Frame rest protectors
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I use them on my Advantech boxes to protect the wood. Kelly provides them with their select grade boxes, or at least did last year. I do not think they make the job of scraping propolis any easier, but they do prevent you from gouging the wood with the hive tool.
BTW, I sharpened my hive tool's edges on a honing stone. Not razor sharp but it will cut stuff easily. That does make getting the propolis off a lot easier.
BTW, I sharpened my hive tool's edges on a honing stone. Not razor sharp but it will cut stuff easily. That does make getting the propolis off a lot easier.
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This is my preferred type of tool for removing propolis from boxes:
Use with a 'draw towards you' action. There'll be no damage to boxes providing the sharp points have been rounded-off slightly.
LJ
>BTW, I sharpened my hive tool's edges on a honing stone.
I HATE sharp hive tools. I always dull them on purpose and still they sometimes shave off a chunk of wood that I didn't want to shave off. I want the hive tool to find the gap between the wood without cutting any wood. If I want sharp, I use my Leatherman which is always on my belt.
I HATE sharp hive tools. I always dull them on purpose and still they sometimes shave off a chunk of wood that I didn't want to shave off. I want the hive tool to find the gap between the wood without cutting any wood. If I want sharp, I use my Leatherman which is always on my belt.
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I like them. They seem to help on the cleaning side.
This is my preferred type of tool for removing propolis from boxes:
Use with a 'draw towards you' action. There'll be no damage to boxes providing the sharp points have been rounded-off slightly.
LJ
Now this may be worth a try! TY
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I personally don't see any significant advantage that is worth the time or money
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That was a library picture of course - 'twas raining heavily the day I posted. This is the actual tool:
Purchased at a Boot (Bring 'n' Buy) Sale: paid 25p (around 30 cents ?) for it, if memory serves. Couldn't find a cheap one ...
Looks to be probably pre-war - has seen a lot of use.
LJ
I use the same tool little john had it laying around and seems to work really good for scraping box's and frames , just got done scraping all my box's and frames while the frames were out drying from a BT treatment , its alot of work hope its worth it but when you have to fight to get 10 frames in the box I guess its time !! I was hoping the frame rest protectors might make it a little easier !!
It’s the vertical side buildup that gets me talking to myself lol!
When scraping the propolis, I use the sharpened edge of my J-hook style hive tool held at a 90° to work surface. It is drawn across the surface the same way LJ's tool is used. Wax and propolis on the insides are removed if necessary by using the tool as a more conventional.scraper.
The "L" shaped frame rests are harder to scrape than the "P"" shaped rests that we use. With the "P" style, the first tool used looks like a file sharpened in the shaped (in cross section) of a truncated triangle(because it is). It is inserted in the "P" frame rest and push/pulled untill the area is clean. The flat paint scraper is then used to scrape the top of the box. The box is set on it's side, and the inside scraped, from the bottom only, to avoid snagging the frame rest. The box is then flipped, and the bottom surface scraped.
Repeat a couple thousand times, and your done(finished).
Crazy Roland
Repeat a couple thousand times, and your done(finished).
Crazy Roland
I personally do not like the metal frame rests. I snag the nails when scraping and I "feel" mold, virus and bacteria "can" hide out behind them.
I made some Cedar hive boxes which are very soft, ones skills necessarily get better. I run the edge of the tool 90 Degrees to the surface, "paint scrapper" way and gouging is less than, when trying to slice the propolis off. Also I normally have a torch and "warm" the area scrapping is easier them, I use the propolis stuck on the tool as putty to fix holes and cracks, which IMO is what the gooey stuff is for anyway. Buy the way all of it need not be removed ,just smooth a bit and get the big chunks off. However if you feel the metal frame rests help you they are cheap. I guess it is personal preference. I never had any the first 15 years so I got used to not having them there. Later I obtained some used boxes with them on and did not care for them enough to add any to my other boxes.
GG
I made some Cedar hive boxes which are very soft, ones skills necessarily get better. I run the edge of the tool 90 Degrees to the surface, "paint scrapper" way and gouging is less than, when trying to slice the propolis off. Also I normally have a torch and "warm" the area scrapping is easier them, I use the propolis stuck on the tool as putty to fix holes and cracks, which IMO is what the gooey stuff is for anyway. Buy the way all of it need not be removed ,just smooth a bit and get the big chunks off. However if you feel the metal frame rests help you they are cheap. I guess it is personal preference. I never had any the first 15 years so I got used to not having them there. Later I obtained some used boxes with them on and did not care for them enough to add any to my other boxes.
GG
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Joke, imho. Catching the nails while scraping makes more work. At some point they bend out from the (side) wood making a crack full of propolis that I can't scrape. I like to use the old fashioned (paint scraper) hive tool with "blade" about 90% to scraping surface, pulled towards me. Pushing the other end is a recipe for gouging as the angle is too low. I like the propolis cold so it pops off. Warm propolis is gooey and smears. Spring and fall when temps are cold but wax is not brittle is best for me.... Btw, some boxes do fail in the frame rest but most fall apart in other areas, most common is corners from prying boxes apart that are heavy with honey or glued with propolis. You don't need to scrape it all off: just enough so you can fit the frames in the way you want them and I like to be able to slide the frames along the rest. I also scrape top and bottom of box but usually then find myself contemplating the merits and drawbacks of ocd....
Happy beekeeping everyone!
Happy beekeeping everyone!
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