Hi All
 
I remember a while back there was some talk about using a gas
blowtorch/hot air stripper to decap.
 
Well I have finally managed to have a blowtorch and a full gggas
canister handy at the same time when uncapping was needed and can
report the following:
 
I find it takes two passes with the torch to decap each side of a
flame. (this is a 1/4 pressure Low Pressure Gas flame - IE the hole
in the reguulator is quite big. I set it so that the flame was about
5cm long) Hence if wearing welding gloves it means one can decap a
frame in about 20 seconds, which for me is faster than a knife.
 
Extracting - I got plenty of capping wax. A lot of the stuff flings
of and collects in the extractor, which is quite a pain.
 
Damage to combs - There is far less damage to the combs and I think
that the warming effect of the torch actually helps with getting the
extracting going as the first mm or so of honey is warm in the cells
and flings out, and then because of it flinging out it speads up the
rate at which an air bubble is drawn below the ramaining honey - I
think this is important as the bubble can stretch more than honey
thus speading up the movement of the remainder of the honey.
 
Expense - for me gas is cheaper than electricity. Probably depends on
the country.
 
Anyhow, those are my observations.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
---
Garth Cambray       Kamdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800mm annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
3rd year Biochemistry/Microbiology    Rhodes University
Interests: Flii's and Bees.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post in no way
reflect those of Rhodes University.