# Dipping or painting pierco plastic foundation



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Anyone have experience on which is the best method on getting this foundation drawn ?, I am thinking of dipping the whole frame in hot wax


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

I made a syrup dipping tube out of 8" PVC pipe with a cap so that I could imerse four of the Pierco 6 1/4" frames at a time. Or, you can spray the frames in a 5 gallon bucket with a clean garden sprayer. I cut the tip off my spray wand and copper sweated an agricultural "T" nozzel on the end. The agric nozzel has aan in-line screen that's easy to clean.
Ernie


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## Beeman52 (Apr 21, 2010)

I use syrup with Honey Bee Healthy. This works for me. All you need to do is cover the smell of the plastic. You still need a good honey flow as with any foundation. If you use the frame with foundation the empty spaces around the frame makes a good hideing place for small hive beatles.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

I bought a plastic spray bottle at the Dollar Store. It was passed around at the "swarms, splits, and package bees" workshop last Saturday. Sugar syrup gets the bees on all types of foundation. Heavy feeding is the real kicker, coating is just the catalyst!


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## Broke-T (Jul 9, 2008)

We buy unwaxed pierco foundation and put it in wood frames. Then we melt wax in frydaddy or crockpot and brush on coat with 4" foam brush picked up at walmart. That way we know where the wax came from.

Works good for us.

Johnny


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

Being from Missouri, I am obstinately demanding someone "show me" how that syrup sticks to the waxed plastic. I bought waxed frames and I could never get the mist/spray to stick. It beads up and rolls off. Show me!

However, one method I did devise (but it takes longer) was to spray the syrup on the frame, let the frame rest horizontally for two days to let that syrup dry to the sticky, tacky residue, then flip the frame over and repeat the other side.

But it didn't really show any significant improvement in getting the wax drawn.

So I went with melted cappings in a crock pot, 4" foam roller. Works great for me.

I tried dipping in hot wax, but the wax coating was way, way too thick. I need help on my technique, obviously. A little help, please?

Grant
Jackson, MO


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

I am thinking a thin coating of wax would be the result from a higher melting temperature?
Anyone try this?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I use wax foundation which the bees accept voraciously.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

when melting wax in a crock pot does it ruin the pot? Or can you clean it out? I need to know before I use my wifes. If it can't be cleaned which I think would be hard I can pick one up at a garage sell. Thanks


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

The dipping in hot wax will warp the frame and a lot of wax will be lost in the frames channels.
KISS: Just dip or spray the frame with syrup and give the frames to the bees.
Ernie


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

I don't see the point of spraying them. The bees will draw out what they need when they need it. Nothing draws foundation quicker than a strong hive.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

johng said:


> when melting wax in a crock pot does it ruin the pot? Or can you clean it out? I need to know before I use my wifes. If it can't be cleaned which I think would be hard I can pick one up at a garage sell. Thanks


Trust me on this...it doesn't matter that it doesn't ruin the crock pot:no:. Go to a garage sale and get your own.inch:


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## bennybee (Jul 10, 2008)

johng said:


> when melting wax in a crock pot does it ruin the pot? Or can you clean it out? I need to know before I use my wifes. If it can't be cleaned which I think would be hard I can pick one up at a garage sell. Thanks


I took my wifes' crockpot 2 years ago and she hasn't missed it yet. What does that tell you?


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## theriverhawk (Jun 5, 2009)

Yea, just find a crock pot at a garage sale for $5 and use it. My wife broke the top to hers and I bought her a nice new one. Hand me downs are good...The crock pot with the roller works like a champ on both solid plastic frames and plastic foundation. The extra layer of wax really does make a difference in them drawing them out.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Like 123456 said, nothing inspires the bees to make comb from foundation, plastic frames, foundationless, than a strong hive during a honey flow. Those honey flows work like magic.


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

To get a thin wax coat by dipping, use a deep pot of near boiling water with the melted wax floating on top. Use a pair of pliars or other suitable instrument to hold the foundation by one corner and dip the foundation through the wax layer and back out again. The hot water prevents too much wax from sticking to the foundation and also heats the foundation up allowing more of the wax to drip off before it cools.  It is probably not worth the effort to set this up unless you are doing several hundred sheets, otherwise the crock pot and foam roller IMO are the next best option.


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

I buy the pierco all plastic frames. Crock pot and foam brush works great. I tested it brushed on wax in strips horizontal on one side and verticle on the other. They totaly drew out the waxed part before they started on the light wax coating that came from the factory.


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## ga.beeman (Mar 29, 2009)

make sure you have a good flow going is the most important thing. I dont dip it when it is new but after it has been used i scrap all the old wax off that is left after the wax moths have messed it up and i dip it in a barrel of melted wax that is about half full. I bang it on the side of the barrel as soon as i take it out of the hot wax. this will knock most of the extra wax off. snap the plastic back into the frame right then and you are ready to go. the roller method works good to if you get the right roller. works good for me. Plastic is harder to draw then wax foundation but is by far better after it is drawed out. if you get a mouse in it in the winter you can redip it and it is ready to go again. cant do that with wax foundation. and the time it takes to install the plastic compared to wax is 100% better.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

Thanks guys! I found an old crock pot this weekend and use a paint brush to add a little extra wax on my plastic foundation. I thought I had a bunch of wax until I melted it down. I guess it will be a while before I get enough to do it again. Unless I buy some wax. Thanks, John


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

Watch this vid of John Pluta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pyB64oaHWk


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