|
| Information Centre |
Turn an old outboard motor into a new honey extractor |
|
|
By Jorge Murillo Yepes, BfD's Correspondent in Grenada The lack of appropriate and affordable honey extraction equipment has been identified as a significant factor holding back development of beekeeping in the eastern Caribbean. Buying a honey extractor is an important step forward for any beekeeper. An imported extractor can easily cost more than the total of all other expenses a small-scale beekeeper has to face in starting up.
Using easily available, inexpensive or free-for-the-hauling components, the tinkering genius displayed by most beekeepers could produce a hand- or power-cranked four frame tangential extractor, capable of spinning at a speed of at least 200 rpm. The main component of the hand-cranked model is the foot gear of a junked outboard engine, together with its prop-shaft which must be at least 66 cm long. The crank could be fashioned in a variety of styles, from an iron rod welded to the propeller stem, to more sophisticated versions. A basket to contain the frame can be easily made with two identical wooden frames and 60 mm wire mesh. The basket shaft spins in a floor flange mounted exactly in the centre of the bottom of a metal rubbish bin or plastic drum. A pipe is necessary to allow the extracted honey to flow out. A simpler, more efficient extractor can also be built, spinning the basket with an electric hand drill attached to the shaft. [Bees for Development Journal #44] |
Bees for Development Journal Available on subscription Click here to download a complimentary copy
|
| News | About Us | What We Do | Take Action | Information Centre | Journal | Shop at the BfD Store |
