112 lii-i'-lfi- pi iKj in Victoria. 



iiiiicliiiii's as received from the nianufacturprs are correctly set for work- 

 ing, the only adjustmeut which may be necessary being the raising or 

 lowering of the top roller according to the thickness of the sheets to be 

 rolled and the grade of foundation to be made. 



If, liowcver, the rolls by some means should have become untrue in 

 alignment, some exceedingly delicate adjustment of the lateral set screws 

 controlling the upper bearings will be necessary before good work can 

 be done. The rolls, as stated, are of type metal, and are engraved in 

 such a way as to correspond to the cells of worker comb. Each of tbe 

 multitude of little stamps is hexagon in shape, the top coming to a 

 point formed by three inclined planes. The cog-wheels which connect 

 the rollers are fixed on. the spindles in such a way that if the mill is 

 correctly set the point of each cell stamp on one roller falls evenly 

 between the points of three of the cell stamps on the opposite roller ; but 

 if the rollers are not set true, holes will be torn in the wax sheet, and the 

 rollers may be damaged, or the three planes which form the cell bottom 

 of the foundation will be uneven in thickness, causing stretching or 

 tearing of the sheet during rolling or sagging after the sheets are fixed 

 in the frames of the hive. 



When freeing the interstices of the rolls of particles of wax, or on 

 first loosening the end of the sheet when it comes through the machine, 

 metal prickers or tools of any kind should not be used, as type metal, 

 being soft, is easily scratched. A tooth-pick or a piece of comb may, 

 however, he employed. 



The foundation machine should be securely screwed to a table of 

 suitable heiglit, or, better still, to a seijarate stand, with a flat water 

 tank for warming the wax sheets immediately behind the mill, as seen 

 in the illustration (Fig. 4). The water in which the sheets are warmed 

 before rolling shotild be 110 deg. Fahr. for ordinary foundation, and 

 115 deg. to 120 deg. Fahr. for what is known as thin, surplus, or section 

 foundation. The temperature is regulated by means of a stove or lamp 

 under the water tank, and a dairy thermometer in the water. The 

 machine will work best when the rollers are nearly blood warm — that 

 is, when they feel neither warm nor cold to the toiich of the hand. If 

 ■ the temperature of the room is less than 75 deg. Fahr., it may be neces- 

 sary to first warm the rollers by pouring warm water from the tank 

 over them while revolving them, and then allowing them to cool dovra 

 to the required temj^erature. After work has been commenced, the 

 continuous passing through of the warm wax sheets will maintain the 

 correct temperature. 



To prevent the wax adhering to the type metal a lubricant is neces- 

 sary; soapy water is generally found to be the best, or an emulsion of 

 starch may be used. This is either kept in a shallow trough, in which 

 the lower roller revolves, or applied to the upper roller with a soft 

 clothes-brush ; care should be taken to do so after evei-y sheet. Soap has 

 been objected to as acting on the wax; it does not, however, afl^ect wax 

 in the solid form, and if the trimmings of the rolled sheets are washed 

 in tepid water before being re-melted, the wax will be in no way affected. 



To have the sheets of even temperature before they pass through the 

 rollers, and thus secure uniform thickness and embossing, it is best to 

 warm the plain sheets singly instead of putting a whole pack into the 



