108 



Bee-keepinr/ in Victoria. 



will contract considerably more on becoming solid tlian tbat wliieli never 

 reached more than 170 degrees; hence, wax to be cast in moulds for 

 blocks should be heated to the boiling point of water so that 

 it will easily leave the moulds, wdiile, when intended for founda- 

 tion, it should not reach more than 175 degrees in the final melting 

 before dipping, otherwise the violent contraction of the sheets when 

 immersing the dipped boards in water will cause cracking and splitting. 



Making the Plain Sheets. 

 The first operation in the manufacture of comb-foundation is the 

 production of the plain sheets of wax. It consists in the dipping of 

 piue boards of given dimensions, and previously soaked in water, into 

 liquid wax, cooling them in tepid water, peeling the sheets ofF the boards 

 and trinmiing them ready for the foundation mill. The appliances 

 shown in the illustration and described hereunder, as well as the 

 method advocated, vary to some extent from those generally given in 

 textbooks, but have been found by the writer, after years of experience 



Fig. 2. — Dipping-board (end with wire handle). 



and experiments in the manufacture to be the best for the production 

 of first class foundation at a minimum of cost in time and wax. The 

 appliances used may be different in shape, and the working method 

 may be varied to suit the person and the articles available, but the 

 essential features of the appliances and of the method should be retained 

 if perfect workmanship is desired in the finished foundation. The 

 dipping boards should be of the best soft fine-grained pine wood. 

 American shelving, free from knots, will be found the most suitable 

 timber. The boards should be 17 inches long by 9 inches wide and 

 f-inch to -1-inch thick, planed smooth on both sides. The edges are 

 best left straight and square, as then the sheets are easier to peel off 

 than when the board is tapered or feather-edged. A wire handle 

 (Fig. 2), made of steel wire, such as is found in bicycle tyres, is 

 fastened into the ends of the boards. This will enable the boards to be 

 completely immersed, turned end for end, without getting wax on to 

 the fingers, and hung up on the revolving holder, shown in the centre 



