> > I bought some secondhand equipment when I was starting off earlier this
> > year, and I was advised by an experienced beekeeper that it would be ok if I
> > scraped it thoroughly and then played a blow lamp all over it to kill any
> > disease.
 
This is another topic that has been beaten to death.
 
While the answers received here so far are typical of advice given by
amateurs, and also what most of the the books recommend, they are not in
line with what most commercial beekeepers in North America know to be
true.
 
Please consult the archives for lengthy and enlightened discussions,
including the opinion that you need not even worry about a bit of active
AFB -- if you do the correct things -- and of course the converse
viewpoint(s).
 
Also learn why you can start with brand new equipment and still are likely
to get AFB.
 
Search with 'AFB' and 'American Foulbrood' as keys.
 
Allen