Honey is one of the healthiest foods around. To obtain an environmentally friendly product, it is necessary to equip an apiary with hives. Bees collecting pollen form honeycombs into frames set in the hive and lay honey.

The process of collecting honey from the obtained combs is based on the centrifugation method. This requires the purchase and installation of special equipment. The cost of an industrial honey extractor is a big expense for novice beekeepers. Collecting a honey extractor with your own hands will reduce the initial costs. The need to purchase or collect such a structure will be acutely felt when working with large flows of honey. The manual process will take much more time and effort and will increase the possible loss of the finished product.

DIY honey extractor

The essence of the design is to use the laws of physics. The device itself includes a container for containing honeycombs. With the help of a rotor, they unwind, and honey, under the influence of centrifugal force, is thrown onto the inner surface of the tank, flowing down the walls of which, it is collected in containers specially prepared from below.

Regardless of the material, the structure will generally consist of:

  • cavity intended for the installation of frames;
  • drive responsible for the rotation of the rotor;
  • external containers for collecting honey.

DIY honey extractor

There are 2 types of devices. This is a radial and chordial honey extractor. In a radial frame with honeycombs should be placed along the radius. From above, the view of the drawing resembles rays diverging from one point.

The chordial is distinguished by fastening frames along the inner surface of the tank. Do-it-yourself radial honey extractor is easy to assemble. A homemade honey extractor will not be difficult even for beginners. The chordial, on the other hand, is more efficient for collecting honey, but it is more complex.

One of the environmentally friendly materials for collecting the honey extractor is wooden boards. First you need to prepare cassettes that fit the honeycomb frames. Then assemble the wooden honey extractor. Fix the cassettes to the axle and install the entire mechanism inside the barrel. Above you need to install the handle necessary for rotation.

Attention! The inside of the barrel can be polished to protect it from decay processes.

The use of wood as a raw material is not economically justified. The high cost of the boards themselves, the need for regular treatment of the inner surface with varnish or other moisture-proof means impose restrictions on the constant use of such a device. In addition, it is necessary to equip such a honey extractor with a solid support due to the high weight of the structure itself.

Washing machine honey extractor

One of the simplest options for collecting a honey extractor with your own hands is to use a tank from a washing machine.

Washing machine honey extractor

Granovsky's honey extractor

The process of collecting a honey extractor with your own hands from a washing machine takes on average a couple of days.

The following materials must be prepared in advance:

  • a pair of washing bins;
  • containers for collecting honey;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • metal rods;
  • pulley;
  • strong belt;
  • bearings;
  • trumpet.

The easiest way to make a honey extractor is to insert one tank into another, having previously cut off the bottom of the washer's internal tank. After that, it is necessary to weld the metal rods with one end to the bearing, and the other to the inner walls of the lower tank at three points. Adjust the pipe to the bearing diameter and insert, shortening to the required length. You need to attach the pipe to the tank using self-tapping screws.

A pulley should be screwed to the pipe from the upper edge, and a handle from the lower. It is necessary to connect them with a prepared belt.

Attention! Installing a small faucet with a valve at the bottom of the entire device will simplify the process of collecting the flowing honey.

An important stage in the assembly of the device is the installation of cassettes for honey frames. They should be as reliable as possible, preventing honeycomb loss. You can choose any material. It can be wood or plastic. However, the most optimal would be the use of stainless steel. Steel cassettes are more durable and stable. They do not absorb odors and are not subject to decay processes.

With the correct calculation, the frames should be safely inserted into the cassette, tightly fitting to the mesh. If miscalculated, the honeycomb can break or deform during the unwinding of the tank.

Plastic barrel honey extractor

DIY tedders rake

The cheapest option is to choose a plastic barrel as the base for your honey extractor. In addition, this design will be the simplest option and is suitable for novice beekeepers.

Plastic has several advantages:

  • not susceptible to rust;
  • does not absorb odors;
  • easily cleared of honey.

In addition to the plastic barrel, it is necessary to prepare: boards, metal rods, shelves and a rotating element.

A rotating element must be installed in the center of the barrel. A drill or bicycle pedal device is suitable for this. Thus, a manual honey extractor is assembled. You can use an item from an old electrical appliance. Shelves that serve as cassettes should be fixed to it. As shelves, you can use ready-made shelves from the refrigerator.

Plastic barrel honey extractor

As you pedal, the cassette starts rotating. At this time, honey from the honeycomb will fall on the walls of the barrel and flow down. Boards and metal rods are needed to fasten the tank itself.

DIY electric honey extractor

Drinking bowl for chickens do it yourself

When the volume of the apiary is not high, you can stop at a manual device. For high volumes, an electrically powered structure will be required.

A budget option for such a honey extractor is to install an electric drive from a washing machine. Such a relay makes it possible to supplement the device with the possibility of switching the rotation speed.

You can improve the manual mechanism by installing a 220 V motor or a small gearbox. In this case, you should pay attention to the quality of the electric drive. If it is impossible to control the speed of rotation of the cassettes, it is possible to destroy the cells themselves and spoil the final product.

DIY honey extractor stand

The need for a stand is to install a container under the honey extractor to collect the flowing honey. For novice beekeepers, a budget option would be to use ordinary boxes or baskets. To prevent the structure from falling, you can assemble a more durable stand from steel rods.

DIY electric honey extractor

It is necessary to assemble a ring with a smaller diameter than a honey extractor. By welding the holder and 3 legs from below, you can get a more stable and durable structure.

Making cassettes for a honey extractor with your own hands

Cassettes are needed to fix the honeycomb frames inside the honey extractor.

To build them you will need:

  • galvanized stack with cells 10x10 mm;
  • wire or rods;
  • rivet key;
  • aluminum rivets;
  • corners with lateral swivel mount.

For the frame, it is better to choose metal rods 5 mm in cross section. Having laid the mesh on them, you should fix it with a welding machine.To make it more rigid, tin corners can be fixed at the top and bottom of the cassette.

The dimensions of the frame should be: up to 50 cm in length, 30 cm in width and 5 cm in height.

Important! Processing the finished cassette with linseed oil, wax or special varnish will maintain resistance to dirt and deterioration.

DIY electric drive for honey extractor

The electric drive requires a small 90W motor. To avoid clogging of the engine by bees, it is advisable to cover it with a fine stack. If you have a relay from a washing machine, you can connect it as a switch. Such a relay will help regulate the rotation modes.

It is necessary to install a small pulley on the selected generator, having previously drilled it to the shaft diameter. After fixing the generator on the hairpin, connect the voltage to 12 volts. File the 8 mm groove on the pulley shoulder with a file and bring it to a triangular section. The resulting part should look wedge-shaped. Then put on the belt cable and tension the spring. This is what a homemade electric drive design looks like.

DIY electric drive for honey extractor

Summing up, we can say that the use of a honey extractor greatly simplifies the process of extracting honey from honeycomb frames. For novice farmers, there is an option to assemble a honey extractor yourself. Wooden beams can be used as a starting material. Such a honey extractor will not last long without preliminary treatment.

Using a plastic barrel can save money. In addition, plastic is easy to clean, does not rust and does not absorb odors. In addition to the barrel, you can adapt the tank from the washing machine to the honey extractor.

It is possible to facilitate manual rotation of cassettes by installing a simple electric motor with a relay to adjust the rotation speed. Such a measure will prevent the possibility of damage and breakage of the honeycomb and preserve the quality of the extracted product.