Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

My home made extractor!

39K views 33 replies 24 participants last post by  fraz6020 
#1 ·
So last year I decided I would build my own motorized extractor since I didnt have the funds to buy an extractor and was not going to go through the hassle of a hand crank one. After rounding up the materials, it was built in no time. I did have access to a welder which was a plus. I put about $90 into this project, which is cheaper than the cheapest two frame hand crank model I could find! And yes, everything that touches the honey is food grade, and what wasnt food grade was sanded and coated three times with Camcoate that I ordered from BrushyMountain.

The Beast, a four frame extractor!


The frame holder which can accomidate a deep or medium frame.


The brain of the extractor, control board and motor/pulley/belt assembly from a free treadmill I got!


I used it last year to extract what few medium frames I had and it worked like a charm, and everything breaks down for cleaning, including removing the barrel to hose out.

Just thought I'd share this!!
 
See less See more
3
#3 ·
Sorry, but I am very efficient and have the tools to work with! The welding was 3 hours, only because I was being very exact and not country boy welding! The frame was built in minutes. Even if it took me 10 hours at my current pay scale, it would have cost me about $400 total. How much is a motorized extractor these days???

I imagine if you added up your gas, milage on your vehicle, time spent collecting and putting out swarm traps, tending to the bees and such..........your paying people to collect swarms...........right? You are up to what, 50 swarms just in traps this year? At an hour per swarm retrieval, your at atleast $1500 just in time alone, not with the added factors of gas and such. But why do you continue to do it? Maybe because you like to? Am I right? Maybe I like to build things because I like a challenge.

Somethings you cant factor in time. Heck if you go to the fridge and grab a beer that is worth something aint it? How much does a butler make?

Lets see if I can make some more posts and have you jump on them with negativity............if there is a problem between you and I Frank, lets hash it out either on the phone or in PM's.
 
#27 ·
Sorry, but I am very efficient and have the tools to work with! The welding was 3 hours, only because I was being very exact and not country boy welding!

Excuse Me!!!! I am a country boy and my welds hold and they are exact too. Same as my carpenter work, I just had to say that,,,I really like your extractor.
 
#5 ·
This is a great extractor, using the treadmill motor is genius! I am still going to crush and strain this season but this winter's project is an extractor. I do not have access to a welder but will have to figure something out. I also like the wooden frame for mounting peripherals. Is the barrel just a cut-down 50 gal plastic barrel?
 
#7 ·
Sorry, I meant no negativity. You are a talented engineer of homemade equipment. It is a hobby, labor is priceless.
 
#9 ·
You should have left the tread mill to power it! working out and spinning honey.:lpf:
I got to say I am impressed. I do all my wooden ware, includeing frames myself and it gives me great satisfaction. Too bad you did not do the frame holder in super strut, I would have copied it.
 
#14 ·
Time??
Time to a retired guy dosen`t mean as much as it used to:lpf::popcorn:

I do enjoy seeing people that can do with their hands, I like tinkering a lot but never make a project that neat

GOOD JOB!!!
 
#21 ·
I'll try to get pics up tomorrow evening of the frame holder and seat in the bottom of the barrel. Ran out of time today because I actually got to hang out with my bees after work before I went to a mandatory pre-fair meeting for 4-H!!
 
#24 ·
Thanks OHC!! And yes, it was a very nice compliment from MAXANT, and if I ever decide to go pro, I will be buying nothing but a MAXANT!!

Infact my mother was going to buy me a Maxant extractor for a fathers day/birthday combo present, but I told her to hold off until next year, after I see how the honey sales are going to go after this season!! If things go good, i'll be expanding the apiary and running two extractors next year!!LOL
 
#25 ·
Here is where the spinner attaches to the bottom. It is a bearing that I picked up at Orchard Supply, got home and boiled it in a pot of hot water to remove any grease. After rinsing and repeating a few times until it didnt have any sort of grease residue I camcoated it as well. The wood holding it is a piece of pine which is camcoated as well and the bolts holding it in are SS.


I did the same to the top of the spinner frame. Heck, even the 2x4 is camcoated!! Oh ya, after loading the extractor I have two pieces of lexan to help keep the honey from splattering everywhere out of the tub. The top of the frame is a bolt welded to the tubing then extends through the 2x4/bearing and the treadmill pulley is bolted to it. The bottom pin goes through the bottom bearing and into a camcoated metal "cup". I dont remember what it is called, but I think it pushes onto bolts as a cap or something.
 
#32 ·
Very nice extractor if I do say so myself. Hats off Odfrank to your classy apology. I'm sure everyone here will agree that responding to forum quotes at times allows you to slip in a reply from time to time that you question after you hit the "reply" button. I know I have asked myself before on more than one occasion if what I said in reply could be interpreted as mean spirited. I'm sure yours was not meant to be Odfrank.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top