Honey is the main, but not the only vital product of bees. There are many other components useful to humans that these producing insects are capable of producing. One such essential product is wax. But this substance in its natural form is not suitable for human use, therefore it must be processed using a wax refinery.
The decision about which devices to use in their own households (industrial or home-made) is made by each beekeeper individually. Recently, more and more apiary owners prefer to make their own wax refinery at home. The functionality of the equipment at the same time suffers slightly, but maintaining a budget significantly affects the preference of a lean owner.
Purpose and principle of operation of the wax refinery
Since it is not easy to get wax from bee honeycombs, it will have to be melted first. Therefore, man invented and manufactured a device designed to produce wax - wax refinery.
Melting of wax occurs at low temperatures, therefore, the creation of conditions with increased heating in these devices is not required. The main factor is ensuring a uniform, constant distribution of heat in the tank.
All do-it-yourself designs at home wax refineries work on the same principle. Everything is simple: heating, melting and filtering a valuable product.
The filtration system provides for the passage of the molten mass through the construction of grids, which purify the wax from various impurities.
In its simplest form, the principle of operation of such a device can be imagined as a bucket of water into which the cells are immersed in a rag bag. When heated, the wax melts, which is much lighter than water, so it floats to the surface of the liquid. Then this mass is collected and squeezed.
Types of Wax Melt Equipment
Devices for processing wax is divided mainly by the principle of heating the inner space of the container. There are several types of wax reflows:
- One of the most common types of such equipment is a self-made solar wax refinery. At home, this device is most widely used. Its principle of operation is based on the energy consumption of sunlight.
- The most simple and functional device is steam wax refining. In such a device, the main source of energy for kindling wax is hot steam.
- Recently, the use of an electric device for melting wax is becoming more popular. It has high efficiency and speed.
Features of the solar wax refinery
The simplicity of this device attracts both novice beekeepers and experienced professionals. There are a number of reasons why the use of self-made solar wax refiners is most popular with apiary owners:
- Simplicity. The design is a box, the upper part of which is covered with glass. The raw material is placed in an internal container, and the finished material flows into the receiving device. It is due to the cheapness and simplicity that beekeepers are happy to arrange such wax refineries with their own hands.
- Saving. Since the system operates on the energy of sunlight, the cost of its maintenance is significantly reduced. Indeed, unlike a steam wax refinery made by hand , solar works effectively without the use of additional devices necessary for kindling wax. As a result, there is no extra cost for paying for electric energy and the need for constant monitoring.
- Purity. The resulting product is environmentally friendly, as it is not contaminated by the negative effects of the environment. In this case, the wax remaining in the comb can be reused, absolutely safe.
Melting technology
The procedure for obtaining the final product is simple. It takes place in stages:
- First of all, frames with honeycombs are placed in a special internal part of the device.
- Then the device is placed in a sunny place, this will enhance the effect of exposure to rays.
- Getting on a glass surface, the energy of the sun is amplified, and heats the inner space.
- Under the influence of heat, the wax melts and enters through the cleaning grate to a receiving tank.
Since the case of the device can become very hot, it is advisable to carry out all operations with protective gloves.
Materials required for the manufacture of the unit
Before making a wax refinery with your own hands, it is necessary to prepare the main details of the design. To do this, you will need:
- Wooden boards for the case must first be cleaned with fine sandpaper to prevent injury from splintering. In this case, it is advisable to use a tree, without any impregnation.
- For the manufacture of the bottom, it is better to use strong plywood.
- A special baking sheet made of a metal sheet will help to most conveniently place the raw materials inside the container.
- Glass for a wax reflow device with your own hands needs to be precisely sized to fit the lid, since the presence of slots will complicate the heating process.
- To make the lid, you need to prepare wooden bars. You can use the window frame. To attach the cover you will need special furniture hinges.
- For the device of the filter of cleaning it is necessary to stock up with a grid or gauze.
- A suitable size cup or bowl may be used as the receiving container.
In general, to make a solar wax refinery with your own hands, the use of scarce and expensive material is not needed.
Wax refinery assembly
The entire technological process of conducting independent work on the assembly of the furnace device is not difficult even for a novice beekeeper. The main requirement in this case is a tight joint of all parts in order to reduce the number of slots, and consequently, heat loss.
The main stages of assembly:
- First of all, the device frame is assembled from pre-cleaned blanks. Bonding boards can be done with nails or screws.
- Next, the bottom of the device is installed, it can also be fixed with screws or nails.
- To make the lid, the wooden beams are fastened together in the form of a frame. To exclude the possibility of moisture, the size of the lid is slightly larger than the body.
- We cut out the glass and install it in the frame.
- We attach the finished cover using loops to the top of the device.
- We place the baking sheet on the bottom, and the container for collecting the product in the lower part of the device.
- The filter can be made in two ways. Having established a grid for a filtration, we leave a small slot for drainage of wax. And you can also place a baking sheet on a slope, while we equip it with three continuous sides, and one is made of mesh.
The device of a special stand will also be useful, so that it is easier to orient the structure relative to the direction of the sun.
Features of steam wax refineries
Processing wax with steam is also very often used by beekeepers. Of course, the design of steam appliances is much more complicated than devices operating on solar energy. But this method of wax refining has several advantages:
- a large percentage of wax;
- lack of direct contact with boiling liquid;
- the cleanliness of the working space where wax waxing is performed;
- obtaining a product without impurities, high quality.
In the manufacture of wax refineries with your own hands, the steam generator plays a significant role.
The principle of operation and types of steam devices
Heating in this type of wax refinery chamber occurs due to the temperature of water vapor (about 100 ℃). Such steam easily penetrates between the elements of the raw material and produces its melting. Wax is filtered and supplied to special containers.
By design, steam appliances are divided into single devices, where all technological operations take place in one tank. Heating, steam supply and selection of the resulting product is carried out in separate chambers inserted into each other. Hot steam from heated water, which is poured into the lower tank, enters the upper loading chamber, where the raw materials are located. The wax melts and enters the receiving tank.
Separate devices are distinguished by the presence of two functional devices. The steam generator is located separately from the tank with raw materials and the receiver of the finished product. Steam from the liquid heated in the heating tank enters through the pipes into the working device, where the entire process of wax refining is carried out.
Frame type wax refinery
Such a device is quite difficult to manufacture. However, in a large apiary, a handmade wax refinery made by yourself can save time and effort on cutting sushi from the frame. And also, the possibility of disinfection and cleaning of the frame during the process of heating is considered a significant advantage of this design. For its further use, it is enough to tighten the frame wire.
The design is made of two rectangular tanks. The inner container has completely mesh walls or only the bottom of the mesh and is mounted on a stand. Below is a baking sheet for collecting finished products. Between these parts a filtration grid is attached, on which large impurities settle.
A large container is covered with a lid, which serves as a vapor reflector and ensures uniform heating of the frames.
The steam source is most often arranged in a separate container, which is filled with water and heated from a heat source. Through a system of tubes, steam is supplied to the working chamber, where the main stage of melting takes place.
Device from an old washing machine
You can make a wax refinery yourself from your old automatic washing machine. The body and the drum of the unit are taken as the basis of the device. All electronic control devices are pre-deleted.
The tank of the machine serves as a loading tank for raw materials, for which you need to first cut its bottom and weld the mesh. It is also necessary to consider heating the water and draining the finished product.
Of course, it will take a lot of effort to refine such a design, but still, these works are incomparable with the manufacture of a separate device.
Electric appliance
Modern industry produces many different models of electric wax refineries. Such equipment does not use steam or solar energy as a heating element, but electric energy.
Beekeepers rarely make do-it-yourself wax refiners that operate on the energy of electricity. Despite the fact that they work with high speed and efficiency, their application is nevertheless limited by the rather high cost of operation.
The use of infrared elements as heaters contributes to high energy consumption, which is expensive when the system is operating at full power.
The use of equipment for obtaining wax is an important means of the quality use of the products of vital activity of bees. Of course, what type of device operation to choose for use in an apiary is decided by each owner of the farm on their own, but it is better for a novice beekeeper to discuss this issue with a more experienced friend beforehand.