Making a uncapping tub

[biffsbzbees]

How important is it to use food grade plastic tubs or for a holding tank for making a uncapping tank or tub. Can't see spending over $55. for one food grade plastic tub to drop honey cappings and wax into or buying a uncapping kit from one of the big suppliers at over a $100 or more. Any pros r cons.

[David LaFerney]

Sterilite brand containers (wal mart) are supposedly all food grade. Also bus boxes are food grade, a usable size and about $15 for 2 at sams.

[gmeadevt]

What's a bus box?

[David LaFerney]

A big gray plastic pan that restaurant bus boys (buss boys?) use to clean our nasty dishes off of tables with.

[biffsbzbees]

Ok on the type that is food grade but for uncappings does it really matter that much.

[David LaFerney]

No, but it does matter for the honey that comes out of them - which is probably more than you think. Probably a lot more.

[Katharina]

Find a restaurant supply store. They are much cheaper there. "Cash & Carry" or "Smart & Final" are large supply chains on the west coast with presence in a lot of town. Just google them.

[Beev]

An old stainless sink found at a Habitat re-store for a few bucks works well too.

[pom51]

I use a old stainless steel sink that we used in the dairy barn. It was used to wash the milking equipment up after we finished milking, it has leg and the one that i have will let racks sit down on the edge of tank so that you can uncap and extract at the same time. It also has leg

[heaflaw]

I made one out of Sterlite plastic. I screwed 2 PVC pipes across it near the top to set the frames on while I uncap. It has a drain on the side for letting the honey out and I fashioned a piece of plastic excluder for the cappings to set on while the honey drains. I'm very happy with it. It cost maybe $15 and took a couple of hours to make.

[biffsbzbees]

heaflaw did the drain come with the tub or did you install it. I am looking to do the same thing but can't find a drain or gate for either a 5 gal pail or the uncappng tub. I was looking at the Walmart sterlite but none had any type of drain.

[JohnBeeMan]

I made mine using two of the Sterite tubs - one shallow and one deep. I cut most of the bottom out of the shallow and inserted a peice of sheet stainless steel. The sheet SS is type used in audio cabinets - lots of small holes. I attached the SS to the tub using pop rivets. Cappings stay in to tub and honey in bottom.

[biffsbzbees]

JohnBeeMan where did you get the SS sheets you were talking about.

By The Way Thanks for the reply

[JohnBeeMan]

by pure luck at an auction.

[Barry]

I think Adam has the best homemade uncapping tank design. Plan to make one this month.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...tos-plans-info

[heaflaw]

heaflaw did the drain come with the tub or did you install it. I am looking to do the same thing but can't find a drain or gate for either a 5 gal pail or the uncappng tub. I was looking at the Walmart sterlite but none had any type of drain.

I used threaded PVC plastic cutoffs with ribber gaskets on each side (I think 1") from Home Depot.

[Jeffrey Todd]

home depot carries a 22 gallon sink, with stand and drain, for $49. Polypropylene, supposed to be okay for food.