Tom Industries

[Clayton]

Hi all,

Looking through ABJ today (july 2003) and saw ad for mills from Tom Industries. Apparently Tom is making mills again. Glad he has recovered and working again. Thought I'd let everyone know.


Clay

[Michael Bush]

Either that or he bought a years worth of ads and they haven't stopped them... I hope he's back on his feet.

[Jorge]

What's the whole story? Who is Tom, for those not in the loop?

Jorge

[Clayton]

Hi Micheal,

Either that or he bought a years worth of ads and they haven't stopped them... I hope he's back on his feet.

reply:

Now Micheal! I bet you didn't even look at the ad. :> ) Actually the Ad says that Tom has recovered. Check it out on pg. 564 ABJ july '03.

Clay

[Clayton]

Hi Jorge,

What's the whole story?

reply:

Tom was in a coma for quite some time. He has now recovered and is one of the only hand mill manufacurers (wax foundation mill)in the US. There were many of us praying for Tom's recovery as he is a valuable man to the industry. Someone should really apprentice under Tom to learn the trade of mill making.

Clay

[Solomon Parker]

Does he have a website?

------------------
Sol Parker
Southern Oregon Apiaries
http://www.allnaturalhoney.com

[Clayton]

Sol,

There is a link to a page somewhere on beesource. But I don't have it any more. Try searching Tom industries here or foundation making here. Even better maybe MB has the link also there is the another place to get mills in US it is listed under foundation and mill suppliers, under bees and supply section. I wonder why Barry doesn't have Tom Listed?

[Michael Bush]

http://www.beesource.com/suppliers/tomind.htm

This is the Tom Industries one. I'm guessing Barry removed the link when they weren't available and hasn't reconnected it. It used to be under suppliers etc.

Another supplier is Hawley Honey Co. in Iola, KS. 620-365-5956. They have 5.45mm, 4.9mm and 4.8mm mills. He's NOT interested in making 4.85mm mills and will try to talk you out of the 4.8mm which he makes for African bees. He has hand crank and powered mills. I think he supplies most of the equipment for the big bee suppliers. His are more expensive also. I don't remember exactly but I think when I priced them they were about $1300. He will talk up the quality as he mills them with nice deep cells wals.

If you've heard Dee's foundation described by those who have seen it, it has shallow and fat walls. Obviously Dee likes them that way. The bees draw it anyway. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

I'm going more and more toward using blank starter strips and letting the bees build what they want. The wax that the bees make is always clean (free of chemicals) and the cells are what the bees want, instead of what I want. So far I'm seeing a lot of 4.85mm worker brood from these with some 4.8mm and some 4.95mm.