Author Topic: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?  (Read 3584 times)

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Offline Jen

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Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« on: January 01, 2018, 03:32:48 pm »
Is there such a thing? as frames that have pre fabricated drawn wax? The reason is.. well.. I have none in storage. This last year of selling nucs has empties my storage of ready drawn frames to put into my own hives and nucs, let alone the nucs that will go to another home.

Before I go on a hunt with Dadant and Mann and other companies, maybe you guys know if such a thing exists?

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Offline tedh

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2018, 05:08:57 pm »
Hey Jen!  I've not seen drawn frames for sale from any of the suppliers I use.  You might try Ebay though that opens up the question of where the frames came from, deadout? what did they die from? I'd also want to know about chemicals used in the hive etc. Anyway, Happy New Year and good luck on your quest! Ted
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Offline Jen

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2018, 06:10:23 pm »
Thanks Ted, 2018 already fits like a better slipper  :) 8) Wishing you and yours the same ~

So to clarify, I was hoping to find a supplier that had frames of drawn out comb ... man made, prefabricated ... but that would be ridiculous because we as .. man.. would never get the angles right according to the bees... I'm thinking out loud.

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Offline tedh

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2018, 06:53:07 pm »
There's something nagging at the back of my mind, like possibly comb made from plastic?  Similar to the flow hive frames.  If it exists, and it very well may not, i have no idea where it would be purchased.  Josh and i have at least one deadout each year, that's where we get most of our drawn frames, besides the frames we try to cycle out, which seems to end up cycled back in again.  Ted
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Offline Jen

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2018, 07:09:56 pm »
Okay.

Do you sell nucs Ted?
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Offline tedh

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2018, 07:25:20 pm »
We've been selling a couple 2 or 3 each spring.
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Online Bakersdozen

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2018, 08:14:49 pm »
Jen, there is plastic foundation available that is coated in wax.  I have taken my own wax cappings, melted them down, and used a small sponge roller brush to add to the existing wax on new frames.  It only take a few minutes and you can have 10 frames covered. It is by no means drawn out comb.  A good nectar flow, and bees will have that comb drawn out in no time.  I put the foundation in the wooden frames prior to painting wax on.  It's a lot easier on me that way.  I set it back in the wooden ware and then I don't have to hold it until it dries.
I don't think I would want to buy someone else's drawn out comb. Built up pesticides, foulbrood, etc.

Offline Jen

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2018, 09:49:01 pm »
Hi Baker, yes I do know not to use any wooden ware from another source, that's why I was wondering about pre-fabricated man made completed wax frames. Surprised no supplier has come up with that yet.. Except that those completed wax frames would be taking the job away from the bees, so that wouldn't be very nice :sad:  Now that I know how to put a good nuc together, I was wanting to use plastic foundation in wooden frames for nucs to sell. Too expensive to use wired wax foundation in nuc. But I will continue to use wired wax foundation in my own hives.

I think that answered my question. I get wax coated plasticell foundation for nucs. I will still probably add another layer of melted was just to give the bees a good start.

Thanks Guys! Appreciate the input  :)
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2018, 11:49:08 pm »
I have had a LOT of drawn foundation go through my hands. But if you want it you will have to buy it from some of the big boys... I am not sure if Tim has any left or not that he is willing to sell. He had quite a hall of the stuff last year, but now he has moved up to that state somewhere near Zweef and Mrs River... I am definitely going to get up there to see him and Zweef. Then Zweef and I are going to put on Kevlar vests and hunt down Mrs. River!
    Fully drawn foundation is mostly used foundation, but I believe...
   Let me look....

   Honey Supercell!   http://www.simpsonsbeesupply.com/   Scroll down a bit...   I have never used it, so if you try it us know how it works?
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2018, 11:59:24 pm »
Also expanding on what LazyBkpr posted. There is one supplier of plastic foundation that does make the cell imprint a little deeper than all the other suppliers but we are only talking a couple of millimeters deeper.
In the 1940 some fully drawn frames were invented and tried but these were constructed with aluminum and had more disadvantages to their use than the benefits that they offered. Thermal conduction, bending and deformed cell if the comb surface was hit
Option 3 manage the bees for a honey crop. Keep them from swarming and build nucs with out depleting the hives for sale next year.
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2018, 12:07:55 am »
This fellow seemed to have good luck getting them to fill the frames with honey...



   I am unsure how it would work out as brood frames, but I am going to do some research on it when I get back to Iowa in February...   Even if it is ONLY so i can send pictures of fully capped brood in those plastic frames to Jack!   

 :laugh: :laugh:
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Offline rober

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2018, 03:08:55 pm »
even if it's wax coated I recoat plastic foundation with wax & spray with sugar water just before I put the frames in a hive. here's some plastic comb
https://resistantbees.com/shop/index.php?id_product=37&controller=product&id_lang=5

omnimirage

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2018, 09:28:37 pm »
My local bee supply yard sells frames with beeswax coating. I'm pretty sure he's stinging with the amount of wax used, and he charges a fortune. Might be better to just find a way of acquiring beeswax and applying it yourself.

Offline apisbees

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2018, 06:41:36 am »
Omni, are they full plastic frames or plastic foundation that you put in your wax frames?
What is he charging you? Au dollar is fine as the Can dollar is worth the same against the Us dollar
Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

omnimirage

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2018, 07:38:37 am »
Plastic foundation placed in a wooden frame. The wood frame with plastic foundation costs about $2.5 unassembled, an assembled one with wax applied costs $4.5.

Offline apisbees

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2018, 11:31:05 am »
That is close to the price we pay in Canada for frames. even plastic foundation coming out of China is not much cheaper
Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

omnimirage

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2018, 04:30:49 pm »
Right. The foundation costs about $1.25. I did think about building my own frames, but at $1.25, I didn't think it was worth the effort with all the grooves that need to be cut out.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #17 on: February 20, 2018, 07:57:54 pm »
Make your own frames!

   http://www.outyard.net/frames.html

   I find it to be relaxing, though after a few hundred it does get tedious.
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2018, 08:58:52 pm »
This fellow seemed to have good luck getting them to fill the frames with honey...



   I am unsure how it would work out as brood frames, but I am going to do some research on it when I get back to Iowa in February...   Even if it is ONLY so i can send pictures of fully capped brood in those plastic frames to Jack!   

 :laugh: :laugh:

This is fascinating, how much do they cost?
Neill Sayers
Herbhome Bees
USDA Zone 7a

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Purchasing Medium Frames with pre drawn wax?
« Reply #19 on: February 20, 2018, 09:06:13 pm »
Nevermind, did a search and found them. permacomb or supercell

Seems like a good thing.
Neill Sayers
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