" At our local chapter someone brought
 up using a heat gun to uncap.   Anyone use that method?"

I have used it and find it works just fine for me.  I think one trick is get a real heat gun, not a hair dryer. One of those heat guns meant for burning off paint and other high temp uses.  Start at the top of the frame so melted wax does not reseal already opened cells.  I can do both sides of an average frame in maybe 30 or 40 seconds.  The heat time is so short no damage is done to the honey.  Lots less mess than dealing with a knife or scratcher.

Disadvantage is you get zero wax.  For practical purposes all the wax stays on the comb so if you want a wax harvest you are not going to be happy.

I have read it does not work with older comb, particularly if the comb has had brood in it in the past.

I have only done maybe 15 supers this way.  Maybe with more attempts I would find problems?  Some people claim they can not make it work.

Dick


" Any discovery made by the human mind can be explained in its essentials to the curious learner."  Professor Benjamin Schumacher talking about teaching quantum mechanics to non scientists.   "For every complex problem there is a solution which is simple, neat and wrong."  H. L. Mencken


--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 9/11/14, Bill T <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

 Subject: [BEE-L] heat gun
 To: [log in to unmask]
 Date: Thursday, September 11, 2014, 9:43 AM
 
 At our local chapter someone brought
 up using a heat gun to uncap. There is
 a Youtube video and it looks promising for the hobby
 beekeeper.
 
 Anyone use that method? Looks a lot easier than an uncapping
 tool or hot
 knife.
 
 Bill Truesdell
 Bath, Maine
 
          
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