Re: Soft white wax and the heavy honey band on top.I still have a top bar hive. The first colony drew nearly perfect comb. (Eventually I split, sold one, and moved the rest into a Lang).
I put a swarm in the TBH three months ago. The second colony isn't so tidy WRT: attachments to the side and general wonkiness. I've struggled with soft wax and heavy honey too. Now I bring this with me:
- A large tupperware, or food grade 20" Sterlite tub with closing lid
- Parchment paper from the grocery store. (You can use waxed paper but honey scrapes off parchment better.)
- An extra wide silicon spatula.
- A clean working tray like this one:
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/smula-tray-clear-40041131/ or a full-sheet commercial cooking tray.
- Rubber bands or cotton string and toothpicks
As soon as you pic up the white wax, support it with the spatula and get it right over to the tray lined with a sheet of parchment. Lay it down like fabric, bottom first then the top. It may fall partly out of the frame, but be supported until it can lay flat.
Cut off the honey you want and seal it in the tupperware. If there is brood, use the rubber bands/string/toothpicks to wrap it back into the frame.
You can save almost every drop of honey from the parchment. It's sort of kitchen-garden beekeeping...but better than the loss of the resources.