AuR. 17, 1905 



THfc AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



583 



^ (Eontributcb -f 

 Special Clrttcles 



=\ 



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Kettle for Rendering Beeswax from Old 

 Combs 



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BY C. P. DADANT 



FIND the following in L'Apiculteur for July, and us it 

 appears to me to be vi'ry practical, I have concluded to 

 translate it for the American Be3 Journal : 



At the last meeting of the Comtoise Association, one of 

 the members, Mr. Beaux, of Chailhiz, presented in the name 

 of Mr. Kuhu, manufacturer at Chaille, a kettle intended to 

 extract entirely the beeswax from the old combs of the apiary. 



The slumfrum obtained by the melting in an ordinary ket- 

 tle contains still a large enough proportion of beeswax to 

 enable the apiarists to sell it to the beeswax bleachers, who, 

 with the help of powerful mi'thods which are impracticable to 

 ordinary bee-keepers, manage still to extract quite a quantity 

 of beeswax from the slumgnm in question. The rendering of 



■ir 



a — Removable crank, b — Level of the water, e — Screen for strain- 

 ing the liquid wax. d — Level of the combs, e — Wings of the 

 wheel, f — Shoulders for supporting kettle on stove. 



the wax in these cases has therefore not been thorough. The 

 kettle of Messrs. Kuhu and Beaux washes entirely the rem- 

 nants of broken combs, leaving in them no perceptible quan- 

 tity of beeswax. The residue, after treatment by this method, 

 may be considered as entirely cleaned out. 



A mechanical disposition, simple and ingenious, and the 

 use of a melting liquid of high temperature (water saturated 

 with salt), permit reaching this much desired result. Let us 

 examine the kettle. 



1st. It is a receptacle of galvanized iron or tin, the shape 

 of a circular wash-boiler, and supplied near its basewiJia 

 projecting edge or collar which allows it to stand upright on 

 any ordinary stove. Its capacity is about S gallons, which 

 permits a woman to handle it easily. 



2d. In this body is fitted a screened hoop, the center of 

 which is perforated, and through which a shaft is placed, the 

 latter at its bottom supplied with a winged wheel siniilur to 

 those on windmills. The upper end of the shaft ciiri a 

 crank which is removable at will. 



We fill the kettle with old combs up to the level of the 

 screen, and put on the inside the screen and the shaft witli its 

 winged wheel ; the.T fit the crank on and fill the kettle to 

 within 2 inches of the top with water. When heat is api 'ied 

 tlie wax melts and seeks to rise. But at the same tini> : he 



pellicles, cocoons and cast-skins of the brood-combs ascend 

 also, and close the holes of tlie screen. Then comes the work 

 of the winged wheel by the use of the crank. At the time 

 when the water begins to boil, wo turn this crank every half 

 minute at the rate of 40 to 60 revolutions per minute. The 

 fan-shaped wings stir the mass of cocoons, beat it, break it to 

 pieces, and, thanks to the windmill shape of the wings, push 

 towards the bottom all the obs-tructing residue, thus permitting 

 the lighter beeswax to come up through the screen and rise to 

 the surface. 



This process is entirely new, and has much pleased the 

 members. 



Another "trick " still imjiroves the result. We all know 

 that the hotter a body gets the more fluid it becomes, and the 

 easier it becomes separated from the solid particles. Beeswax 

 is subject to this rule. Although it is fusible at less than the 

 temperature of boiling water, it becomes very fluid at 212 de- 

 grees, and is still more so at a higher temperature. It appears 

 that a much higher temperature may be reached by using for 

 rendering wax a solution of salt in water. Take a certain 

 quantity of water and add salt until it can melt no more ; that 

 is, until undissolved sait remains at the bottom of the vessel 

 in spite of all the stirring you may do. In this condition the 

 solution has its boiling degree raised to 230 degrees, and this 

 is a first advantage which permits the beeswax to become 

 more fluid and to pass through more readily to reach the top. 

 On the other hand, the salted water has become more dense. 

 It is heavier than pure water, and this helps to raise the bees- 

 wax to the top more readily. This use of salt was mentioned 

 by Dr. Miller, in February Gleanings, as mentioned in L'Api- 

 culteur for April. 



Thus stirring with the screw-shaped wheel, and use of a 

 salt solution, are the two new and ingenious points of the in- 

 vention of Messrs Kuhn and Beaux. This was not found at 

 first trial, but has been the result of a series of experiments. 

 The trials have been numerous, and at the beginning success 

 was doubtful. After a quarter of an hour of stirring every 

 half-minute, the work is done. We remove the kettle from 

 the fire, remove the crank which would otherwise be caught 

 in the cooling wax, and we cover the kettle to let it settle 

 slowly. After 30 hours the cake of wax will come out readily. 

 We take it out and wash it with clean water. All that will 

 not brush off readily still contains some beeswax, and should 

 be put aside to be remelted with the next batch. The residue 

 remaining in the kettle contains no loneer any beeswax. The 

 separation of the wax from the residue has been complete, 

 and the maximum of economical rendering of wax has been 

 reached by a simple method which is within the reach of all. 



The presentation of this kettle has been a prompt success. 

 It is certain that with this rustic implement, easy to manage, 

 and enabling one to remove all the wax from the combs, the 

 average bee-keeper has great advantage in being able himself 

 to render all his old combs. The kettle is also suitable for 

 any kitchen stove, and the cost of fuel is practically eliminated. 



Several orders were given at once by members of the 

 Association. The price is within the reach of all, 15 francs 

 at the factory. I have had the curiosity of inquiring into the 

 prices of similar implements, and I was astonished to find 

 that this small implement is exceedingly cheap when com- 

 pared with others, and its acquisition will complete the outfit 

 of many a small bee-keeper. Xo other system gives the ad- 

 vantages mentioned in connection with this. 



The Association complimented Messrs Kuhn and Beaux 

 on their discovery, and hoped that the "Comtoise Wax-Ivet- 

 tle " may become as popular as several other implements in- 

 vented by some of its members Dk. Sexe, 



President of the Comtoise Associatio7i. 



I believe that the ideas expressed above are practical. 

 The salt-in-water idea for rendering wax is developed here 

 with a very good argument. I expect to try this implement 

 myself, and report later. Hancock Co., 111. 



iji 



Hive for Producing Extracted Honey 



BV w. w. m'ne.^l 



I WANT to tell the readers of the American B(^e .lournal 

 about a hive I have been using for the production of ex- 

 tracted honey. I have dum a good deal of experimenting 

 in hives in my own apiary, and, besides, I have had the ad- 

 vantages of comparing the dilti-rent styles of hives in actual 

 practice in large apiaries in other places. The one 1 have 

 chosen as being the most suitable for the purpose here, and I 

 dare say in manv other sections of the country it will work 

 just as well, I will describe [i^ fallows : 



