1878. 



gleani:ngs in bee cultuke. 



83- 



circular piece 18 inclies in diameter. From 

 one side, cut a wedge shaped piece, as shown 

 in the cut below. 



HOW TO MAKE THE BOTTOM TO THE CAN OF 

 THE EXTRACTOR. 



The space A B should be about 2 inches in 

 width, and after cutting it out, you are to 

 fold down the edges A B about I inch. 

 Draw the edges A B toward each other, and 

 you will make the bottom concave, as shown 

 in Fig. 2. They can be held in this shape 

 for the time, by a slip of tin tacked with 

 solder across the gap, temporarily. Turn 

 over the edge and put this bottom on the 

 can, in the usual way. The opening left is 

 for the channel that leads to, and holds the 

 honey gate. Cut a piece of tin similar to the 

 wedge shaped piece you took out, but some- 

 what larger. Fold this up trough shaped, as 

 shown in Fig. 3, and fit it over the opening. 

 We are now ready to solder in the gate, but 

 we must have something for our canto stand 

 on. This is fixed by a tin hoop, with a heavy 

 wire at its lower edge, made just large enough 

 to slip closely over the lower part of the can, 

 as seen in Fig. 4. This hoop, or band rather, 

 shoidd be about 4 inches wide, and in one 

 side you are to punch a romid hole, just 

 large enough to take in the gate. Solder it 

 securely in place, put in the gate, and then 

 be sure to try your can by pouring in some 

 water to see if it will "hold."' We do not 

 want any leaking after we counuence ex- 

 tracting honey. 



Now, in the centre C, on the inside, we 

 solder a ])iece of steel saw plate; over this, 

 we put a blank iron nut, with a i inch hole 

 drilled in it. This is to hold the bottom piv- 

 <)t,w]iich is made of refined Stub's steel, nice- 

 ly rounded and polished oiT on the point. 

 As the bearings for the gearing are all cast 

 steel, our machine should almost run of itself, 

 if everything is made just riglit. The steel 

 pivot at tlie bottom is soldered in the end of 

 our tin tube, by rolling some thin tin around 

 it until it will drive in tight. 



You should never attempt to use an ex- 

 tractor, and I niiglit almost say any piece of 

 iiiuchinery, until you have it securely screw- 

 ed down to the lx>x or platform on. which it 

 is to stand. The screw holes are made in 

 the Ijottcm ring just above the heavy wire 

 tliat rests on the floor. The screws are put 

 ill a little slanting. It should also be at a 



convenient height for easy woik. The ma- 

 chine could be made heavy enough to stand 

 still from its own weight, it is true, and it 

 might be made perched on legs, also, to save 

 the trouble of building a box or platform on 

 which to stand it, and if you are making 

 them for home use, it may be well to do so; 

 but if making them to ship to customers, 1 

 woidd never think of sending them anything 

 that they could procure at home; thus saving 

 heavy shipping expenses. I would say the 

 same in regard to making cans large enough 

 to hold 100 lbs. or more, of honey, below the 

 revolving frame. When the extractor is be- 

 ing used, the honey gate is supposed to be 

 open, an(i utensils can always be supplied to 

 hold the honey, nnich cheaper than to have 

 tlie extractor thus enlarged. Those I have 

 described, can be very conveniently worked 

 over the bung of a barrel, or you can have a 

 tin can made on purpose to set under the 

 honey gate. 



The gearing for the extractor, including a 

 tinned honey gate, will cost about $2.00. 

 The materials and labor for the inside, should 

 not cost to exceed $2.50. Seven sheets of tin 

 for the can, would be 70c; a half day's work 

 in the making, $1. 25; hoop for the top, 50c, 

 and perhaps the solder and other items, 25c. 

 This would bring the whole cost up to $7.20. 

 Your own time in "bossing" the tinner, and 

 the liabilities of making mistakes, and doing 

 a bad job on the first one, would probably 

 bring the expense up to about the usual sell- 

 ing price, viz., from $7..'0 to $9.00. Machines 

 for different sized frames, are made much in 

 the same way; for the American and Gallup 

 frames, we can make a short can, only the 

 height of the width of a sheet of tin, instead 

 of the length. Of course these can be made 

 more cheaply. Where the frames hang in 

 the extractor the same way that they do in 

 the hive, no wire cloth support is needed 

 across the bottom of the comb basket, unless 

 it is preferred for extracting small pieces 

 or bits of comb. 



No cover is ever needed over tlie extractor 

 while at work, for it would be greatly in the 

 way; but after we are through, or only stop 

 temporarily, the macliine should be covered 

 to keep out dust and insects. The most con- 

 venient thing for this purpose is a circular 

 piece of cheap cloth, with a rubber cord run 

 in the hem. This can be thrown over in an 

 instant and all is" secure. When honey is 

 coming in, in an abundance, it may be safe 

 to carry the machine around to the hives, 

 located on a suitable platform, es]!ecially if 

 the apiary is nuich scattered about. But if 



