The radial extractor removes honey by centrifugal force
which is directed along the radius of the cage which holds the frames. However viscosity tends to hold the honey in
the frames – the more runny the honey the easier it is to spin out (a good
reason to carry out extraction when the super is still warm from the
hive).
The direction of rotation of the cage holding the frames can be reversed thereby allowing efficient extraction of both sides of the frames. The higher the speed of rotation the more honey is extracted but this increases the possibility of combs breaking up in the extractor which, to say the least, is a nuisance.
On balance about 30% of the honey in a super cannot be extracted if comb breakup is to be avoided. Don’t be greedy. Do not allow the extractor to start to ‘walk across the floor’ as this indicates that it is badly unbalanced which may lead to comb breakup, may damage the machine and is potentially dangerous.
Reduce the speed of rotation until better balance is achieved and spin at this speed for several minutes before attempting a further increase.
The direction of rotation of the cage holding the frames can be reversed thereby allowing efficient extraction of both sides of the frames. The higher the speed of rotation the more honey is extracted but this increases the possibility of combs breaking up in the extractor which, to say the least, is a nuisance.
On balance about 30% of the honey in a super cannot be extracted if comb breakup is to be avoided. Don’t be greedy. Do not allow the extractor to start to ‘walk across the floor’ as this indicates that it is badly unbalanced which may lead to comb breakup, may damage the machine and is potentially dangerous.
Reduce the speed of rotation until better balance is achieved and spin at this speed for several minutes before attempting a further increase.
The extractor may be set to operate tangentially. Three screens
can be installed in the extractor to enable it to extract up to 6 super or
three brood frames (Standard or 14x12) tangentially.
The same User Instructions apply as for operating in radial mode except reversing the direction of rotation will not improve extraction and the frames will need to be turned over to achieve this. These screens will not normally be sent out with the extractor but may be obtained by contacting either Bob Powell or Alex Bignell.
The same User Instructions apply as for operating in radial mode except reversing the direction of rotation will not improve extraction and the frames will need to be turned over to achieve this. These screens will not normally be sent out with the extractor but may be obtained by contacting either Bob Powell or Alex Bignell.
The new extractor is mounted on legs. The dimensions of the new machine compared to
the old extractor are shown below.
New Extractor
|
Old Extractor
|
|
Height
|
44 inches
|
35 inches
|
Diameter
|
22 inches
|
18.5 inches
|
Unfortunately this makes its transportation more awkward
and probably means it will have to be moved by carefully laying it on its side
and wedging it to stop it rolling about.
User
Instructions
1. Make
sure the control lever on the extractor motor is in the stopped position, i.e.
vertical, and the black on-off switch is off.
2. Load
the uncapped frames into the extractor, trying to balance the machine by
placing light frames opposite light frames, and heavy ones opposite heavy ones.
Turn on the extractor at the on-off switch.
3. Move
the control lever slightly away from the vertical to start the machine spinning
at a slow speed. Gradually increase the
speed stepwise, giving time at each step for honey to spin out.
4. If
the machine shows signs of imbalance at any speed, reduce the speed to a level
at which the symptoms disappear, and continue spinning for several minutes at
this speed before attempting to increase the rate of rotation. The extractor will probably require gentle
restraint but not the full weight of a body!
5. Spinning
too fast and increasing the speed of rotation too quickly are likely to result
in the breakup of comb in one or more of the frames. You probably don’t need to spin any faster
than about 50% of the extractor’s maximum.
6. When
you feel that extraction has more or less ceased, slowly reduce the speed of
the machine and, when the cage has completely stopped, reverse its direction of
rotation gradually increasing the speed as above.
7. If you wish, repeat steps 3 to 6 several
times, bearing in mind that the more times the frames are spun, the more likely
is frame breakup.
8. Run
off the honey. If you can leave the
extracted frames in the machine overnight it allows some of the un-extracted
honey to drip out, and makes the transfer of the frames back to the super a bit
less messy.
Note
- When extraction is complete, turning the switch to the off position cuts of the power but the safety device prevents the lid being opened for 40 – 45 seconds. This safety device also delays the start of rotation by about 10 seconds after the machine is turned on.
- Always accelerate and decelerate the speed of rotation of the cage gradually to prevent damage to the speed regulator.
- Remember to disconnect the extractor from its power supply before cleaning. Use cold water to clean it, being careful not to get water on the motor or speed regulator. Warm water partially melts any wax and sticks it more firmly to the metal surfaces of the machine, making it more difficult to clean.