# brushy mt sideliner uncapper



## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I've seen one up close and personal at a trade show. I'm impressed. It's expensive, however. The video shows how easy it is to work. The design is simple, clean and it appears to handle a wide variety of frames, comb depth, etc.

I wish either I could use one to write up a glowing product review, or my fairy god-mother would find one for me, or they were able to drop the price.

Grant
Jackson, MO
http://maxhoney.homestead.com


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## biggin (Jul 1, 2010)

I did get one of these this year. Had issues regarding satisfaction guarantee that never got responded to by B.M. (2 or 3 attempted e-mails)
It isn't much for what it costs. If you had 2 people extracting it would be better than 1. It does save some time versus hand scratching, but I have found after much adjusting that I still need to run the frame back & forth at least twice. To me it still seems like a lot of scratching has to be done. Also, there needs to be 1 or 2 more rows of wheels "pizza cutters" to cover the entire frame . The outside cells do not get cut open and you have to scratch them open by hand. I think my total including shipping was around $1300. The quality of the product is great but the functionality leaves room for improvement. Would I recommend it? No. Not for the $ it costs.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

So what do you plan to do? Keep using it? Make some adjustments? Send it back? Use it for a back-up?

If you are not satisfied, what do you think is a better method?

Right now I'm using Kelley's Vibrating Uncapping Knife. The blades heat up, which is a plus, but they seem to need sharpening. That's my current issue right now.

I'm not totally satisfied with my method, either. I have the best luck with an unheated, serated bread knife from RADA (the ones who sell knives to churches for fund-raisers).

Grant
Jackson, MO
http://maxhoney.homestead.com


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

I have admired the sideliner thing from afar. Watching their video gets me jealous...

I currently have the hot knife but would be willing to try something different. Was debating on dropping the $40 for this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290465149375&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

That roller thing doesn't look like it would do a good job. But that's just me.


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## biggin (Jul 1, 2010)

yeah, the video does make it look smooth. what it doesn't show you is the frame coming out of the extractor. If every cell does not get "sliced" open guess what? the honey doesn't come out. also when you run a circular wheel into a corner (such as the top of the frame), there is no way you can get to the corner, once again you have to take a scratcher and pick the cells open.One thing is for sure you don't get near the uncappings by using this. to me thats a plus. I will keep using it but just wanted to let you know what i thought were negatives concerning this tool.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

I think for almost $2K is a bit much for what I see. You can spend a few hundred more with Maxant and have something you don't need to upgrade down the road if you need to go bigger.:s


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## honeybees (Oct 19, 2009)

i am thinking instead of pizza cutters, because i am not convinced on the sideliner either, that, if there were two solid round rollers with little spikes going around the on the whole thing that all the cells would get punctured. the sideliner cutters are to far apart, the way i see it.


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## caribou0_0 (Aug 21, 2010)

De-capping Plane works better than the knife----IMO----Find it at Brushy Mountain Bee Farm---strictly for small operations of course


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Out of all the options out there for uncapping the simplest to use, cheapest to run, and most effective(all power uncappers require some scratching anyways) is a heated knife on a stand. A better version is the vibrating heated knife. The blade(lengthwise) sits horizontal (like this on a end view- | ) and you pull the combs down across the blade edge while standing on the end of the blade. The 1 I have but no longer use was heated by steam and had a motor to move the comb back and forth. It worked great for extracting up to 25,000 lbs. I paid $50.00 for it and used it for 3 yrs. A little cleaning and it is just like the day I bought it


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## Robbo (May 11, 2008)

I have one, and really like it.

I have fiddled with the spring tensions and put in stiffer springs in the end - the lower roller gets out of the way too easily on those thinly built up with wax frames - I havent got it right still - might need to modify the lower spring setup to make it more stiffer or something. The result is, I have to use a hand uncapper spike tool to pop open the thin cells.

I reckon it works great on the 9 frames in a 10 frame super frames that are built out.

The thing I like about it is it is cold - no hot knives or heating etc - thats a plus for our advertising, and method here.

Pricey yes - you get what you pay for though - nicely built bit of gear.

Will make a thread one day if i manage to engineer out the thin frame problems


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

It is pretty easy to uncap the 9-frame built out super frames (with any method really), but from what you and Biggun said, the "thin" frames (to me, Standard) are a problem, and you are still monkeying with it to get it to work right. Sounds like a beta stage product that could use a re-design. With that price tag, it should work properly. If you are going to have to get out the hand scratcher and roll away at every frame on both sides, the advantages of this machine (ease and speed of use) seem lost to me.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

mythomane said:


> Sounds like a beta stage product that could use a re-design. With that price tag, it should work properly.


Boy, do I ever agree with that statement. I saw the online video and it looks great, but customer feedback here is enough to keep me from investing that kind of money. If I had bought the unit and had the same problems....well, brushy would be real tired of hearing my voice. I agree, they need to either go back to the design stage and work out the bugs, or offer this less-than-perfect design at a more realistic price.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Now I'm getting inspired.

Previously in this thread there was a link to e-bay for one of those puncture-type rollers (courtesy of theriverhawk). I've often wondered if these things get gummed up with cappings and if a quick dip in hot water is sufficient to clean it up.

Would a hand-held roller made of alternating washers be sufficient to mimic the same action of crushing the cappings as the sideliner uncapper? It would only have to be 4" wide and you could catch all the corners, apply more pressure to hit the low spots, then flip it over and do the same.

It would be cheaper than the one in the catalog. Maybe this winter.....

Grant
Jackson, MO
http://maxhoney.homestead.com


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## S&H (Feb 25, 2010)

You can buy a roller for removing air bubbles from a wet fiberglass layup (my occupation many years ago). We called them "bubble busters", and they should work just as well. They come in 2-3 types, the fin type (looks like spaced washers), one like that where the fins have serrated edges, and a third made of bristles (like a brush). Just Google "bubble buster rollers". I think I'll give them a try, even if only for the low spots my knife misses ...


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## S&H (Feb 25, 2010)

Click here to see an example of what looks like a good one to use. (Although these don't have attached handles.)


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Grant said:


> Now I'm getting inspired.
> 
> Previously in this thread there was a link to e-bay for one of those puncture-type rollers (courtesy of theriverhawk). I've often wondered if these things get gummed up with cappings and if a quick dip in hot water is sufficient to clean it up.
> 
> ...


It's called the Hackler Honey punch http://www.plastools.com/honey_punch.htm

I have one and it works, but I find myself using a knife 95% of the time. I bought the punch for the permacomb that I have, which really needs this thing if the bees cap it level of below the plastic cell. I find that cold water seems to work best keeping it clean. Like many of these specialized tools it is pretty expensive for what it is.


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## Hartz (Sep 4, 2010)

Reading these posts made me think of a carpet seam roller (we called them carpet tractors) You can get them @ Lowes although they are kind of expensive($25) If you go to their site, look under flooring / carpet tools... I think it is called a 6" star wheel seam roller. Sure would be quicker than a hot knife if it worked! I don't have any capped frames of honey or I would give it a try.

Hartz


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