Honey Extractor

This honey extractor I built is not quite as nice as a factory job, but it gets the job done. A 20 frame extractor from a bee supply house cost around $1200. Mine cost me less than $100.

I have kept honey bees off and on since the early seventies. My father was also a hobby beekeeper. Therefore, I have been around several honey centrifuges and had an idea what was needed and how to make it.

The sides of the tank was rolled from 24 ga. sheet metal and joined with a Pittsburg seam on the side and bottom. The round bottom edge was turned up1/4" and

inserted onto the bottom edge of the side. I then soldered both seams. A 1-1/4" X 1/8" aluminum band was rolled and attached to the top for extra strength.

The inside of the tank was then coated with epoxy paint to seal the honey from the galvanized metal. Honey with a high acid content causes a nasty taste and smell when it contacts the galvanized material.

You are looking inside the extractor showing the comb holding basket. Notice the wooden frame with a wired strip of comb foundation attached. This wax foundation forms a base on which the bees will construct a complete comb of worker or honey cells. The cells tilt up slightly to help retain the honey or brood. Because the honey cells tilt up, centrifugal force allows the honey to escape from the cells if the wooden frame is set as shown. Thus, a honey centrifuge.

I constructed the basket from 1/2" hardware cloth, plywood bottom with slots to hold the frames. The top of the basket is reinforced with two aluminum strips with pop rivets holding the hardware cloth between them. Notice the bracing and 1/2" drive shaft to which the drill is attached.

In this photo, you see a drill use to rotate the extractor cage to about 200 rpm. The 1/2" drill was used by my father during the early 70's. I took it apart, cleaned and greased the bearings and gears, making it run like new.

The black gadget is a heavy duty rheostat I picked up at a garage sale for $5.00. It's needed to start the rotation of the honey cage at a slow speed so not to damage the honey comb.

Not fancy, but it works.