DIY honey extractor: drawings, photos

The honey extractor was invented by the Czech F. Grushka in the mid-18th century. This was a completely new way of obtaining comb honey, in which the healing nectar was completely pumped out, and the structure of the honeycomb was not destroyed. This device fulfilled the long-time dream of all beekeepers and reliably entered the beekeeping industry.

What is a honey extractor

A honey extractor is the most important item of a beekeeper’s household equipment. If it is very primitive, then it is an empty cylindrical tank, with an internal system of rotating frames on a rigid axis.At the very beginning of its creation, it was exclusively wooden. It was made from wooden barrels or tubs, and the entire working moving mechanism was also wooden.

Design and principle of operation

The fundamental operating principle of the honey extractor, created by F. Grushka, was so successful that it has remained virtually unchanged since its creation. Modern devices operate on the same principles of pumping out honey, but have a more advanced technological mechanism.

Description of the device using the example of a radial design.

The device is a metal tank with a curved cone-shaped bottom. Inside it there is a metal cage on a vertical axis. The vertical axis rests on a crosspiece, on which a “glass” is fixed, which has a steel ball at its base. The ball rests on a rod with a bore in the form of a sphere. The rod has a screw connection with a vertical axis, which is a 25 mm water pipe. At the top of the tank cone there is a metal tube 30 mm high. It prevents honey from flowing along the axis to the bottom of the honey extractor tank.

The steel cage of the device has upper and lower crosspieces. The lower cross supports a thrust circle and two circles with slots (loops) for frames. The upper cross supports a stop circle on top to secure the upper edges of the frames. The metal cage is located so that the lower part of the rotating frames does not touch the pumped out honey.

The upper part of the steel rod rotates in a ball bearing and has a bevel gear at the end. The ball bearing is mounted in the plane of the plate, which is attached to the cross member. The crossbar has a rigid fastening on both sides of the metal tank.The movement of the honey extractor cage occurs through a vertical gear on the upper crossbar, by rotating it manually (an axis with a handle) or electrically, using a belt or chain drive.

To release the pumped out honey, the tank has a special sleeve, which is located at the bottom of the structure at the very bottom. The sleeve is equipped with a secant valve and works to “open” and “close” the container with honey.

The upper part of the honey extractor tank has semicircular covers that are attached to a plate with a ball bearing. The covers are equipped with edges; they tightly and securely cover the body of the device. For greater strength, the tank lid and the body itself have peripheral ridges. To prevent the semicircular covers from sliding off the tank during operation, they are attached to the gear with a special bracket.

The upper cross member with a rotating mechanism is secured to the tank hoop with special curved bolts. The bolts hold the outer vertical strips, which are rigidly attached to the lower hoop of the tank. This design firmly connects the upper and lower edges of the tank, preventing the structure from becoming loose during vibration.

The tank is installed on a cross (low table). The optimal lifting height of the body is 400-500 mm. For the convenience of receiving honey, the height of the legs of the cross is adjusted to the height of the container of the honey receiver (plastic or metal bucket, can, flask).

The operating principle of the device is based on the centrifuge mechanism. The main operating point in it is the centrifugal force, which causes the viscous consistency of honey to leave the honeycomb, melt and come out.

It goes like this. The frame with the honeycomb is printed with a special beekeeping knife and then installed in the cassette. Under the influence of rotation, a centrifugal force appears in the frame, which pushes the honey out of the honeycomb with great pressure. The liberated honey, under its own gravity, flows down the walls of the tank to the bottom of the honey extractor and by gravity flows out of the sleeve into the container.

Dimensions

The size and volume of the device directly depends on the number of hives on the farm and the size of the apiary itself. If we are talking about harvesting honey for one’s own consumption and the amateur beekeeper’s apiary is small, then a small apparatus for 4-6 frames is enough to simultaneously pump out honey. In this case, a low honey extractor with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 m with a manual or electric drive will be optimal.

For beekeepers who have this industry as a business, they need more powerful and larger electric devices with simultaneous loading of up to 20 or more honeycomb frames.

What types of honey extractors are there?

Industrial devices vary in shape, type and drive. Homemade and even more so. Often, such honey extractors combine several types of rotor, are easily transformed, combined and work excellently.

Honey extractors are distinguished according to several characteristics:

• according to the material of manufacture;
• by design (location of cassettes);
• by the number of frames;
• by type of drive.

Before you begin creating the design of the device, you should determine what material it will be made from. This is an important point, since it is subject to specific conditions - safety in contact with food, resistance to natural and mechanical influences, a high degree of wear when working with moving units (mechanisms).

The design can be created from the following materials:

1. Wood. Initially, honey extractors were made from this material. For this purpose, ready-made tanks, barrels or tubs were used.
2. Stainless steel. This is the most popular material. It is practical, convenient and has a very long service life. That is why the body of an old activator-type washing machine is often used to create a homemade honey extractor.
3. Aluminum, galvanized steel. The materials are light in weight and processing, but strong enough to get the job done. To create the apparatus, large thick-walled pans, kitchen cauldrons, barrels or galvanized buckets are suitable.
4. Food grade plastic. A modern, lightweight and inexpensive material that can also be used to create a honey extractor. However, to create it, you should select high-quality plastic containers for food use.

The design of the honey extractor has several types. It depends on the type of arrangement of cassettes in it. Devices are:

• radial;
• chordial;
• negotiable.

Amateur beekeepers use small devices with the number of frames from 3 to 6. Most often they use one frame honey extractor (made by themselves), 2 frame stainless steel and 3 frame rotary honey extractors made of stainless steel. This is justified by the small size of the apiary and the number of hives. It is not difficult to create such a design using available materials. For example, from an old but durable wooden or plywood barrel, or from a disused washing machine.

Large-scale beekeepers, for whom the industry has become the main source of income, use honey extractors with simultaneous loading of 20 or more frames. This case speaks about the creation of a medium or large production beekeeping farm.

Drive type. A manual honey extractor is the most common type of device, since it does not require connection to an electrical outlet, is easy to use and safe. In addition, it is much easier to construct a manual honey extractor, using, for example, old bicycle chain sprockets.

Electric devices are driven by an electric drive with a motor and operate from a standard 220 V electrical network. As a rule, the electric drive is installed on bulky honey extractors with a large number of honeycomb frames for pumping out 30 kg of honey. Electric devices are more convenient for large beekeeping farms.

What are the speeds in the honey extractor when pumping out honey?

Modern electric honey extractors can regulate the direction and speed of rotation; in addition, the electric drive provides constant speed and has a dynamic braking function.

Honey extractors use electric drives with the following characteristics:

• pulse type;
• weight – 1.5-1.8 kg;
• voltage – from 10 to 14 V;
• speed sensor (electronic or induction);
• rotation speed – 30-150 rpm;
• rotation time – 1-10 minutes plus or minus 20%.

During the honey processing season, large apiaries use portable batteries, small power plants, solar panels and regular power grids.In small beekeeping farms, to automate the operation of a honey extractor, electric drills from a standard power outlet and mechanical drives with manually controlled rotation speed are used.

Which honey extractor to choose

The main criteria for selecting a honey extractor are the consumer needs of the beekeeper or beekeeping enterprise. When choosing a device, consider:

• apiary dimensions;
• number of hives;
• number of frames for pumping out;
• number of workers to service the device;
• availability of suitable area with power supply;
• financial expenses.

When choosing a store-bought honey extractor, be sure to study information about the manufacturer. It will not be useless to read reviews from buyers of this equipment; you can also ask questions on beekeepers forums. Such curiosity will not be superfluous, but it will certainly help to avoid mistakes and unjustified expenses.

Today, the most popular manufacturer of honey extractors is Plasma LLC. This company specializes in the production of beekeeping equipment and is engaged in the design, manufacture and repair of various types of devices.

Electric honey extractor

Electric devices are used when pumping out honey in large quantities in conditions of honey production over large apiary areas. The electric drive is installed on chordial and radial devices. In particular, the electric drive can also be installed on combined or reversible homemade honey extractors.

A special advantage of electric honey extractors is the saving of time and physical costs for processing beekeeping raw materials.The electric drive of the device makes it possible to change the direction of rotation of the drum, reduce or increase the rotation speed and time, which is an undoubted advantage in monitoring the quality of pumping out honey.

The operating principle of an electric honey extractor is as follows. Honeycomb frames are printed with a special knife before loading into the tank. Next, the frames are inserted into the drum cassettes strictly according to the rules - opposite each other, taking into account weight balancing. Before actual start-up, the rotor is turned manually, and then the electric drive is activated. Initially, the rotation of the drum should occur at low speeds, after which the speed is increased. The maximum rotation time for a drum with frames is 25 minutes. After this time, the rotation speed is gradually reduced and the movement is stopped completely.

DIY electric honey extractor

A homemade electric honey extractor can be made from simple available materials. Any power tool with rotation, such as a drill, hammer drill or grinder, is suitable for this purpose. As a tank, you can use a container of suitable size - a large bucket, vat, wooden tub, plastic or galvanized barrel. Lattice shelves from an old refrigerator are perfect for creating cassettes. They need to be cleaned, washed, assembled into a standard cassette shape using steel wire and painted.

A hole should be made at the bottom of the tank to drain the honey. For the tank stand, a stable cross is made, which must have a rigid attachment to the frame. Now that the device blank stands firmly “on its own feet,” we move on to creating the design of the cassette holder.

In the very middle of the bottom of the tank, a thrust bearing with a bearing is fixed, which will form the basis of the rotor axis from below. The frame of the frame holders should be rectangular in shape and have a steel pipe-axis in the middle. Lattice cassettes made from refrigerator shelves are attached to the frame. A cross member with a plate and a bearing is installed on top of the tank - this is the top of the rotor axis.

Next, an electric drive is attached to the upper crossbar of the honey extractor (see diagram above). As an electric drive, you can use a household electric drill, which is rigidly fixed to the tank body on special shelves with powerful bolts (photo below).

Radial honey extractor

The radial honey extractor has a number of advantages compared to other types of honey pumping devices:

Fundamental features of the radial honey extractor:

1. The time of 1 cycle of honey pumping varies from 10 to 25 minutes.
2. The 48-frame machine can process up to 100 honeycomb frames per hour. Electrified honey extractor with speed control function – 145 frames.
3. The volume of the container for pumped out honey is 185 liters.
4. The radial device can accommodate up to 50 small-sized honeycomb frames (435x230 mm) and up to 20 larger-sized frames (435x300 mm).
5. The automatic radial honey extractor operates with a 0.4 kW motor with a main shaft rotation speed of 1450 rpm. Operating voltage – 220 V.
6. The rotation speed of the rotor axis of the device ranges from 86 to 270 rpm.

Convenience, efficient use and simplicity of design make today the radial honey extractor the most popular device among beekeepers in Russia and abroad.

How does a radial honey extractor work?

The operation of a radial device is based on the action of centrifugal force, which occurs under the influence of rotation of the drum from a manual or electric drive. The printed frames are placed in the cassettes of the drum, which gradually unwinds and gains momentum. The centrifugal force begins to drown and push honey out of the combs, which splashes out onto the side walls of the tank and flows to its bottom. From the tap located at the bottom of the honey extractor, the pumped out honey enters the container.

DIY radial honey extractor: drawings, assembly

A homemade honey extractor is a tank (barrel or vat) of a traditional design with a cone-shaped bottom. A movable rotating rotor is installed inside it, which is fixed from below to the bottom of the tank, and from above to the crossbar. The rotor has lower and upper rings with fastenings for installing cassettes or honeycomb frames. The rotational movement of the rotor is provided by a manual or electric drive, which is attached to the crossbar plate. To release the pumped out honey, there is a sleeve with a lid at the bottom of the tank.

Making a honey extractor yourself is not difficult, if you follow the diagram presented above.

Disadvantages of radial honey extractor

The disadvantages of the radial apparatus are the following:

• heavy weight of the device, large dimensions;
• presence of electrical wiring, dependence on the electrical network;
• relatively high cost.

These shortcomings of the device can be considered purely conditional, since honey extractors made of lighter materials that are just as durable and inexpensive are already appearing.

Wooden honey extractor

In a wooden manual honey extractor, all parts are wooden, except those that ensure the rotation of the frames. Externally, this device looks like a drum - just as flat, with a low sidewall. The entire mechanism of a honey extractor with a horizontal shaft is a rotating rotor mounted in a crossbar, a central axis and two bearings.

Such a device can be made from almost any wood, the main factor is that the wood does not need to be resinous and must be dried. For a wooden mechanism, you can use pressed plywood, lining or solid wood, and a combination of materials can also be used.

The advantage of a wooden honey extractor is its light weight, compactness and ease of use. In addition, such a portable device is very easy to wash, disassemble or repair if necessary. Another important advantage of a wooden honey extractor can be considered the process of pumping out honey itself. Everything happens under the full control of the beekeeper, at an acceptable speed and with great efficiency, since the frames with honeycombs rotate in a horizontal plane and are processed on both sides.

Chordial honey extractor

Chordia 4-frame honey extractors with reversible stainless steel cassettes are used in small beekeeping farms with a small number of hives. The design of the device involves simultaneous pumping of honey from a small number of frames (2-4 frames). In a chordal device, the drum cassettes are located sideways to the wall of the tank body, along the chord.

Despite the fact that chordial honey extractors are actively used, this device can be considered an outdated model, since it has a number of significant technical disadvantages:

1. When working, the chordial device requires constant monitoring by the beekeeper, so an assistant is required to prepare the next batch of frames (printings).
2. The rotor rotation cycle should begin at low speeds so that the honeycombs do not break. Then you need to turn the frames over, pump out the honey from the other side and turn them over again to the initial position, completing the process that has begun.
3. In a chordial-type apparatus, the pressure of the centrifugal force is directed at a right angle to the surface of the honeycombs, as a result of which they are often deformed and pressed into the cassettes.
4. In a chordal device, in addition to the drum itself, levers, cassettes and a drive move, which leads to wear and tear of these mechanisms.

Chordia devices are reversible (with movable cassettes) and non-reversible (with fixed cassettes). Their difference lies in the fact that in a honey extractor with reversible cassettes, the honeycomb frames can simply be “turned over” and there is no need to turn them over, but with non-reversible cassettes, the frames need to be turned over and placed on the other side.

Which honey extractor is better: radial or chordial?

If we compare radial and chordial honey extractors, we can identify a number of distinctive indicators that may indicate the advantages or disadvantages of the device. Comparative characteristics showed:

1. The radial device has twice the honey pumping capacity of the chordal model.
2. During the pumping cycle, the radial honey extractor works independently, without inspection, and the beekeeper can use this time for other work.The chordial apparatus requires constant monitoring.
3. Unlike the chordial device, the radial device pumps out honey from the frames almost completely.
4. In a radial honey extractor, the frames do not break, because the main pressure during rotation is directed upward along the surface of the honeycomb, and not at an angle, as in a chordial one.
5. Removing empty frames from a radial honey extractor is much easier, since they do not stick to the drum during rotation. There is such a problem in the chordial apparatus.
6. In a large radial honey extractor, it is possible to pump out the remaining honey from the wax caps (caps) that have accumulated during the day. This cannot be done by working on the chordial apparatus with less frame load.

It should be noted that both the radial and chordial apparatus have their admirers. It is possible that this is due to a number of conditions of a particular location, apiary and the requirements of the beekeeper.

DIY honey extractor from a washing machine

It is very easy to make a honey extractor with your own hands from an old washing machine, since the body of the device is ideal for this purpose. The advantages of such a modification are obvious - minimum costs, an almost finished stainless steel tank, the presence of electric drive parts.

You can make a honey extractor from a washing machine using the type of radial or chordial apparatus. Installation of a manual or electric drive is possible - this is the choice of the beekeeper himself and his technical abilities.

Converting a washing machine into a honey extractor needs to start with the tank. The bottom of the washer is cut out and another tank is inserted into the body. The bottom of the future honey extractor should be in the form of a cone, at the very top of which a bearing is fixed.The rotor can be made from metal rods, which need to be welded in the form of circles with a cross and a central pipe (axis) between them.

Loops for attaching frames are welded on the lower and upper circles. If the honey extractor is planned to be of a chordal type, then cassettes arranged along the chord of the circle are attached to the circles. On top of the tank, large bolts are used to secure a cross member with a plate and a bearing, on which the electric drive is mounted.

DIY honey extractor from a plastic barrel

A honey extractor from a plastic barrel is easy to make in just an hour. It can be called a beekeeper’s “quick-to-have” tool. The advantages of such a device are obvious - speed of assembly of the structure with a minimum of time and money.

But simplicity and low cost do not detract from its working properties. In essence, this is the same convenient, effective and working honey extractor, but in a lightweight version.

To create a device from a plastic barrel, you will need the barrel itself (food grade), small pieces or scraps of aluminum profiles, a mesh, a metal rod, a nozzle for receiving pumped out honey and any electrical appliance with a rotation function. You can even use a cordless screwdriver for this purpose.

How to make a reversible double-cassette honey extractor with your own hands

The reversible double-cassette honey extractor has a number of advantages. Firstly, it is relatively small and is perfect for small apiaries and novice amateur beekeepers. Secondly, all parts of this device are made of stainless steel, and this is a strong argument in favor of the durability of the device and its high resistance to rust. Thirdly, the design of reversible cassettes allows you to quickly and efficiently pump out honey without turning over the frames.

In addition, the magazine-revolving double-cassette mechanism is equipped with a convenient aluminum tap, a cross stand and, in the “electric” version, an electric drive for 12 V, 220 V.

The principle of operation of a reversible double-cassette honey extractor does not differ from the operation of a standard radial apparatus, but it has a significant and very useful feature. The fact is that the cassettes in this device have the ability to change and fix their position inside the drum using special rods. This makes it possible to pump out honey in different directions of rotation and, ultimately, more efficiently and completely collect honey from the comb.

Cassettes: buy or make your own

Cassettes for honey extractor are used to hold honeycomb frames inside the drum of the device. You can simply buy them at a specialized equipment store, but you can make them yourself. To make a honey extractor, you will need a galvanized or chrome-plated mesh, aluminum rivets and a rivet key.

For homemade cassettes, they use stainless steel, an iron rod, and some beekeepers use pressed plywood, wooden blocks, galvanized steel or even ordinary wire to make cassettes.

An iron rod or mesh is assembled into a standard cassette structure of the required size, and then secured with rivets, spot welding or thick wire. After this, if necessary, the finished cassette should be coated with a thin layer of metal paint.

Is a stand needed?

For ease of use, the honey extractor is placed on a special cross-stand. Professional beekeepers with large production places the honey extractor on a special stationary table.

The cross-stand optimally should have a height of 37-40 cm from the floor level.In this case, you can safely install a standard enamel bucket under it, which greatly simplifies the task of collecting the pumped out honey.

Operating rules

To start working, the honey extractor must be installed so that it does not swing. It is installed on a flat floor surface, and the legs of the cross are screwed with bolts or self-tapping screws. Before opening the frames, they should be kept in a warm place for several hours so that the honey softens and begins to melt. Subsequently, this action will significantly simplify pumping out honey in the device’s drum.

Bee frames are printed with a special knife or fork. For this purpose, use a special steam knife or slightly heat a regular one. Unsealing frames with honeycombs must be done very carefully, moving the knife strictly along the plane of the frame, avoiding the blade from deepening into the honeycombs. This work requires skill and continuity. If the honey extractor is small - from 2 to 4 frames, then one person can handle the job. And if the device accommodates a larger number of honeycomb frames, then assistants will be required for such work.

After the frames are printed, they are placed in cassettes, carefully distributing the weight throughout the drum. Before starting the centrifuge, you need to check the position of the frames again - the lower bars of the honeycomb frames should move forward. If the frames are positioned correctly, the honey extractor drum will smoothly pick up speed, and the wooden frames themselves will not break during rotation.

The rotation of the drum should begin gradually, gradually accelerating it. First, one side of the comb is freed from honey, and then the frames are turned over to the other side and pumping out from this side is carried out completely. Then the frames are turned again and the process is completed.This action is necessary so that the pressure of the centrifugal force does not squeeze the honeycombs out of the frame, rendering them unusable.

If all the above steps are done correctly, then after some time the first honey will begin to flow from the lower sleeve of the honey extractor tank.

How to correctly place frames in a honey extractor

Before installing the frames in the drum, the honeycomb must first be printed. Then the frame is installed so that the lower beam of the frame goes towards the rotation of the drum. This is important because the edges of the cell are always raised upward and skew may occur.

When installing frames, you need to ensure proper weight distribution in the drum. Honeycomb frames have different weights, so frames of approximately the same size and weight should be placed in opposite sections. Otherwise, the drum will begin to swing and will not be able to reach the desired rotation speed.

How can you wash a honey extractor?

Over time, the honey extractor needs general cleaning. Even stainless steel devices begin to rust at the seams, at the joints of parts, and oxidize. This not only spoils the appearance of the device. Old drops of honey oxidize on the wire cassettes and the walls of the container and turn into black poisonous mucus.

To prevent this from happening, every time after using the device it must be washed and cleaned. This can be done as follows:

1. If possible, remove drive elements, covers and crossbars from the honey extractor. Remove the cassettes and shaft from the apparatus and place the tank sideways on the stove to warm up. This can be done in the summer kitchen. In this case, you need to be careful not to burn the rubber gaskets.
2. Pour a little crushed wax into the honey extractor container.As soon as the wax begins to melt from heating, the tank must be carefully turned over so that the entire inner side surface of the honey extractor is covered with a thin layer of wax.
3. After the walls of the tank are covered with wax, the device must be placed in a vertical position so that the wax covers the bottom.
4. Then, with a large swab made of rags, wound onto a stick, you need to rub the side surfaces and bottom so that, together with the wax, you remove the remains of honey, bee glue (propolis), rust and small debris.
5. All small removable parts can also be washed and rubbed with hot wax.

Wax perfectly cleans the honey extractor from honey processing products, and this helps keep the device in excellent working condition for many years.

What and how to lubricate the honey extractor

After an active season of collecting and pumping out honey, the question arises of storing the honey extractor until next year. Before putting it away for the winter, you need to thoroughly wash, dry and lubricate it.

All surfaces, mechanisms, removable and static parts should be lubricated with an anti-corrosion mixture and machine oil. Then pack the honey extractor under a special canvas cover to prevent debris, cobwebs, dust or small insects from getting inside.

The honey extractor should be stored in a dry, ventilated room at a constant temperature. With proper operation and careful care, the device will last for many more seasons without repairs or expensive maintenance.

Conclusion

A honey extractor is a necessary and very useful tool for a beekeeper. With its help, beekeepers can easily process all seasonal honey. With a little ingenuity, you can make this device yourself.This does not require great engineering skills, but only available means, a set of the simplest tools and the desire to put your hands to it.

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