (1.57”) wide and 10 mm (0.39”) thick. When plating it is necessary to watch the bevels of end walls of the housing. In the front wall of the part you make a hole to drain honey, size 20×20 mm (0.78*0.78”). It is closed by a wooden stopper. Below the hole aluminum groove is screwed with screws.  The legs of the wooden bars section 30×50 mm (1.18*1.96”) are attached to a part b. For better stability legs are fastened together with beams (Fig. 1). Length of pieces for the legs is 700 mm (27.5”). The rotor is made of wooden bars of 26 mm (1.02”). Curly bracket of the rotor, which hold the frames, are clamped between the rectangular bars with bolts 3×65 mm (0.11*2.55”). To secure the hangers of frames at the end of the curly brackets, the aluminum cheeks of sizes 20x40x3 mm (0.78*1.57*0.11”) are screwed with screws. The hole for the bolt that secures the frame to the rotor, is drilled close to the edge, facing the inside of the rotor. The same cheeks are screwed on curly bracket to secure the lower ends of the frame at a distance of 200 mm (7.87”) from the end of the bar.

Rotor axis is machined from a dural twig. Ball bearings are worn on the ends of it. The inner diameter – 12 mm (0.47”), thickness 9 mm (0.35”). If you take the other bearing, you have to change the diameter of the ends of the axle. Therefore, you must first choose the bearings, and then grind the axle. Attaching the rotor to the axis  is made by two 5×80 mm (0.19*3.14”) bolts passing through the cross bars and the axle. Bolts must be secured with lock nuts. The holes in the brackets and the axis to be of an exact match, they must be drilled after the rotor assembly. Rotor-assembled is set in the center of housing, for what you make by a chisel deepenings for axis and bearings in parts B and b so that the lower half of the axis and bearings is recessed in Part B, and the upper half – in Part b. Recessed bearings are secured well in the ready honey extractor and other they do not need extra-fixing. When removing the part B the rotor can be easily removed. The mechanism of the rotor consists of a roller, wheel and belt drive. Transmission ratio of 1:6. Roller is machined from aluminum. The wheel can be picked up ready, for example, from the foot sewing machine. It has the long bolt as the axis, is mounted on the side wall of part B. Belt is also taken from the the sewing machine or is made of leather. Rotating mechanism can be used from the machine to rewind the film. Extractor is painted outside, but inside all the cracks and bumps are sealed with wax with propolis.

Extractor is easy, needs little space, quickly pumps the honey directly from both sides of the honeycomb. It can be done for the greater number of frames, but then the rotor should be made of sturdy stainless steel, as the rapid rotation of a loaded rotor develops large centrifugal forces, which increase in proportion to weight and speed.

Honey bee supplies - make a honey extractor

The way it works:

Honey bee supplies - make a honey extractor (5)

From the old times:

Honey bee supplies - make a honey extractor (4)

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Make a honey extractor

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