Rebel Chick's Knife

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 10-02-2009, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by finallyME

Thanks cowboy, I might try that, or crash's. Either way, I think I can make one without spending any money.

Despite opposing opinions if you go the route of using coals you will need the air blast to reach critical or non-magnetic a simple fire is not enough.

**finallyME** · 10-02-2009, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

Despite opposing opinions if you go the route of using coals you will need the air blast to reach critical or non-magnetic a simple fire is not enough.

Well, I don't have a hair dryer that will fit in a pipe. My wife uses one that has a long narrow exit, not a tube exit. But, I did try something tonight that might work. I simply took my little power fan that we use to blow air on us in the summer, and put it on high over the coals. Those suckers got real hot for a while. I don't know if it was hot enough. But, it looked cool.

**crashdive123** · 10-10-2009, 04:49 PM

I’ve started working on the sheath. It probably won’t be anything fancy, but decided that I would use some bees wax to seal it. Since I had a bee job this week/weekend the opportunity presented itself to get some wax. I’ll post a few pictures of the process that I use to separate the honey from the wax. Sadly, the honey is contaminated and can’t be used. The hole you see is in the ceiling of a first floor room. I pulled about 75 pounds of honey and comb out of the overhead. The hive was about 7 feet long.

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**Rick** · 10-10-2009, 05:23 PM

7 feet?! Man, those little cowboys have been busy for a while. You have to find a non-contaminating spray or something. That's a LOT of honey to go to waste. Imagine what that would be like in your pantry. Mmmmmmmm.

**crashdive123** · 10-10-2009, 05:27 PM

Sometimes I can remove a couple of slabs before I kill em. This time, with kids in the house - didn't want to take a chance.

**Rick** · 10-10-2009, 05:28 PM

Kids, Smids. It's honey! Besides, the kids will keep the bees busy while you scoop up the honey and the wax. Just keep the kids tied up close by and....oh, wait....never mind.

**tonester** · 10-10-2009, 06:19 PM

mmmm! man that looks good! to bad kids were around. that reminds me, theres a tree stump thats about 8ft high off a trail in the hills behind my house thats full of honey comb. im too scared to mess with those guys though, i have no bee gear so they can keep their honey.

**crashdive123** · 10-10-2009, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by tonester

mmmm! man that looks good! to bad kids were around. that reminds me, theres a tree stump thats about 8ft high off a trail in the hills behind my house thats full of honey comb. im too scared to mess with those guys though, i have no bee gear so they can keep their honey.

While the bee suit helps, if you make em mad enough you will get stung. Got about six today - that's OK though, I charge by the sting.

**Ole WV Coot** · 10-10-2009, 08:59 PM

I've cut a few bee trees and it ain't worth it. Hard work with an axe, dirt & bees in the honey and plenty of stings. A couple of hives, queen excluder to supers and above all those sweet Italian bees, not the mean black ones.

**Rick** · 10-11-2009, 12:08 AM

They are pretty easy to tell apart. The Italian ones say things like Arrivederci or Buongiorno while the mean black ones says things like, Yo! Waz up? Just sayin'....

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 10-11-2009, 12:14 AM

Crash have you ever thought of using a Smoker like Beekeepers use? It does help to make them a little more docile.They also make a full body suit that will prevent stings, at least they used to. Might be too hot in summer though. Almost all my Uncles had bee yards when I was growing up,I even helped one on occasion. This is a site that has all the basics. Suits,smokers,meds, ETC.
http://www.beekeepingstarterkit.com/

**Rick** · 10-11-2009, 12:17 AM

And, of course, there is the self flaming suit that is sure to keep stings to a minimum.

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**crashdive123** · 10-11-2009, 03:32 PM

Poco - I have used a smoker, and it does help. This was not an application where I could use one. I do wear a full bee suit. The problem was twofold. One - it was in the mid 90's, so I had sweated through the suit and the wet cloth was just sticking to me. Two - they were really pizzed.

**crashdive123** · 10-11-2009, 03:33 PM

The next step is to separate the wax and honey. Using a vertical press (I’ll make one for my next batch) is more efficient, but this is what I had on hand. The comb is kind of like little packing bubbles, except they are filled with honey. By pushing the comb through the hardware cloth it breaks all of the individual cells. The netting catches the wax, allowing the honey to drip through to the pan below. It should be ready in about 3 days. All of the bee parts that are in the wax will be skimmed off during the melting.

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**panch0** · 10-11-2009, 04:18 PM

That looks nasty! Like barf. Its really cool though. I have never even thought of attempting this and would like to see this process. Thanks for posting pics Crash!

**Rick** · 10-11-2009, 04:45 PM

Sweet! (get it? Honey? Sweet?)

Can't you vacuum the bees out of the hive and save the honey? Probably won't be too good on the bees but you kill them anyway, right? Looks like you could rig up a vacuum machine that would save the bees, honey and wax. Then you could sell the bees and keep the honey and the wax. Win/win/win/win (if you include the bees' point of view).

**crashdive123** · 10-11-2009, 05:42 PM

Rick - if I can access the comb without any treating at all - just smoke - the bees can be gently brushed off with a paddle or stick. It's when I have to spray first that I end up with dead bees mixed in the comb. An example would be that feral hive that Your Comfort Company found. Just harvest one or two pieces of comb. You will always know where the store is for more honey when you need it.

**your_comforting_company** · 10-11-2009, 08:02 PM

thanks for posting those pics. thats a neat setup I could come up with from stuff around the house. Please keep us posted with more pics as you go through the process.
It is too bad about the bees, they are such a vital part of our ecosystem.
just fyi, beeswax down here is about 7 bucks a lb.
there was a fella over in the next town who had a nest about that size in an old chimney. It was in a room they never use so they hadn't noticed till the beez started coming through the door into the house. heck, you might have been the exterminator they called for all I know lol

**crashdive123** · 10-17-2009, 05:32 PM

Here’s the finished product. I’m still learning as I go. Hopefully the next one will be better. Hope you enjoy it RC.

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**canid** · 10-17-2009, 06:21 PM

beautiful, as i expected.

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