I am forwarding this to the list, since I feel unqualified to deal
with all the questions, altough I have made a few suggestions.
 
In particular, I have paid no attention to the question of making
foundation by hand...
 
Please relpy direct to Bryan as well as the list, since I don't know
if he has gotten subscribed yet.
 
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
To:            [log in to unmask]
From:          Bryan Butler <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:       Hand powered equipment
Date:          Thu, 16 Jan 1997 22:24:48 -0700
 
Yesterday I visited the Beemaid facilities in Spruce Grove. While there, Ian
Henry gave me your e-mail address as a possible source of answers to several
of my questions.
 
For the last two years I have been looking at various uses for a water weed
in Lake Victoria (East Africa). This last summer I spent two months in
Uganda looking at the weed and other possibilities. One of the very real
possibilities is working with honey and with beeswax. We have lived for 8
years in Africa and seek ways to move back there to live and work.
 
In reading an older book on bee keeping I found that there were hand
operated machines for making a foundation sheet (similar to ones used in the
craft industry). Do you know where I could find such a machine? Do the still
exist?
 
Are there alternatives?
 
As well, Ian mentioned that there is a company in Italy which makes bee
keeping and honey processing equipment. Would you know how I could track
that address down?
 
I am wondering if there are by-products that can be made from very dark
honey. Uganda has a great deal of dark honey and my understanding is that
this is not too marketable. Maybe that is an incorrect assumption. I
wondered if we could break it down into basic sugars or something which
could then be more marketable.
 
Almost all the honey (maybe all) in Uganda is produced in traditional or
semi-traditional hives. This means it is harvested in chunks of comb that
need to be crushed (I think??) before extraction. Do you have any comments?
 
I very much hope to be moving to Uganda this year and would like to pursue
something with honey while there. This would be in conjunction with some of
my other ventures but could easily turn into full time work.
 
Thank you for your patience with these questions.
 
Yours truly,
 
Bryan Butler
[log in to unmask]
 
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>