# Knife vs. Roller vs. Heat gun



## Barhopper (Mar 5, 2015)

I've used hot knife, cold knife, and roller. I like a cold knife the best. I run 9 frame supers so the comb is usually out past the frames. Used a roller once. I'm not sure it saved any wax. Sure did make a lot of small pieces of wax that clogged the filter/screen in a hurry. Cold knife works faster than a hot knife for me.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Cold knife at this time.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

i use heat gun when opportunity is there. what is the opportunity? the capping CAN NOT be in contact with the honey inside. if it is you will have to hold the heat there for too long and then the comb starts melting. when not in contact, it is a momentary brush with heat that opens the cells and does not effect honey. the main reason i like this so much is that there is nothing to clog your strainer. BTW, try paint strainer bags that line your bucket.
cold knife is my go-to for 'wet' cappings. 9 frames in a 10-frame box makes this much easier too.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I generally use a hot knife, and am considering the hot plane. The roller (Hackler Honey Punch) clogs with wax too easily. The cold knife tears things up too much. I have seen people who use an uncapping fork to lift the cappings off, but I think this is too much work. The heat gun melts the wax, but as soon as you remove it the wax skims back over. The honey is still cold and quickly congeals the wax again, in my experience.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I used a cold knife for more than 14 years, and it is capable, but uncapping a large number of frames by hand is very tedious. If you only have a few hives, then the knife is likely your best option. There are newer style rollers that some suggest are quite good. I briefly tried a heat gun and found it nearly worthless. As mentioned, on pure white cappings it might be viable.

I suggest that you buy both a knife and a newer style roller and compare them yourself.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

Someone on B.S. suggested an electric fillet knife. I bought one and wow it works great. 30 seconds or less per side on well drawn frames.


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## Bkwoodsbees (Feb 8, 2014)

I run 10 frame supers so the wax does not extend past the frames. I use a roller and it does very well. I have no cappings to deal with and the roller does not get gummed up too fast. I have several and switch them out. So far so good.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

With the woodpecker roller you may find as I did that it works well if the frames and air is very warm and plugs up badly when things are a bit cooler.

Hot knife for me and a good quality sharp tined stainless capping scratcher for the the low spots.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I just uncapped twenty boxes of thick eight frames in a ten frame box. Very little need for the capping scratcher and My Kelly wax melter does an outstanding job reducing the cappings to unburned honey and wax. I want to build one of those European stationary hot knife/guillotine looking slides but it didn't happen again and I am really very happy with the hot knife


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