# Cleaning old dirty frames?



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When the bees get done, there will be no dust to fall into the honey.

The bees will clean them up. If it makes you feel better you can scrape them. If there is comb in them, I'd leave it. Drawn comb is a valuable resource.


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## FordGuy (Jul 10, 2005)

you are using a scalpel when all you need is a chainsaw.

take your utility knife and store it in a drawer. You need a medium sized wire brush. tractor supply had wire brush with an embedded scraping tool. Perfect. I can clean ten horrendous frames in 15 minutes. or less. slap some foundation in there and you're done.


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## Konrad (Oct 7, 2004)

Thank you all!

>>When the bees get done, there will be no dust 
to fall into the honey.

Sounds good!..... I was wondering, will it be sterile? I'm asking this, because some of you make the honey extractor sterile before use.....I would just wash with warm water and soap?

>>you are using a scalpel when all you need is a chainsaw.

  

>>slap some foundation in there and you're done.

Are you also using plastics?...it looks like you're, the wax comb isn't a slapper in job....well have never done it.

Konrad


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## FordGuy (Jul 10, 2005)

no, using some wax foundation somebody gave me. slaps pretty good.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Sounds good!..... I was wondering, will it be sterile?

For practical purposes, yes. They will coat it all with propolis which will kill most bacteria and viruses.

>I'm asking this, because some of you make the honey extractor sterile before use.....I would just wash with warm water and soap?

I just rinse with boiling water.


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## KSbee (Feb 18, 2005)

I bought 100 used frames last fall. Most of the old comb had been removed but there was still a lot of propolis and burr comb remaining. I took about 5 or 6 frames at a time, stood them on the top bars and used a tiger torch to heat them for a few seconds. Most of the wax melted and ran off. I scraped off what remained with a putty knife. The warm wax and propolis scraped off easily and the frames cleaned up good. Only took me a couple of hours to do the whole batch.


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## newbee 101 (May 26, 2004)

At the cost of about a dollar a frame, I think the risk and labor is too much to clean and use
again. Drawn comb is valuable, if it is disease free.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The secret to the labor issue on anything is having a system. I have cut down hundreds (probably close to a thousand) deep frames and rebuilt them into mediums. Once you have a system going it goes quite quickly and I think I can cut down and reassemble a deep into a medium as fast as I can assemble new ones.

I don't really see the point in scrapping old combs unless you suspect them to be contaminated. Then, I'd either scorch them or boil in lye. Unless you plan to scorch the frames, I'd just cut the old combs out. leaving a bit around the edges to give the bees a guide to go by and use them with no foundation. I never scrape off propolis unless it's in my way and I never remove burr if it's in line with the combs (not sideways or otherwise messed up). The bees clean everything.

I think ya'll work too hard.


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## Konrad (Oct 7, 2004)

Thank you all!
OK..one more question, I have snapped plastic foundation into the wooden frame [top & bottom] the sides not holding at all, [loose]... will this be fine and ridged, after the bees draw comb to the side bars?
Konrad


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

""I think ya'll work too hard.""

I am with Michael & they worry to much


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>OK..one more question, I have snapped plastic foundation into the wooden frame [top & bottom] the sides not holding at all, [loose]... will this be fine and ridged, after the bees draw comb to the side bars?

Yes, the bees will attach it to the sides. It's not a problem.


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## RAYB (Jan 12, 2006)

"regarding old equiptment", I picked up 20 old deeps that have not been used for fifty years. figured to schorch corners and sand with sixty grit rotary inside, paint exterior and bolster the corners with some alum roof rake. The corners are dado and nailed.
?????too much work???? ray barber


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## beaglady (Jun 15, 2004)

Michael Bush wrote: 'The secret to the labor issue on anything is having a system. I have cut down hundreds (probably close to a thousand) deep frames and rebuilt them into mediums. Once you have a system going it goes quite quickly and I think I can cut down and reassemble a deep into a medium as fast as I can assemble new ones.'

Care to share your secret? I have about 100 deep frames from when I first got bees & though it would be fun to lift full deeps. I already measured the comb & wired what was small enough into mediums, & melted what was too big, so there is no comb to deal with. Thanks.

Diane W


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Care to share your secret?

Sure.

>I have about 100 deep frames from when I first got bees & though it would be fun to lift full deeps.

I know the feeling.

> I already measured the comb & wired what was small enough into mediums, & melted what was too big, so there is no comb to deal with.

I'm not clear what you're saying here. You cut the comb down and wired drawn comb into frames?

When I cut them down I used a table saw. I set it at 6 1/4" wide and 1 3/8" deep and ran all the frames through to cut the end bars down. Then I set the width to 3/8" and the depth to 3/8" and ran the ends of all of the bottom bars through to cut off the end bars. Then the remaining end bar was used in a butt joint with the end bars like this:


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## beaglady (Jun 15, 2004)

'I'm not clear what you're saying here. You cut the comb down and wired drawn comb into frames?'

Yes, except that I forgot I ended up sticking it into the medium frames with a bead of melted wax. The wire didn't work very well.
I do small cell and wasn't going to waste good drawn comb, so anything 5.1 or less got cut down & put into medium frames. I just mentioned it so you know there was no drawn comb left with the frames I want to cut.

Thanks for sharing your method. I guess I'll get to learn to use hubby's table saw. 

Diane W


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Yes, except that I forgot I ended up sticking it into the medium frames with a bead of melted wax. 

Cool. I probably would have just tied it in with string and let the bees attach it. But that's a great idea.

>The wire didn't work very well.

The wire works better if it's around the outside of the frame and if it's crimped.

>I do small cell and wasn't going to waste good drawn comb, so anything 5.1 or less got cut down & put into medium frames.

Cool.

>I just mentioned it so you know there was no drawn comb left with the frames I want to cut.

I've never tried cutting it with the comb in it, but I wouldn't say that THAT wouldn't work either. But you don't have to worry about it anyway.

>Thanks for sharing your method. I guess I'll get to learn to use hubby's table saw. 

Just be sure you don't stand BEHIND anything that can kick back. The piece between the fence and the blade can always get in a bind and kick back. Also, if something DOES kickback, don't let it pull you into the blade. No piece of wood is worth it.









Also, you can set the width to 6 1/4" and the depth to 3/8" and run each end bar through flat (with the frame sticking straight up from the saw bed). That way you don't have the blade sticking up so far.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When you're done, it ends up looking like this:

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/DeepCutToMedium2.JPG


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