Tim asked "if the dark particals in my honey were due to rust from an
old, although well scrubbed extractor. This is probably the answer, now
that I think about it."

I don't normally "lurk", but I wondered about "rust" when Tim originally posted.

You certainly can do something about this...and, thankfully, it is relatively simple.  Get some Dupont Corlar 25P epoxy paint.  It will come with a separate container of activator.  Be very stingy in your initial mix as it cannot be stored and it is tricky to judge the amount necessary.

25P is made for several specific applications, one of which is coating metals.  One of its biggest attractions, IMHO, is that it is very forgiving.  For example, the instructions will tell you to remove every last partical of rust (yeah, I know...if you could do that, you wouldn't need the 25P).  Thankfully, the 25P coating will hold just fine if you don't manage to accomplish the removal of every last partical and just remove 90% or so.  I have used it twice on difficult applications and have been very pleased with the results.

It comes in different colors, and don't let some clerk tell you otherwise.

Now, 25P will set you back about $75 a gallon.  However, it is not food grade.  I am told by a paint chemist that if you order the food grade epoxy version it will cost about 3X as much, and is the SAME THING.  The surcharge is for the possibility of liability issues.  Obviously, I cannot speak as to whether it is really the same thing.

I know another beekeeper who used it three years ago to paint his 40's era extractor, and the coating still looks like new.  (He used gray.)

I think if you use this paint you will find that your difficulty with rust particles has disappeared.  


Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner of Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturer of round comb honey equipment and Sundance pollen traps