I've only seen photos of these contraptions. We're not up to the stage of needing a Silver Queen or something like that size. But we'd sure like something faster than the knife or plane. Are these vibrators worth it as an intermediate-sized uncapping tool? Thanks
I got one of the old used ones that runs on steam for $75 at a bee conference last year. It has really made me more productive in uncapping the frames. Color me satisfied! -Danno
This one is different from Walt's. Notice how the blade is mounted on top and you can uncap either from the left or right. Looks like it takes a bit more room but I think it would give the operator more choices on technique.
Interesting on this thread about the Kelley Vibrating Knife.
Yes the are now producing and have for some time now a horizontal blade uncapper where the comb is held in a horizontal position and you aproach the blade ether from the left or right to uncap.
The top and bottom bar are your guides for the depth of cut.
My uncapper shown in the above video is the previous model with a vertical blade. The comb being held vertical and being moved down ward by mostly its own weight, I think is a better feature.
In any case a motor driven knife works wounders on the wrists.
As a point of interest, Kelley years ago I believe, produced a verticaly positioned vibrating blade arangement where the comb was held in its natural position and drawn across the blade.
Walt
It's been a while since I've seen the movie Ulee's Gold but if I remember correctly the unit that was used in that movie to uncap was a self-feeding vertical vibrating knife. If I am correct, was this a Kelly unit also?
I was wondering how those who use a Kelley Vibrating knife process their cappings? It seems to me that using one of these would speed up my processing, but then I would have more cappings to deal with. Currently I use an uncappings fork which produces very little in the way of cappings.
I am at the sideliner level and I ran 18 production hives this summer; I enjoyed the bees, but I need a way to speed up my processing.
I own one of these and I'm only moderately pleased. The knife blade needs sharpening, despite being heated or it just ends up pulling comb away form the frame. This year, the heating element went out just as we started uncapping so I went with a serrated bread knife with a 10" blade. Yeah , my elbow complained but I think it was just as fast.
Now that we're down extracting, I'll clean it up and check the connections. Not sure how to sharpen the blade and not mess it up further.
I bought mine used, and it sets over a capping tank (rectangular box).
Adrian, When I frabricated my 5' uncap tray I fabracated a perforated tray to set in side, elevated slightly above the bottom to drain the acumulated cappings. The tray is aprox. 24" long 18" wide. I should had made it 48" long as it fills too quickly as I like to brake up the cappings with a hive tool into a slurry and let them sit for a few hours or over night to drain into the tray and out in to the straned bucket below.
Caps are removed eventually and stored in buckets untill I can get around to wash and melt in sollar melter.
Bought a Kelley Capping Melter, the smaller one, did not like the finished product, wax or honey as opposed to the way I have been processing the caps for years but I can see a capping melter is a must for a larger operation than mine.
The day the above video was made was a cool day as you can see I had my jacket on. The honey was cold so the cut was a little slow and I was jacking the frame back and forth more than normal. When it is 85-95 deg. and the frames are in the 75-85 deg. area the cut goes soooo smooooth!
I feel that the knife was one of the best investments along with the SS radial extractor that I have purchased.
Walt
What are people using to create steam for their steam heated knifes? If you are using one, can you let me know what your using and maybe take a photograph of it and post it?
i also just bought the older steam jiggle knife and am wondering how to set it up. don't know how to add youtube video url's but if you search "Extracting line in our honey house" a good video is available
I have seen a good operator uncap nearly as fast as a cowan uncapper. you will find that the faster you uncap the next problem will be handling the cappings. I have used everthing from a brand melter to the 10 foot long kelley wax melter. never used or saw a system that I liked.
Marios, I called Cowen and talked to Greg about the one I bought and asked about steam. He said that I could use hot water, since it is safer than steam. Said there are steam generators out there, but can be expensive.
Engineer friend and I were thinking about using a tiny hot water heater with a pump to circulate the water through the system. Pump is the type that you use to circulate heated water in cement floors.
They think they recognized mine and said it was a late 1940's to 1950's machine, Lohman brand. Older than me!!! Still seems to work great.
tim exactly what i bought, like the idea of the water, thats the video guy i was using a pressue cooker on a hot plate. one thing about old they used good steel simple and easy.
Yes it can be and does need to be sharpened periodically. I sharpen mine with a flat file. I quess you also do it with a stone.:thumbsup:
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