Extractor balance

[Acebird]

Does anyone know if the manufacturers dynamically balance the baskets?

[Nugget Shooter]

Interesting question and seems if balanced as in a motorcycle wheel it would run smoother empty, but with the uneven weight of 4 or more frames would it be enough of a benefit to matter?

[Acebird]

That is why my feeling is that they don't bother dynamically balancing the baskets, maybe static balance is all they do.  Actually what is more important is how accurate the basket is made such that each frame is held at the same radius.  In my home made extractor the frames are held at the exact same radius because there is no basket and the clips that I made are exactly the same distance to their holding bracket.

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I'm still just starting to build my extractor and have been wondering how or if I need to balance the basket.  Any suggestions?

Rusty

[texanbelchers]

Welcome to the site, Rusty.

I'm considering my options in extracting.  Buying is an obvious choice as is the club extractor.  I haven't searched for plans yet, but the Brute trash containers seem to be a place to start.  Steel welding isn't up my alley, but I do erector sets.  I'm not sure how long wood would hold up.

[rdy-b]

 your question is the frustration of many who have bought extractors and not goten the turn key
experience they had hoped for-----the fact of the mater is-no mater how balanced the machine is
you are placing frames of honey into the machine--these frames are not balanced they dont weigh
the same---the smaller extractors are more subject to this as the weight of the honey frames comes closer
to the tiping point of the machine--tiping point of most machines is equal to half its whieght--a free standing
machine will be more problematic than a machine that is secured--a secure machine will out preform a machine
that is not secure in proper fashion---RDY-B

[splitrock]

I usually just let my 20 frame run on a slow speed for a while if it is obviously way off balance after loading. Seems the time running on the slower speed gets things balanced out to where I can really let it spin.

[Acebird]

the smaller extractors are more subject to this as the weight of the honey frames comes closer
to the tiping point of the machine-

What people should do with small extractors is not buy the leg kit.  Mount the extractor to a heavy table or bench, even a set of horses with planks to get a wide footing.  BTW my extractor is a 55 gal. plastic drum that is not secured to the floor.  It runs like a top and doesn't jump all over the place after a little bit of honey builds up in the bottom.

[GSF]

I usually just let my 20 frame run on a slow speed for a while if it is obviously way off balance after loading. Seems the time running on the slower speed gets things balanced out to where I can really let it spin.

That's been my experience as well. (Mann Lake 18/9)

[BeeMaster2]

I usually just let my 20 frame run on a slow speed for a while if it is obviously way off balance after loading. Seems the time running on the slower speed gets things balanced out to where I can really let it spin.

That's been my experience as well. (Mann Lake 18/9)

Same here.
If it is real bad I will start moving frames around. There have been a few times where I have moved a few frames just once and it will come out perfectly balanced. Just got lucky.
Jim

[rdy-b]

**It runs like a top and doesn't jump all over the place after a little bit of honey builds up in the bottom.**

thats the key for a smaller extractor--run it with the gate closed just as it is close to to interfering with
the spinging of the reall-then open the gate and start to drain--when you are changing out your emptys
for new frames close the gate--the first extracor i ever bought was a used dadant 20 frame--keeping
a bucket of honey in the drum always made it burr--thats about your first spinn ---leave it in the tub of
the extractor intill your run is over--you can push alot of honey with a twenty-RDY-B

[Oldbeavo]

RDY -B is spot on
We runa 78 frame radial and it is at its best with about 50kg of honey in it.
The outlet  is like a stretched "S" that allows you to rotate it to hold honey but by lowering it you can drain the extractor.
If you run honey above the outlet the wax stays in the extractor until the end, much cleaner honey.

[Michael Bush]

I try to match on opposite sides full combs, combs with pollen etc.  Start slow.

[Acebird]

If you run honey above the outlet the wax stays in the extractor until the end, much cleaner honey.

My goal last year was to build a honey pump so I could draw the honey out of my extractor through the bottom bung.  I sloughed off and never got it built.  So I guess it is next years goal. :-)

[rdy-b]

 but thats the beauty of a 9/18 or a 20 you can run serious amounts of honey and not have to pump
once you gear up to the biger radials -which i did it was a big out lay of cash-first the machine -then
a jacketed sump -then a pump-and biger seteling tanks---the list goes on---no regrets about it---
but i know if a person ran two twenty extractors and ran deep frames--remove empty frames and
refill with fresh frames will the other one is runing--there would be some rethinking-over out lays of cash

Ace if you are thinking of ways to move your honey from your extractor--the best method would be a worm
drive to push the honey--these roads have already been paved--If i remember correctly you did a fine job
of producing a home made extractor from a plastic barrel--with 5 mediums of honey as your bounty--
i would not call it sluffing off---just the reality that your machine dose not need a pump-- --RDY-B

[Acebird]

i would not call it sluffing off---just the reality that your machine dose not need a pump-- --RDY-B

Obviously I did it without a pump but 5 supers of honey is about 140-150 pounds and I have to tip the barrel over to get the honey out and do it without a catastrophe.  A pump would allow me to remove all but 25-30 pounds and do it while I extract so I could get the straining going.  My plan is to build a peristaltic pump.  It doesn't need to be fast.  Actually I want it slow so my straining doesn't overflow.

http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv333/acebird1/Harvest%202012%20030_zps2y8pasns.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4N25d05Hp4