BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS
Motorized my Extractor Today
Beeboy01:
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.
rast:
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.
BeeMaster2:
Good job Beeboy. How many frames is it? Definitely needs pictures.
Jim Altmiller
Beeboy01:
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.
rast:
Similar to this one Beeboy01?
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