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Author Topic: Motorized my Extractor Today  (Read 2734 times)

Offline Beeboy01

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Motorized my Extractor Today
« on: May 07, 2021, 09:07:07 pm »
It's been on my need to do list for years, hand cranking an old Kelly reversible extractor from the 60's has been one of the least fun parts of extracting, the thing is a beast and gives a good workout every time. The motor came out of a clothes washer that gave up it's ghost after 15 years along with all the wiring needed for the job.

    Found a 10 inch pulley for the top with a 2 incher on the motor which spins at 1080 rpm on the low winding setting so I'm getting a final speed of about 200 rpm but will never let it reach that speed, it's not needed. I hung the motor under the extractor and scrounged a 92 inch long fan belt that was a perfect fit which came off a mowing deck of a old riding tractor. The startup is a little slow but it comes up to speed in about 3-4 seconds with no problems.

     One of the goals of the motorization was not to change the original extractor in any way, anything that was done needed to be removable without damage or modification of the the old girl. Yeah, I'm sentimental about the extractor, it was my dad's and I'm proud of it.
 
   It was one of those projects where everything clicked, the pulley was hanging on the wall of the shop where it has been for about 10 years with it's brothers and sisters, mounting the motor was just a matter of using two pieces of flat stock attached to the extractor base and shimming it out for proper alignment.

   No pictures yet but I'll post a couple just for laughs. Oh the best thing was it didn't cost anything, everything, wiring, motor, belt and hardware was second hand or scrounged.
« Last Edit: May 09, 2021, 01:41:53 pm by Beeboy01 »

Offline rast

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2021, 09:55:47 pm »
Pictures please, I am in the process of getting my old 4 frame W T Kelly going. Upper ball bearing on mine is shot and cannot find one, worked on bushings for a new bearing today.
Fools argue; wise men discuss.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2021, 07:53:12 am »
Good job Beeboy.  How many frames is it? Definitely needs pictures.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2021, 10:46:51 am »
Jim, the extractor is a Kelly two frame reversible made in the mid 60's and is built like a tank with the reduction gears for the basket made out of steel. I haven't weighed it but I'll guess that it's at least 80 pounds without the base. I have a hand truck put aside in the shop just for moving it around. 

Offline rast

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2021, 02:27:46 pm »
Similar to this one Beeboy01?
Fools argue; wise men discuss.
    --Paramahansa Yogananda

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2021, 04:16:13 pm »
Rast, your extractor is pretty similar to mine but your's looks to be missing a few parts in the drive section. Mine has a spring loaded lever that engages and disengages the drive gears along with a band type drum brake on the basket shaft. I don't think they came with any type of bearings on the drive assembly, it's hand cranked and is low speed.
  I uploaded a video to U-Tube of my extractor and how the motor works, here's the link, it's the first time I've tried U-Tube so I hope it works
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXsPX-iCxtI

Yup. looks like it did  :wink:

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2021, 04:53:50 pm »
Nice conversion! Good Video BeeBoy01. I enjoyed the walk around....
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2021, 05:18:44 pm »
Thanks Ben, I'm trying to build up a collection of short videos of me working my bees for the local club and this one came out better than a lot of the others. I mainly post them on Face Book but decided to give U-Tube a try instead. Boy does that extractor look like it needs a paint job, nothing like a picture to show just how ugly it is. LOL

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #8 on: May 08, 2021, 05:21:19 pm »
Thanks Ben, I'm trying to build up a collection of short videos of me working my bees for the local club and this one came out better than a lot of the others. I mainly post them on Face Book but decided to give U-Tube a try instead. Boy does that extractor look like it needs a paint job, nothing like a picture to show just how ugly it is. LOL


Beauty is what beauty does!  I bet she's a beaut!
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline rast

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2021, 09:42:56 pm »
All well done Beeboy01, video, narration and extractor mods. Thanks. Mine is as it always was, no disconnect or brake. Mine uses a farm implement type ball bearing on the top of the vertical shaft, the driven gear partially fits inside it for support.   
Fools argue; wise men discuss.
    --Paramahansa Yogananda

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2021, 01:47:44 pm »
Rast, I haven't taken my extractor apart at that spot so I can't say if the bearing setup is the same. From the looks of it since the gear cluster and drive are the same I would think mine would have bearings in there also. Good luck with your old girl and hope it gets straightened out.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2021, 11:59:07 am »
Here's an update, I just finished running about 30 shallows and eight deeps through the extractor with no problems. So far I'm happy with the conversion. Total time for extracting was just under 2 hours which cut about 30% off what it would take hand cranking, that along with not needing to hand crank all the frames made it a success.
  Cleanup is still a bit of work but the girls do a nice job on anything left out in the bee yard. 

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2021, 12:32:44 pm »
Beeboy,
When you put honey out for the bees, make sure it is not near your hives. Keep at least 100 foot separation.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2021, 12:51:57 pm »
BeeBoy are you sad about losing all that good exercise? 😊 lol
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2021, 02:52:03 pm »
Bee Master, I stack the extracted supers on the hives with an empty shallow between the empties and the hives. Over a few days the bees move the remaining honey back down into the hive without any problems with robbing and resulting chaos in the bee yard. It's more work but worth it to control robbing. The extractor gets move out away from the yard as you suggested. I've seen what robbing can do to a yard and try to avoid it at all cost. Think there is still a flow going on the bees aren't all over the equipment like they are sometimes.
  Ben, the older I get the less I enjoyed hand cranking that extractor, it was a beast back when it was built and gets heavier every year. Miss cranking It? nope, nadda, no way. was thinking about selling it and getting a lighter one but I'm too cheap LOL.

Offline rast

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2021, 08:51:58 pm »
After doing our taxes my wife surprised me with one of those Vivo electric extractors. Made my own legs and anchored to my old manual stand and has worked great. No looking back, spoiled now. I put my first stickeys back on the hive and they were refiling them the first of the week. This drought is not helping them though.
Fools argue; wise men discuss.
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Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Motorized my Extractor Today
« Reply #16 on: May 30, 2021, 08:23:36 pm »
Rast well you can't complain about that. Getting a new motorized extractor from your wife means you picked a winner.

 

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