# Kelley vibrating knife



## Swobee

I've only seen photos of these contraptions. We're not up to the stage of needing a Silver Queen or something like that size. But we'd sure like something faster than the knife or plane. Are these vibrators worth it as an intermediate-sized uncapping tool? Thanks


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## danno1800

*mine works very well*

I have an old Kelley steam powered vibrating knife...it works the same as the newer electric knives. I think you will find it helps you be more productive. Good luck! -Dan


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## Walt McBride

I think that my Kelley electric heated vibrating knife was well worth its' cost when I bought it 19 years ago. I had used a hand knife for 15 years prior. Operate about 90 hives now.
I am glad that I went to a vibrating knife. It is at least twice as fast as a hand knife and your wrists don't ache after long uncaping sessions.
Walt


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## Swobee

Thanks, guys... sounds like a no-brainer. And if you knew me better you'd find no-brainers describe me pretty well!


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## BGhoney

I have been thinking about buying the kelly vibrating knife. A larger beek from our club mentioned he had one years ago, tried it once and sold it. He suspected he may cut off his finger tips very quickly.

I've never run one before does this seem like a concern, I have several people come over and extract at my honey house and would be worried about them ( or me ) cutting themselves.:no:


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## peggjam

I bought one this year and love it. As far as cutting off fingers, :no:, just have to uncap half the frame on both sides then flip it over and uncap the other half. Sooooo much better than a hand knife:thumbsup:. Cut my extracting time in half.


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## Swobee

James,

Does yours fit over a stainless steel uncapping tank OK? Did it take modification to fit? We got our uncapping tank from Mann Lake.


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## peggjam

I used a ss dairy sink. It fit perfectly, and I hold it on with a couple welding vise grips. When I finally get things cleaned up, i'll take some pics and post them.


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## Cam

I don't suppose anyone has video of one of these in action do they?


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## magnet-man

Some close up pictures with descriptions on how it works would be nice.


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## Swobee

Magnet- nice website. Fun, artsy, interesting, historical, colorful. Simply put, I like it! Is that some original paraphrasing Shakespear from your pen?


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## Swobee

I swear I saw a short video on the vibratory knife a year or two ago, but have no clue where it was. Maybe the mead just kicked in and it just came in a vision.


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## magnet-man

Which way does the knife vibrate? Side to side or forward and back?:scratch:

Swobee, it is from my own pen.


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## Swobee

I'd have to say side to side, looking at the photo and trying to remember the video I saw of one in operation.


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## magnet-man

This looks to be the patent the knife is based on. It would be nice for someone who owns one to confirm it.

http://www.google.com/patents?id=u1...ife&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=0_1#PPA1,M1


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## Swobee

OK, James (peggjam), inquiring minds want to know - side to side or front to back?


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## magnet-man

Kelley's
http://go.netgrab.com/secure/kelleystore/productpics/uncappers.jpg

Lega's
http://www.legaitaly.com/foto/p4290.jpg


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## BGhoney

I tried looking on utube for a vknife being used, nope. Everything else. Even a radial extractor that spins the whole box, frames and all.. Very kewl

Its under hawaii honey production, Looks like it does about 8 to 10 boxes at a time.

Anywho if one of you lucky souls would post a vid of your uncapper in action we would eat it up


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## peggjam

It vibrates side to side. You put the frame on top of the knife and pull it towards you, flip and repeat. I only do half of a side at a time, and then flip it end for end and do the other end. It works great.


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## magnet-man

$385 and people think my suits are expensive. I am going to have to start making heated vibrating uncapping knifes!


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## Swobee

magnet-man said:


> $385 and people think my suits are expensive. I am going to have to start making heated vibrating uncapping knifes!



Or heated vibrating suits. Soothe the back aches after lifting supers.


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## peggjam

I got one because I couldn't afford a auto uncapper, and there was tooooo much honey to do with a hand knife. It works well for those who have more honey to do than is feasible with a hand knife. Someday though I will have to upgrade to an auto uncapper....


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## Swobee

James, thanks for your input. My thoughts were confirmed that the Vibrating Knife may be a good intermediate tool for our uncapping needs. I have no desire to operate 1,000's of hives, but no desire to work harder than necessary.


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## magnet-man

While I was joking about the price, I do see where it is money well spent.


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## Walt McBride

*Kelley Vibrating Knife*

Here is a 60 sec. video of me using my Kelley vibrating knife and scratching low points on the comb. Notice that you can hardly see the knife vibrating.
Knife blade has one speed. Tempature is controlable. 
Also video has audio track.
Walt 


http://s440.photobucket.com/albums/...=view&current=Honeyextractionwithhotblade.flv


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## magnet-man

Thanks Walt.


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## BeeTeach

I am also considering the purchase of one of these knives. I noticed this year that in using my electric knife on the one piece plastic frames that I would pull off a small curl of plastic on some passes. Is this just me (operator error) or is this common? Will this happen with the vibrating knife as or more frequently?


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## rkwool01

*Kelley Vibrating Knife Pictures*

I found a link showing pictures of a Kelley Vibrating Knife in use.

http://www.pacificcrestapiaries.com/id33.html

Another beekeeper said to slide the frame at an angle as the frame is pulled across the blade and to watch out for the fingers.

Kent


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## danno1800

*I really like my Kelley Vibrating Knife*

I got one of the old used ones that runs on steam for $75 at a bee conference last year. It has really made me more productive in uncapping the frames. Color me satisfied! -Danno


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## magnet-man

> I found a link showing pictures of a Kelley Vibrating Knife in use.
> http://www.pacificcrestapiaries.com/id33.html


This one is different from Walt's. Notice how the blade is mounted on top and you can uncap either from the left or right. Looks like it takes a bit more room but I think it would give the operator more choices on technique.


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## Walt McBride

Interesting on this thread about the Kelley Vibrating Knife.
Yes the are now producing and have for some time now a horizontal blade uncapper where the comb is held in a horizontal position and you aproach the blade ether from the left or right to uncap.
The top and bottom bar are your guides for the depth of cut.
My uncapper shown in the above video is the previous model with a vertical blade. The comb being held vertical and being moved down ward by mostly its own weight, I think is a better feature.
In any case a motor driven knife works wounders on the wrists.
As a point of interest, Kelley years ago I believe, produced a verticaly positioned vibrating blade arangement where the comb was held in its natural position and drawn across the blade.
Walt


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## Swobee

*Walt?*

Did you just take the Kelley model and mount it at 90° on your uncapping tank?


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## BeeTeach

It's been a while since I've seen the movie Ulee's Gold but if I remember correctly the unit that was used in that movie to uncap was a self-feeding vertical vibrating knife. If I am correct, was this a Kelly unit also?


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## Gene O

i got my kelleys knife last year and love it tryed planner and heated knife this one is better


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## Adrian Quiney WI

I was wondering how those who use a Kelley Vibrating knife process their cappings? It seems to me that using one of these would speed up my processing, but then I would have more cappings to deal with. Currently I use an uncappings fork which produces very little in the way of cappings.
I am at the sideliner level and I ran 18 production hives this summer; I enjoyed the bees, but I need a way to speed up my processing.


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## Grant

I own one of these and I'm only moderately pleased. The knife blade needs sharpening, despite being heated or it just ends up pulling comb away form the frame. This year, the heating element went out just as we started uncapping so I went with a serrated bread knife with a 10" blade. Yeah , my elbow complained but I think it was just as fast.

Now that we're down extracting, I'll clean it up and check the connections. Not sure how to sharpen the blade and not mess it up further.

I bought mine used, and it sets over a capping tank (rectangular box).

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## Adrian Quiney WI

Thanks Grant. I was hoping it would speed things up.


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## Walt McBride

Adrian, When I frabricated my 5' uncap tray I fabracated a perforated tray to set in side, elevated slightly above the bottom to drain the acumulated cappings. The tray is aprox. 24" long 18" wide. I should had made it 48" long as it fills too quickly as I like to brake up the cappings with a hive tool into a slurry and let them sit for a few hours or over night to drain into the tray and out in to the straned bucket below.
Caps are removed eventually and stored in buckets untill I can get around to wash and melt in sollar melter.
Bought a Kelley Capping Melter, the smaller one, did not like the finished product, wax or honey as opposed to the way I have been processing the caps for years but I can see a capping melter is a must for a larger operation than mine.


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## Adrian Quiney WI

Walt, thanks for the reply. From your reply I understand you to be still using the Kelley knife? Are you still happy with it?


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## sqkcrk

*Re: mine works very well*



danno1800 said:


> I have an old Kelley steam powered vibrating knife...it works the same as the newer electric knives. I think you will find it helps you be more productive. Good luck! -Dan


What do you use for a steam source?


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## sqkcrk

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*



Walt McBride said:


> Here is a 60 sec. video of me using my Kelley vibrating knife and scratching low points on the comb. Notice that you can hardly see the knife vibrating.
> Knife blade has one speed. Tempature is controlable.
> Also video has audio track.
> Walt
> 
> 
> http://s440.photobucket.com/albums/...=view&current=Honeyextractionwithhotblade.flv


Is your honey cold? It sure looks to me like you are working hard to uncap a half capped frame of honey. I have seen jiggle knives in use a long time ago and the user pushed the frame across the blade in one easy motion w/out sawing it back and forth like you do. That's what I was expecting to see when I clicked on the video.

I just spent a week of 10 hours days extracting w/ a steam heated hot knife. Comparing what I saw in the video w/ what I experienced firast hand I'd go w/ the steam operated hot knife. Does anyone have a video of a steam heated jiggle knife?

Walt, thanks for the video. Looks like it works for you. I just need to move along a little faster. Good video.


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## Walt McBride

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

The day the above video was made was a cool day as you can see I had my jacket on. The honey was cold so the cut was a little slow and I was jacking the frame back and forth more than normal. When it is 85-95 deg. and the frames are in the 75-85 deg. area the cut goes soooo smooooth!
I feel that the knife was one of the best investments along with the SS radial extractor that I have purchased.
Walt


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## TimW

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

What are people using to create steam for their steam heated knifes? If you are using one, can you let me know what your using and maybe take a photograph of it and post it?


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## marios

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

i also just bought the older steam jiggle knife and am wondering how to set it up. don't know how to add youtube video url's but if you search "Extracting line in our honey house" a good video is available


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## beeware10

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

I have seen a good operator uncap nearly as fast as a cowan uncapper. you will find that the faster you uncap the next problem will be handling the cappings. I have used everthing from a brand melter to the 10 foot long kelley wax melter. never used or saw a system that I liked.


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## TimW

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

Marios, I called Cowen and talked to Greg about the one I bought and asked about steam. He said that I could use hot water, since it is safer than steam. Said there are steam generators out there, but can be expensive. 

Engineer friend and I were thinking about using a tiny hot water heater with a pump to circulate the water through the system. Pump is the type that you use to circulate heated water in cement floors.

They think they recognized mine and said it was a late 1940's to 1950's machine, Lohman brand. Older than me!!! Still seems to work great.

Here is mine....need to clean the blade up.










Marios, I assume this is the video you where talking about: http://youtu.be/gL7Eoo5OIrU


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## marios

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

tim exactly what i bought, like the idea of the water, thats the video guy i was using a pressue cooker on a hot plate. one thing about old they used good steel simple and easy.


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## Ted n Ms

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

http://s612.photobucket.com/user/tednms/media/photobucket-16894-1393208517735.mp4.html


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## Adrian Quiney WI

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

Thanks Ted, I have been waiting to see one of these in action for a long time. :thumbsup:


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## Ted n Ms

*Re: Kelley Vibrating Knife*

This slow to load i probably done something wrong.


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## julysun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiLQeSs-9Zg

This one is $1300. Not sure about the price, I just grabbed this off the web.


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## TimW

Thanks for posting the video Ted.

Can't wait to get mine cleaned up and ready for this years honey.


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## marios

nice video ted, can you sharpen the knife, and if you can how? Mine is set up to work on its side but i have yet to clean it up and use it.
thanks


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## Ted n Ms

marios said:


> nice video ted, can you sharpen the knife, and if you can how? Mine is set up to work on its side but i have yet to clean it up and use it.
> thanks


 Yes it can be and does need to be sharpened periodically. I sharpen mine with a flat file. I quess you also do it with a stone.:thumbsup:


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