# Large scale comb honey production



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIjiInZRxrQ


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Mike very nice presentation. A lot of work goes into production of comb honey that look pretty.


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## homegrown (Jul 24, 2016)

I agree, great video! 
Mike, have you looked at the N style frame from Walter T Kelley?


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I believe that is what he uses. If I remember right from one of his videos. Just a humble student of the master.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

My market doesn't know what it is! Not willing to pay a low price!


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I use a thin top bar frame from Kelley. Not the N style. Either grooved or split thin top bar shallow frame. Can't find them in the online catalog.


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## homegrown (Jul 24, 2016)

What’s wrong with the N style frame?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I use the Kelley F frame or a homemade medium foundationless frame. I alternate them between drawn combs and get a foundationless cut comb. Not as pretty as a cut comb on foundation but a 100% natural product without a man made mid rib. I cut them with the Mann Lake cutter that fits the Pioneer 4" box. I use shallow frames and the smaller ML cutter to fit ML's sandwich type boxes. This is one from this winter's eucalyptus flow. 

https://www.kelleybees.com/assembled-medium-frames-f.html


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## homegrown (Jul 24, 2016)

That’s some perdy comb odfrank! Glad to hear you guys had nice eucalyptus flow. Our eucalyptus down hear have been hit pretty hard by that invasive beetle. Do you send bees to almonds?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

homegrown said:


> That’s some perdy comb odfrank! Glad to hear you guys had nice eucalyptus flow. Our eucalyptus down hear have been hit pretty hard by that invasive beetle. Do you send bees to almonds?


No. Too small and not palletized. Honey producer. Three plus tons a year.


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## homegrown (Jul 24, 2016)

Ya, I agree loading bees by hand sucks!


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

homegrown said:


> What’s wrong with the N style frame?


If you slide a sheet...or starter strip down into those grooves, how is it supported? If you use a full sheet, does the sheet contact the bottom board? If so, the bees will attach the bottom edge of the foundation to the bottom board and the comb will be curved. And would't a starter strip fall out? I guess you could fold over the foundation at the top bar, but I don't think the top bar slit is tight as in the split top bar frame.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I do like the split tops (and I have a couple of pallets of them) but when I use starter strips I put them in with a wax tube fastener. If I have grooved top bars this works best. You can nail them and wax them, but it's more work.


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## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2004)

Homegrown...what is 'large scale' to you? 15 supers? 50 supers? etc.


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## TimW (May 15, 2013)

I just called Kelly about the frames. 

They said they are only making the slotted thin bar frames. But..... there is a 3 week lead time with a 1000 minimum order, PLUS a $200 setup fee. They sell for $95.25 per 100. This is a special order item.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

I probably shouldn't even reply I am so small-scale.

I have been using the N style top bars on a medium frame. I drop a sheet of medium comb foundation in and have not attached it. The comb rests on the bottom bar and is tall enough to still sit in the top bar. I have not had a problem with the foundation/comb curving. I do comb honey on strong hives with just a frame or two per super.

Tom


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## homegrown (Jul 24, 2016)

Tom, thanks for the heads up! Yes, you should reply, don’t let the grumps make you feel small. So you only use the N style top bar and not the complete N style frame with the thicker-grooved end bars?


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...sheet-of-foundation-in-deep-frames-experiment

Been doing this a few years now and still love it.

































A half sheet of foundation in a frame will net you 2 slabs, each between 1 1/2# -2#, Very uniform. No special equipment, except slightly modified frames.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Because three sides are against the frame ( Top, side and bottom) and are basically sealed , you only have one wet cut against the foundation.
Very little drain.

Edge cut:

















Compared to the wet cut against foundation:


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## Biermann (May 31, 2015)

Hello Lauri,

Thank you very much for sharing this with us. I have long being thinking about this because I have customers ask for comb, but not too many and this would workout just fine to have some production starting and see what the buyers say. I will read your detailed info under the web link later tonight and some more times to clearly understand it all. Many thanks again and I hope I can give back to the forum some day to make up for your sharing.

Cheers, Joerg


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

Last year was my first year really doing comb honey. I used the thin surplus wax from Mannlake and the support pins in the end bars. I thought the bees would get to working on it right away but by the time they did it all sagged. I ended up melting all the foundation down and poured it in the groove of the top bars. Worked out OK. Some was messed up, so I made chunk honey and the rest I crushed and strained it gave away. This year I'll probably just put last year's frames back on them and see what happens. If I was serious about it I think I'd cut starter strips and how them in place with a little melted wax.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

I may be crazy, but it sure looks like you guys are making cut comb, not true comb honey, which is in Basswood sections or equivalents. At least that is how it is defined in our laws.

Crazy Roland


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## SWM (Nov 17, 2009)

Roland said:


> I may be crazy, but it sure looks like you guys are making cut comb, not true comb honey, which is in Basswood sections or equivalents. At least that is how it is defined in our laws.
> 
> Crazy Roland


Roland, please tell us about your laws that defines true comb honey as only produced in sections. 
Thanks...


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Don't he have the information in front of me, but I will search it out. We wrote the Wisconsin Honey definition a few years back, and forgot about it since then. I would check the Codex Alimentarus(sp?) and the National Honey Board. I remember my father talking about definitions (20 years ago?) when he was on the Board.

Crazy Roland


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