Convert to Radial

[mgmoore7]

Has anyone attempted to convert thier 4 frame extractor to a radial.  Mine is a Dadant hand crank 4 frame that is from about 1990 I believe.  It takes shallow, med or deeps.  It seems to me that it there is plenty of room to have a radial setup for 6 medium frames. 

Does the radial require faster and longer spinning?

[justgojumpit]

I have a radial extractor, and one thing you might want to think about is that the centrifugal force, which is what pulls the honey out of the frames, is zero at the very center of the extractor.  If the frames are close to the center, the extractor will not be very effective.  In a radial extractor, much like a tangential, the frames sit at a distance from the center of the extractor.  By turning the frames to sit radially, you decrease that distance, for a large portion of the frame anyway, and this is why I think you would not be satisfied with the conversion.

justgojumpit

[IABeeMan]

 Dadant has several conversion kits ready made for many of thier extractors. If you happen to know a model name or number call your local Dadant office.

[mgmoore7]

Dadant has several conversion kits ready made for many of thier extractors. If you happen to know a model name or number call your local Dadant office.

Thanks, a little further looking and I found that I have a Walter b Kelly and they sell a conversion kit to go to a 9 frame radial.  I also see that going to radial requires alot more turning and thus will likely need to swith to powered.  I think I will get through this year, see how it goes and consider a upgrade if I get more hives going. 

[IABeeMan]

 One thing to consider is that the total revolutions needed to extract in a radial it to totaly extract the frame. And it is probably not that far off from tangial extracting once you add the spins needed for extract both sides tangily.

[Brian D. Bray]

A Transgental framed extractor can be converted to a radial if brackets are constructed so the the top bar fits into the corners of the basket with the bottom bar pointed at the center shaft.  A heavy duty hardware cloth works well for this.

The radial does require a little more speed as less surfaced it exposed to the centrifical force, however it is much less damaging to the combs when you have to stop and turn and stop and turn the frames like you do with the tansgental.  A good speed regulator when making the switch is an inline rotor ramp switch.  About $14.00 from HFT.

[mgmoore7]

a Transgental framed extractor can be converted to a radial if brackets are constructed so the the top bar fits into the corners of the basket with the bottom bar pointed at the center shaft.  a heavy duty hardware cloth works well for this.

I was thinking about this.  It seems like it really should not be that hard to at least switch from a 4 trans to a 4 radial using the existing basket.  I will work on this. Can you give me a better idea in how you would use the hardware cloth. 

[Brian D. Bray]

a Transgental framed extractor can be converted to a radial if brackets are constructed so the the top bar fits into the corners of the basket with the bottom bar pointed at the center shaft.  a heavy duty hardware cloth works well for this.

I was thinking about this.  It seems like it really should not be that hard to at least switch from a 4 trans to a 4 radial using the existing basket.  I will work on this. Can you give me a better idea in how you would use the hardware cloth. 

Deeps should fit the corners, centered on each side should be room for an additional medium or shallow.  That would make an 8 frame extractor radial out of 4 frame transgental.