> From:    Peter Dillon <[log in to unmask]>

> The shredded cappings and included honey fall into the container -
> holding 100 Kg honey/wax mix (the container has a sloping floor to allow
> material to move to the opposite end)
> As the material moves, it is gently heated, allowing separation of the
> honey and wax. The heat is supplied via. the electrically heated oil
> bath( food grade oil).

A similar system has been developed here by beekeepers themselves when there was no well working machine to buy at
reasonable cost. It's the same container as you describe with double bottoms with electric heater in water. We don't
use oils as we don't need above 100 C. During extracting the heat is set to make honey run off but not melt vax. At
end of day temp is raised and vax is melted and run out the same way. It's simple and reasonably cheap to make.
Drawback with those systems are they will heat up the extracting room making it into a sauna. This will work up to
around 1000 kg per day, only for the smaller operator. And most important is to avoid dark combs in the honey supers.
Pollen and coocons will insulate and prevent melting.

>
> From:    Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]>
>
> I hate to sound so negative, but in my experience and for my type of
> operation, I have found that -- with the lid removed -- that they make an
> excellent extractor sump, but would be a nightmare for melting the 5,000+
> old dark frames I want to render.

I have only seen one system that looked efficient for that. It was a special built machine, a large radial extractor
where the frames were spun over a boiling water bath. Steam is probably the best way to get it done. But there is no
easy way of cleaning old dark frames. And not much vax is returned. Wires are often damaged and need to be replaced or
stretched. I have found the labour cost can be too high, and that it's actually cheaper to burn some of them and buy
new.


--
Regards

P-O Gustafsson, Sweden
[log in to unmask]  http://www.algonet.se/~beeman/