/diy/ - Do It Yourself

OP here.
On a side note. Merry Christmas as of 14 minutes ago NZ fags.

>>359219

Merry Christmas mah nigga. The Maori's and Tongans out back are hollering like fucking animals.

>>359221
Tell me about it. Say, want some free beeswax fellow NZ fag?

>>359215
lost wax castings!
Oh, btw, merry wana. :)

I believe it is used to treat wooden furniture. Rubbed into and with the grain you give the wood some further water resistance.

I was looking to do this with the desk I made, but never got round to it.

>>359229
I tried that once. It actually gave a pretty nice waterproof layer.
Another cool thing you can do with hives is extract a type of resin that the bees make from tree saps. I believe its called propolis and it makes very nice varnish. It would set you back a very handsome fortune to buy the stuff so its nice to have a supply that you can say you made yourself

>>359215
Waxing wooden furniture. We use beeswax by the 5 liters where I work. Experiment with tinting it and adding a bit of white spirit to soften it a bit.

mix with different ratios of olive oil to make lip or heel balm , heat in oven and mix and cool

>>359233
I have tried the Lip balm one before and It turned out well. The heel balm sounds pretty good for my fingers and hands actually. Being a /diy/ke you probably know what its like to have the working mans hands. Cracked skin on fingers is not pleasant.

>>359215
soap

>>359260
I think soaps are made from fats and stuff. If anyone has a recipe i'll gladly try it out.

>inb4 bleach and ammonia

Oh hey guys, what's going on in this thread?

along with using it on furniture you can mix it with linseed or other oils or turps for a nice oil painting medium.

http://www.beeswaxfrombeekeepers.com/beeswaxrecipes.html

combined with oils it gives a nice leather fat

glassworkers like the one here put it on there tools to prevent scratches. however its usually blended with another wax but not always. and comes in the exact shape of that picture

Amerifat here.
I like Whole comb honey. It's like sweet chewing gum that you can swallow. Though, at this point, you'll have already removed the wax.

Captcha: tit-bits hennito

give it back to the bees you bastard

>>359221
Tongan stat.

Do you smoke marijuana? You can take that wax and coat some hemp twine with it. That will create a nice wick for lighting pipes and such and it just tastes like combusted hemp. Beeswax is much healthier fuel than butane too.

>>359349
Clearly you do not understand how uncapping honey frames works.

>>359385
I do occasionally. I could even carve a nice pipe and use a propalis or wax varnish on it

>>359400
>>359401
Also these are both op

>>359337
I do like the fresh comb myself. You can actually get these small acrylic boxes with a pattern on inside bottom of them. You put them in one of the honey boxes and the bee's fill them up. Really good for gifts and the boxes are reusable. Usually you could pay 20 bucks (NZD) for something like that so its nice to have a constant source.

Keep posting idea's guys! these are all really good. If there are any experimental ones you have wanted to try to see what result they yield I could test them out for you if you want and tell of the results.

Whoah. I don't come to /diy/ often, stopped by from boredom and saw this. I've never thought of beekeeping as a hobby before. Never really thought about it at all, actually. It sounds cool though. Got any good info on the subject of beekeeping? I don't know anything about it, but it sounds like something cool and I am strangely attracted to the idea of it. How much does it cost for things?

Buy powder pigment, heat wax, mix and extrude or mold into sticks. Tell results.

>>359337
>Whole comb honey
Is this the comb that you find in certain jars of honey? I've always wanted to try it.

Could you make wax paper for cooking?

Melt it and make those crazy hand-shaped candles?

make your car nice and shiny?!

I think I've heard of using beeswax to cure leather

I visited a farmers market recently and saw a few tables doing beeswax stuff. Besides balms and candles (so many variety, long&thin, wide, tealights...), there were festive ornaments like stars, angels, etc. Would be cute if you found a bee-shaped mold and do little ornaments of that.

>>359410
What country (and state) are you from buddy? It tends to vary from place to place. I'm quite happy to help.

>>359427
The stuff Mr "Amerifat" over there is talking about is honey straight from the hive that has not been removed from the wax comb that holds it. Its definitely worth a try.

>>359454
If you could think of a way of doing the hand candle one then do share. I would quite like to try something like that.

>>359411
I have tried something like this before with candles. The problem with colouring beeswax is that it can fuck up because of the already gold/yellow of the wax.

>>359472
I'll have a look into that. Would we be talking of a cartoon-ish mould or a more realistic one?

OP, beeswax is great for casting fine pieces of sculpture/jewelry. It holds detail amazingly, and it's much better then soy.

>>359466
Yes, making hardened leather is also a great use. Make a Curiass OP.

>>359815
Well actually I had something else in mind with the armour side of things. Pic very related. Made by an anon I think.

>>359814
I can understand that. It does keep shape very well. Might make some figurines or something like that.

>>359812
Also claiming name on this post.

>>359808
Arizona, USA here. Not that guy, but I've been lurking the thread and quite interested - and he seems to be snoozing. After reading this thread I'm certainly going to look into it, but I always find it greatly beneficial to get tips/tricks from those with experience whenever I get the chance!

All you're willing to tell, please do. But I'd especially like to know if the size of the land is an issue. I don't have a whole lot of it. I'm planning a rather large garden, but it may not be enough to sustain them and I'm afraid they'll wander and bother the neighbors.

>>359810
I'm not experienced in any fashion, but the only way I can foresee them being done is with a cast mold. I've seen booths doing them custom at fairs and such, so it can't be terribly difficult.

>>359822
Arizona huh? Hot place isn't it? Probably a good climate for bee's but bee's can really live in any weather if enough care is taken.

When it comes to size of land it is not an issue at all. I believe the bee's go around a 5 mile radius from the hive in search of nectar. (This is from memory FYI). The Hive doesn't really need to be given a wide birth at all. In my country there is a guy who lives in the city in an apartment. He keeps bee's on the small space that is the veranda of his apartment. If you are worried about concerning the neighbours with your bee's then worry no more! Bee's are extremely docile when they are not defending the hive and will seldom sting anyone. Its pretty much a no sting zone just a few metres (2 should do it) away from the hive as they only sting when defending. Also If your neighbours have gardens too then they will be praising you if anything. Having a hive close by can spur growth in their garden very well because of more pollination occurring. If you plan on having a large garden then by all means put a hive out the back of it. You will not regret it my friend.

Any more questions? I rather enjoy answering them. I hope my answers are somewhat helpful.

heres a soap making calculator

https://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php

it has an option for beeswax

>>359825
I can imagine this as being very helpful... If I knew how to use it. Thanks anyway bro.

>>359824
EUfag here.
How do you take care of bees during winter?
And what about vaccination?

>>359834
During the winter if treated properly so they have enough honey the bee's can survive by themselves. You can feed them if it is needed but it's best to let them be in the winter.

When it comes to vaccination an important thing to treat bee's against are varroa mites. these little asshole parasites fuck with the bees and lower productivity and can cause problems throughout the hive. Varroa strips can be brought and placed between the frames of the hive to prevent the parasite from slowly infecting the hive. (Picture related. Bee's with varroa mites on their bodies. Look how big those things are compared to the bee's! Its like having a tortoise sized parasite attached to you.

Some diseases can be tested for but not prevented. Possibly the worst is american foul brood. A highly infectious disease that ruins the young larva that are turning into adults. If your hive gets this there is only one way to get rid of it. With a can of gasoline and a match. It is pretty rare luckily but the risk is still there.

I hope I don't get banned for it but I would like to let you guys know I'm 17. Don't let this change the way you think about me though. I do know what I'm talking about(but please by all means correct me if you know i'm wrong). I still want to answer questions. Basically though, it means that if I can do this then any one of you can. You must remember to do your research before jumping into this. A basic understanding of what you are doing is needed.

>>359843
Nice info,thanks

>>359847
No problem bro.
I'm gonna hit the sack for now. Keep those questions and ideas coming!

where would one get the bees?
I assume there isn't a company that sells starter kits....

Hello OP, reporting in from Sweden here.
Ive had the thought to start beekeeping for quite long now, and i want to try it next year. Among other things

Like Anon from Arizona i would mostly like to hear your tips/tricks you've learned from experience.
How much work does one Hive demand?
If you have a website to recommend, it would be greatly appreciated.

Also to provide with the thread topic
http://www.texasdrone.com/Beeswax-Uses.htm
If you haven't already found it with the help of google.

>>359305
>rub over it with an iron set on medium heat
I was reading the instructions on treating cutting boards and I am perplexed as to what an iron set is.
Searches are all golf related, and I have a feeling he isn't heating golf clubs to rub treated cutting boards with.
My best guess is perhaps a flat, iron pan used for cooking or something along the lines of a clothes iron. The latter being more likely (since you wouldn't put an iron cooking pan on medium, though you could put it on medium heat on a stove).
Anyway, just thought I would ask.

Calling in from Tennessee, USA.
Bees are pretty awesome. I'm in school to become a programmer and might be moving into an apartment sometime. I really need to be in nature, though. I do better in rural areas and away from the city and suburbs. The city has a nice buzz to it, but it is like doing caffeine- you don't want that buzz all the time because you get really tired after a few days.
I'm 20, OP, and wondering if you're on your own or if you tend your hive with a family.

Lastly, I would like to know how you got started, what you suggest for beginners, and generally interested to hear your bee stories.
(Assuming this thread doesn't disappear- which it shouldn't on /diy/ unless OP doesn't return).

>>359860
OP will return, I promise you.
Consider this a bump.

>>359859
Just as you set a microwave to 5 minutes, you set an iron to medium heat. Lol'd.

>>359859
Just as you set a microwave to 5 minutes, you set an iron to medium heat.
10/10 for making me lol though.

This is more for the honey, but mead!
Brew mead! It takes at least 1kg honey, and the best to use is the stuff with the combs still in it, fresh from the hive, the dark, liquidy amber stuff.
Wish I lived in NZ, I'd like to make candles and eat fresh honey! Here in Sweden we'll be waiting until the summer for any 'fresh' local honey.

>>359843
Its cool man. Fellow 17 y.o. reporting from Illinois in USA. I caught a swarm of bees this last June and put them in this largr wooden box. They have thus far thrived and are still alive even now during the winter. I hope to transfer them to a real hive that I can actually extract honey and wax out of, but I really can't think of a way of doing so without destroying all their current comb and whatnot. It is a box with lid and they have propolised the lid shut. Also all their combs are attached to the lid, so the box is pretty much unopenable. Do I need one of those bee vacuums or something? Also I was thinking of making a top bar hive due to crazy expensiveness of Langstroths.

>>359873
I'm not trolling, I think I was just trying to work out what it meant and came up with the answer as I asked about it.
I know I can set my clothes iron to medium heat, hence why it was likeliest according to the diction of the sentence that threw me off.

>>359812
Why not both? It's hard for me to choose, haha. Probably I'm more about simplified mould of a bee.

>>359926
Don't worry about it, everyone derps sometimes.

>>359995
Is this your reddit profile?
http://www.reddit.com/user/aidna

>>359816
OH SHIT.
MY DICK, I WANT TO MAKE AN ARMOR.
CAN I USE STAINLESS STEEL? I HAVE A BUNCH ON MY BACKYARD.

>>360010
Was ist los mit das Englisch?

>>360007
Lol, no.

shit OP, i use beeswax all the time. I work at a local snowboard shop and i find that it works the best for boards. Pic related, old and new board

>>360010
Dude, first chill. Second,
http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/

Third, what you'll inevitably find is that if you want to do real armour you'll need tools and skills that you have to actually put effort into. If you want to make a costume piece like that though, literally you just need tin snips, 18g sheet steel (mild, stainless, whatever you want) a drill, a ball peen hammer, and some rivets or wide head nails, and some cheap light gauge metal brake.

That stainless in your backyard might work, so long as it's thin enough. Now leave this thread because it's about BEES.

>>360007
Why are you even trying to find my reddit profile?

>>360081
Confirmed for yes.

>>360081

I'm from /fa/ and I have some Clarks beeswax desert boots.

Can I just buy some beeswax and rub it on to make it like new?

>>360086
If you say so man. But I can tell you it's 100% not me. I'm a little confused as to why you see a random name on 4chan and try to attach a reddit profile to it. In all honesty, I've made 3 reddit posts ever. I dislike the website, almost with a passion.

>>359427
>>359809
seconding this.

the chewing gum you can swallow comparison is certainly apt. i get a lot of weird looks for eating it though.

>>359857
You can buy them in a lot of places. Look around your local area and you are sure to find a beekeeper that sells them.

>>359858
Really I don't know what tips or tricks to tell you bro. The biggest tip is to probably buy a good book about it so you know what you are doing.

I'm going away for a few days so I may not be able to reply. Try to keep this thread alive and bookmark it. I'll reply to querstions when I get back.

>>359215
Greetings, fellow beekeeper. I am not going to read this 70 post thread, so bear with me, as I will just word-vomit what comes to mind:

Beeswax is good as a coating for cheese, wax sculpting, I think it can be used as a binding agent in paint, it's used in medicine as a radiation filter (filtering out beta particles from gamma radition, I believe) and something to do with surgery, candles (duh) - note that they are Kosher which means they can be used for Jewish practices involving candles, skin care and chapstick and hair waxes, polishes for shoes and furniture, and (somewhat bad choice, but:) string wax for a (cross)bow, and thread/string preservation in general.

At the university I work for, we make more money per kilo through wax than honey, though we certainly have more honey than wax. We've also started looking into producing propolis - it kills everything (it's an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal), and the uni is interested in testing its medical applications. Doesn't taste very good. If you can secure a buyer, I would recommend getting into that niche market. I don't do propolis, myself, but with some experimentation you could probably find a way to reliably harvest it.

I have a kilogram of it sitting in my room, right now. I need to do something with it... although it makes a fantastic air freshener :3

>>360162
eugh. Not a kilogram of propolis... I have a kilo of wax.

>>359215
I use a combination of 2 parts beeswax to 1 part linseed oil and 1 part turpentine as a traditional metal protectant. It's a recipe for what blacksmiths call "museum blacking".

In an old coffee can combine ingredients, place can in pot of water to make a double boiler. Boil water until all of the ingredients are liquid - stir continuously for about 10 minutes then remove from heat. Continue stirring and mixture cools and you'll get a past that can be applied to hot metal and will result in an excellent black anti rust coat.

I use a simpler mixture on wood cutting blocks by melting 1:1 beeswax and mineral oil. Works great on wood and is safe for cutting blocks used for food prep.

bumping because OP is a pretty cool guy who doesn't afraid of anything

>>359215
>>360162

Guys when is a good time to start a hive? Have an empty hive, but not sure if winter is good time to get bees? Thanks

>>361016
If you get bees now they won't have honey stored up to eat off of. Meaning, you'd need to feed them constantly. Both pollen cakes and syrups.

Aside from that, you'd be hard pressed to get bees right now. However, you can call places and ask them when they'll have bees ready and to put you on their lists. Then you can get them in the spring or whenever they divide.

>>359266
it's usually used as a fragrance in soaps.
12 oz veg shortening
4 oz coconut oil
1 oz beeswax
1 cup distilled water
2 oz lye
1/8 cup (1 fluid ounce) honey

Mix lye and water, allow to cool. Melt vegetable shortening. Over a double boiler, meltwax and coconut oil together together, and keep warm. When shortening is 120* and lye
is 100*, pour lye mixture into shortening and stir until tracing occurs. Pour wax and oilmixture into soap mixture stirring constantly ( the mixture will get VERY thick with the
addition of the beeswax mix) When the beeswax mixture is completely blended, stir inthe honey and pour into molds. Unmold after 24-48 hours. Allow to age for 3 weeks

greetings fellow beekeeper and those folks who have expressed an interest in the hobby!
If you're interested in getting into beekeeping, take a look at beesource.com, and the http://www.beesource.com/how-to-start-beekeeping/ page in particular. Beekeeping is a rich, rewarding hobby with a great exposure to some of the magic that nature hides under our noses. However, it requires some dedication, time, and a bit of self-control to knowing stick your hands into a buzzing box of angry bugs.
You can expect to spend $100-150 for the components of a basic beehive, and another $100-200 for other bits like a veil, smoker, tools and other supplies. Assuming that you buy a package of bees in the spring, you will probably pay $90-140 for a 3# (3 pound) package of bees with a mated queen. You may also find people selling 'nucs' which will be several frames (3-5) with bees. If you're lucky and can find a friendly local beekeeper (and most of us are friendly) you might get a deal on a 'split' to start your hive with, roughly equivalent to a 'nuc'.
I would _really_ suggest that anyone serious about getting into beekeeping join their local beekeeper's association, or at _least_ devour the great information available on beesource. If at all possible, I'd suggest starting with 2 hives, not just one. This gives you a fallback in case something happens to one of your colonies, and it makes easier to compare and observe the patterns of your hive.
With winter upon us here in the US, my hives are bundled up against the snow, and I have a few months off to assemble new woodenware, clean my tools and try to talk some local folks into letting me put hives on their land in the spring.
Make no mistake about it, there's magic in those boxes, which turn summer sun into sweet gold and makes the air hum with life.

>>361288 - continued

If you're really interested in getting started with beekeeping, contact your local beekeeping group, sign up for their spring classes if available, order your hive kits so you can assemble and glue them now, and place your order for bees NOW. Two years ago when I last bought bees, almost all of the regional suppliers had commitments for their expected spring stock by late december. I was able to give up one of my pre-ordered packages to a fellow beek' and provided summer splits for 3 other new hives as well.
as a 1st year beekeeper, you will not need to worry about extracting honey, but you will probably get some to taste, and should be able to decide if you're really interested in sustaining your hives for a second year and harvesting the fruits of your (actually, their) labor.
Honey is the obvious payoff, but wax, and propolis are also marketable products from the hive. You don't find many folks getting rich with the output of their hives, but you can easily have a greatly rewarding hobby for many years with a reasonable investment of time and care. If you've got any other questions, ask away!

Bees or GTFO

You could sell the wax itself to women. They use it for waxing.
Also, the propolis you mentioned is good for making medicine. When sprayed into a inflamed throat, propolis gives a refreshing sensation. (I'm not that sure if it's just propolis itself or if it needs to be mixed up with something like lemon)

So I should GTFO?

it seems like the panela of my country

small market but it is there, Traditional archery. It is used both in the wood working and waxing natural fiber strings

I have gifted some small wax cakes (1-2 oz. each) to folks who sew and use it for 'waxing' thread. If you know anyone who does reenactments/SCA stuff, check with them too, it's a traditional ingredient in many skill/trade recipes.

Very similar to the lip/heel balm, but I've made solid perfume from beeswax. Just heat the wax, add loads of your favourite essential oil(s) and pour into a tin for it to dry. The perfume lasts on your skin all day! And it makes an awesome and unique gift! I made some for my mum's birthday and poured it into a locket

>>361293
Is taking classes and joining a beekeeper association really necessary for just one hive?

>>364196
is it _necessary... no. But to be blunt, I'd consider you a fool if you didn't take advantage of such a resource if it was available in your area.

My father kept bees since before I was born, and I got the merit badge in Boy Scouts back when it was still offered, and I have all of my dad's books on the subject, including a 5th edition of 'The A to Z of beekeeping' which my wife bought for me, and I _still_ believe that I got my money's worth out of my LBA classes and membership. Admittedly, a lot of what I picked up at the LBA were changes to methods and treatments which I was already familiar with, but the local beeks teaching classes did a great job presenting a vast amount of information to a class of very varied knowledge levels.

Assuming it isn't an option, then I suggest that you plan on spending at A LOT of time (at least 100 hours) reading through BeeSource, American Bee Journal, or some other combination of good sources learning how to plan for the seasons, finding your local/State apiary inspector(s), researching what other beeks in your region do about nectar/flow timing, and countless other things that are dependant on your regional location and environment.

Your Local Beekeeping Association (LBA) probably runs a series of classes that cover the items you will need (and may not need), how to install your packaged bees (ever poured 5000 angry, stinging bugs out of a shoebox? do you really want to learn how on-the-job?), how & when to inspect your hives + what to look for, and how to keep your new buzzy friends happy and healthy.

>>364196
and again, if you've only got one hive, then you don't have a second hive to compare with. If your single queen is killed/lost/superceeded, you won't have another laying queen to pull fresh eggs from (trust me, this is important)
Since you're already looking at spending $300-500 on woodenware and bees, investing another $50-100 in LBA membership an classes could very well help you save a hive that would otherwise collapse. I can't recommend it enough.
Your LBA will probably help pair you with a mentor in your area to assist you with initial inspections, help you register your hives with AHJ if necessary, and provide a few hands-on workshops to help get you started. Your LBA may also have a club extractor for you to sign up and use, avoiding a $200-500 investment in your second year once your hives are established and have surplus honey for you to harvest.

hook up with a cosmetics company and sell that shit to them for tons of dosh

either that or make your own lotions, creams, soaps, or fuck just sell it in little tins for extravagant amounts of money

>>359215
You could make a fortune selling it as a hair product to hippies.

I'm not even joking, write that shit down.

..and thank you, for helping to keep bee's around.

>>364616
not the guy you were talking to, but i noticed beesource is in some way associated with penn state. you wouldn't happen to be in pennsylvania would you

>>366009
no, I'm not a child-molester. I'm a MAsshole. Beesource is just a great resource and a good online community/forum.

>>364621
Why are there organizations everything in the US seemingly designed to extract money from everyone involved in a particular field and establish itself as a central authority?

I am a filmmaker from Europe and working in the US scares the shit out of me because of all the union red tape one has to go through to get anything done.

I am going to start my journey in apiculture this Spring, here in the mountains of central Portugal, and there's none of this LBA nonsense. I have been studying all Winter and talked to a few villagers in the area with a bit of experience, and I'm practically all set to start managing hives in 3 different locations come Spring.

Here you can buy a box containing a queen and workers for 15 euros.

>>366533
It's the same over here in Belgium. Not too much of a hassle. Beekeeping is encouraged in most rural areas. There is some red tape and you do have to get registered as a beekeeper which comes with a few small fees, but it serves a practical goal.

In most provinces you get your first hive and starter equipment for free (deduced from your taxes) if you finish a short and limited 'how to'-program. Selling your resulting products is also exempt from taxes if that income stays below a certain limit and if you submit to possible quality checks freely.
Any diseases or loss of hives have to reported. If necessary they will come and confiscate your diseased hive or equipment to dispose of it, but you get reimbursed for your losses. Stuff like that.

>>366533

This is the end result of democracy in a non-ethnically homogenous population: mass corruption. The chinese are undercutting honey producers with their illegal honey/water suryps which is supported by the fda. The chemical/gmo industry is killing our hives with pesticides which destroy the bees when they are larva.

The state and federal agencies all jump in and want their pound of flesh. Stringent regulations, licenses, permits and fees prevent traditional bee keeping in many areas. Fear mongering media occasionally pops up with their killer bee bullshit. Bee keeping is not just going out of style in america, it is actively being oppressed and suppressed, just like many other forms of traditional agriculture and people don't even realize it. There is so much corruption going on that this just gets swept under the carpet and nobody ever talks about it. Obviously, the surviving bee keepers are trapped because those that do it for the love of the hobby, and the guilds which do it to make money and want to protect their own interests.

>>362306
What is that made of? It looks like the soap we make from old used oil.

test

>>366533
Ummm how is membership in a non mandatory group a "extract money from you" knee jerk reaction? If you are new it's good to get help and a group is good for dealing with the damn mosquito control folks. Which needs more regulation IMOHO.

I tried keeping bees, but it turned out that bee stings make me swell up. I had a Frankenstein forehead for a couple of days.

>>366860
>non-ethnically homogenous population

Agree with everything you say except that opening line. Don't play their game. Bringing race into this debate is going to jeopardize any chance we have of fixing the REAL issues. You're doing exactly what they want. They always try to keep the people divided so they can continue with their corruption and theft without being noticed.

>>367279
I heard that some beekeepers intentionally get stung a few times every year to build up their immunity.

But isn't it possible to never get stung? I thought that's what the whole bee-suit thing was about...

>>367285

Heh, keep bees and it is not if, but when you'll get stung.

They guy who showed me beekeeping gets stung every day and it doesn't bother him a bit.

>>367294
But what about bee suits?! i don't mind getting stung once or twice a year, but if it is a regular thing regardless of the precautions one could take, then it's a deal breaker for me.

>>367315

Bee suits help a lot. If you suit up every time you work the hive, you probably won't be stung that often.

Guy I knew had been working with bees for decades and had built up crazy immunities so didn't bother with the suit for casual work.

>>359215
Dude. Carve some figurines out of that stuff. I got like a sheep and baby jesus of one from my granddad. :p meh.

>>359215
You could become one of the very few large scale moustache wax producers. 50% beeswax 50% petroleum jelly is a good starting point.

Doesn't this thread belong on /b/?

>>367369
how come?

>>367369
Good sir, if that was an attempt at a pun, I do believe it could have been better, it was a good thought though.

>>359215
smoke bombs

This thread is awesome, thanks OP!

Read through it all, and learned some great stuff.

As for the original question, I use beeswax all the time, it's awesome to have around. Others have mentioned some of my uses: as a wood conditioner/protectant, leather treating and hardening, show polish.

Some I haven't seen though are:

Rub on wood work surfaces in a shop - it helps protect them as well as makes stock glide more easily over them.

Waxed canvas - use a mix of beeswax and linseed oil (50-50) on anything canvas or heavy cloth for instant waterproofing and added durability. I recently bought a cheap but sturdy canvas messenger bag and waxed it, it looks amazing, and pre-waxed canvas bags sell for $300+ easy.

Related to above, I keep a more diluted mix of the above (more linseed oil) as a general waterproofing rub. Store it in a metal tin and carry it around, the stuff is super useful. You can make it easier to use by adding turpentine, which I used to do when I used parafin, but the beeswax smells so good I hate adding the turpentine to it...

I keep some in my shop and rub it on my tools for preventing rust, smells nicer and easier on the hands than oils and lubricants.

Wax denim jeans - go ask /fa/, high quality jeans are best conditioned with wax (thin layer rubbed on, not penetrating like with canvas).

And one I am wanting to try but havent yet - machinable wax. Someone posted an instructable on it a bit ago, you melt down wax and add plastic bags to it then let it harden. It makes a re-usable prototyping material that can be milled, cut, and drilled without clogging your tools. Good for testing a part design before making the real thing out of costly metal stock.

I hope those give you some ideas, OP, but if not, you could also just ship it all to me!

make hemp-wick with it and then sell it for a decent profit

>>367582
Glad we've been able to help provide some good ideas and input!
I believe that the machinable wax material you're referring to is based on paraffin (canning wax), not beeswax.

>>367285
I wear an inspection jacket (a heavy cotton/canvas jacket with an attached veil), bloused jeans and heavy socks which provides pretty good protection. If I'm only going into the hive for a quick look, I usually skip the gloves and go barehanded for better dexterity. When I get stung on the hands, which happens every couple times, I usually stop and put on the gloves/gauntlets. Bees leave pheromones when they sting and disembowel themselves, aggravating their sisters. If I've gotten zapped once, I'll probably get zapped again by another shortly thereafter, often in the same location. In spite of the gear, I've gotten stung through my socks, and through my jeans periodically. I got 4 in the leg through light/tight jeans while pulling honey supers in the fall.

Assuming you don't have a _serious_ allergy to be venom, subsequent beestings will cause less swelling/inflammation/reaction. In the spring, my fingers will swell like a sausage if I get stung. PROTIP: take off rings before you go into a hive! by the end of the season, a sting will just cause localized swelling and itching for a day or so.
If you have a serious/life-threatening allergic reaction to beestings, then you should find another hobby. There are 'bee-proof' suits, but they're heavy and bulky. An EpiPen just buys you enough time to get to a hospital for proper care. Anaphylaxis (Anaphylactic shock) is nothing to risk if you can avoid it.

On the other hand, apitherapy, or bee-venom therapy, is proven to reduce the effects of arthritis and is a folk treatment for many other conditions, documented in many cultures for hundreds of years.

>>368265
It is based on paraffin, but I have high hopes beeswax would work just as well. It's a little softer, but in most instances I have found the two to be interchangeable. I always substitute beeswax for paraffin if I can, since it is much nicer to work with (that smell, so good!).

>>368265
Wow that was really informative. The only reason I would prefer not getting stung is because I'm a big sissy. But I guess I could handle the odd sting now and then (especially if I keep telling myself I am undergoing apitherapy). It might be a good idea to get an epipen, not for myself, but just in case someone accidentally goes too near one of my hives and goes into anaphylactic shock.

Anyway, you gave me lots to think about. Thank anon.

>>368605
Getting stung is part of the beekeeping experience, and while it is initially painful, and the itching is annoying as all hell, it will get much less irritating over time and exposure (read: more stings).

I have one of those little keychain screw-top containers for nitro pills on the bottom zipper-pull of my inspection jacket. I keep a few benedryl tablets in there to help reduce the itching/swelling/irritation when I do get zapped. I don't take them as a preventative as they make me twitchy & jumpy, which will only make things worse and make it more likely that I fsck up and crush bees, alerting the hive.

While I won't go so far as to say that bees can smell fear, they definitely react to fast/jerky movements with a heightened defensive response. By working barehanded, I get much more tactile feedback and can avoid crushing bees unnecessarily. It also forces me to work in a slow and deliberate manner, watching where I'm putting my hands to lift woodenware and frames.

As far as EpiPens go, in the US they are only available by prescription, so you'll need to talk to your doctor about your new hobby and how you'd like to have them (they usually come in sets of 2) as a last-ditch measure in the event you muck up and get seriously stung. I'd be _really_ wary of giving someone else a jab with an EpiPen unless they're exhibiting signs of a serious/life-threatening reaction. Check with your LBA, they probably have a doctor who's a member who can help clarify the legality of jabbing someone else with prescription drugs written out to you.

As a side note on the EpiPen, make sure that you've familiarized yourself with how the autosyringe works and how the unit held and applied for delivery. My mother is alergic to wasps, not bees, and the 1st time she had to use her EpiPen, she was holding it backwards and the needle when up through the ball of her thumb, out through her rhumbnail, and sprayed all over the room. The nice EMTs and nurses didn't laugh at her...

>>368605
(continued...)
with all of that said, please don't be scared off of beekeeping, give it a try if you're interested; or find a local beekeeper and let them know that you're looking into the hobby. Most beeks would be glad to show you what's involved with a hive-inspection and 'show off their girls'.

I'm always glad to show someone the magic that goes on in the plain white boxes in my yard, and how mother nature (and hundreds of years of breeding) give us this super-organism which is both simple and hugely complex.

Besides, nobody will be calling you a sissy when they see you spread your own fresh honey on toast, or spoon it into your tea, and when they ask 'Do you ever get stung?', you can shrug it off as a minor inconvenience compared to the pay-off of harvesting sweet summer gold.

here's a picture of me hanging out with two of my girlfriends. Please don't tell my wife...

Incidentally, my wife always said she wanted girls, I don't think she was expecting to have 50 thousand of them in the backyard...

most natural slaves, balms, creams and lotions are based with beeswax.
>beeswax, olive oil, essential oil, water
If you are having a problem selling it you are probably not asking the right people.
>I expect payment for this information in the amount of: 1lbs honey 5lbs beeswax.

as a beekeeper i use the wax to make new Hive Bodies - Brood Chambers. u can find how to to google i can tell you how but my english are not so good :)

>>369080
heh thanks for the laugh anon.

Very interesting thread all, this is why I love DIY. Unfortunately, I highly doubt bees would do too well at my altitude/temperature (9000 ft + above sea level, 60 tops in summer, below 10 winter), though if I'm wrong please tell me!

>>369257
Only if you can afford to build a biodome.

We have a lot of Mountain Laural where I live. It's quite poisonous and and if the bees use it to produce their honey it'll produce toxic honey. Safe for bees but the honey is bad for humans. Is there any way to prevent or discourage them from using the mountain laurel?

>>369448

there are several plants like this, such as oleander and azaleas, who's necar produces honey that can be poisonous to humans.

Assuming that the plants/forage in question are in the wild, and not managed plantings which you could remove, then you probably don't want to become a beekeeper. Bees will commonly travel up to 2 miles to forage, and can go as far as 4-7 in some cases, however ~4 miles appears to be the point of diminishing returns.
One quirk of bees, is that once they 'discover' a good nectar source, they tend to continue working that single source until it dries up, at which point they will move on to another source. This means that they may skip a very good source that has just some into bloom, if they're content with their current dinner. this makes it nearly impossible to break them away from a 'bad' source until they're exhausted it.

I was always interested in beekeeping but was too afraid of getting stung. A while back I laid down on a wasp nest and got stung four or five times in the armpit (of all places.) Getting stung as an adult is nowhere near as bad as I remembered and for the rest of the day I felt fucking great. There is definitely something in that bee sting that messes with your hormones or something. Cant wait till I own some property, beekeeping is the first thing I'll do.

>>371196
yes, the endorphin rush and 'high' you mention is an interesting side-effect histamine reaction. receiving multiple stings can increase the likelyhood of a serious reaction. The severity of the sting varies greatly based on how much venom was delivered, and where. Remove the the stinger and venom sac (from a beesting) as soon as possible. Ideally without crushing the sack and injecting more venom.

>>359219
Where in NZ are ya? Aucklandfag here (don't hold it against me, It's for university)

This board makes me want to become a handyman...

>>371687
Do it, it's fun. Maybe part-time if you have a good job already.

>>371688
I'm a student living in a one room flat. I'm currently studying as a wood technician, I do some internship at lumber mills and carpentry firms, as well as doing some minor carpentry in school as part of the education. I do want to win the Big Lottery so I could have my own machine park...

Damn it! I'm very afraid of getting stung by anything but this thread makes beekeeping sound so cool and productive.

hey OP!
it's been more than 2 weeks, have you done anything cool yet with you beeswax? Hope we didn't bore you with a bunch of long-winded 'hey-everyone-bees-are-cool!' stuff that wasn't really an answer about your beeswax question. Sounds like you've gotten some pretty good input, and you've tried a couple already. Any next projects you want to tell us about?

You can use it for hair removal.
Get rid of all that nasty hair on your back and shit.
No but seriously it's used for a shitton of goodies, lots of hair and skin products and the like.

listen to this guy, OP you'll make a fortune
>>365402

>>372640
I know you were joking, but hair removal "wax" isn't really wax, just fyi.

>>359215
Don't know if anyone has already posted this (if so, sorry) but

http://www.instructables.com/id/Machinable-Wax/

You can use it even if you don't have a cnc machine (to make molds for plaster, or for metal)

Meh.

>>373009
except that it uses paraffin wax, not beeswax.

>>373009
I believe OP mentioned it, and frankly the thought sours my stomach... corrupting beeswax with plastics/petrocarbons, ick. Stick with paraffin for industrial use, I'd rather give my wax back to the bees if I couldn't use it. bees need at least 8 pounds of honey to make 1 pound of wax. filter it clean and give it back to them as new comb or top-strips to start new comb.

>>373060

oh, I stuck my head in my hives this afternoon in some unseasonable mid-50s. one of the girls must have gotten in my hair before I put on my veil. I got stung on the back of my neck, almost at the hairline. So much for my vaunted inspection jacket, human error 1, pride 0
well, I'm one sting closer to lessening my reaction when I start doing splits in the spring. One of our major suppliers of queens/nucs reported 50% loss when he checked on his apiary before end-of-the-year... could be another tough year.

>>359215
find your nearest skatepark and ask some of the skateboarders/bikers to test out a small portion of it for about a week and if it does well package it and let the skateshop take care of it, ive never tried bees wax for skateboarding but im always willing to try something new

>>373063
I am beginning my journey as a beekeeper this Spring, and I just found a colony in nook of a chestnut tree right by my house. I consider myself extremely fortunate, but as I said, I am new to beekeeping, and I certainly have no experience in exploiting such an opportunity. I wish to flush out as many of the workers as possible and capture the queen into a container, then get them into a hive (still going to be a couple of weeks before I am able to acquire one - although I intend to start building my own at some point).

How would you go about capturing a wild colony?

>>373170
I should add I am in central Portugal, so I guess the sub-species would probably be A. m. iberiensis.

Dutchfag here, been looking into this, however since I live in the big city finding land to put it on is difficult. Any tips you can share?

Also, of all the things you can do with wax/honey/propolis, what gives the most bang for the buck?

>>373450
You can search for cheap substances which resemble propolis in color and texture and then sell it to dumb fucks who believe it possesses medicinal properties at ludicrously overvalued prices. My dad was doing that for years and it helped him pay off the mortgage, and nobody ever died as a result. He was giving those saps 'hope'. And who can seriously put a price on hope?

>>373170
it is pretty hard to /take/ a colony out of a wild hive. If you can cut a chunk of the tree _around_ the hive, it's pretty easy. If you can't cut up the tree, it's usually pretty hard. You need to capture the queen, who lives in the center, or just remove _all_ the comb and put it into a hive-box on a jury-rigged frame.

If this was an established hive that is likely to swarm, you could try a swarm lure to see if you can attract a swarm with their new queen in the spring. This would be optimal, but it isn't at all guaranteed.

Check around with your local beekeepers and see how they suggest to get started with either splits or packaged bees.

>>373450
some amerifags run hives in cities and urban areas, check out www.backwardsbeekeepers.com and http://www.nyc-bees.org to see what suggestions they have.
Beginner beeks shouldn't be planning on profit. your first year with a hive is going to be /not-fscking-it-up/. Bees are smart, and as stewards, we should give them what they want, lest they swarm and fly off, or /gasp/ die. The hive's first year will prove that you've got a fat, fertile, healthy queen who drives her sisters to build out a big brood chamber, and plenty of space for the storage of honey from the summer and fall flows. This second year hive should be able to provide enough honey to share, and still retain enough stores to survive over the winter. The second year's flow is what you will probably get to taste. _This_ is where you can decide if you want to sell your girls' honey, or to horde it for yourself and friends. Propolis is a health-supplement, the market is a bit fickle, and anyone who knows better, wants it fresh.

>>373476
you best be trolling son - Never lie to a Babushka about ingredients for her black magic. her nephews will come back and kill you... I can only hope.

>>373767

Cutting up the tree is not an option. I am considering building a contraption to help me to capture as much of the colony as possible. I want to use a rubber funnel to cover up the entrance to the colony. Attached to that I will have a tube which leads to an enclosed box (something which resembles a 'split', with ventilation and a feeder). I'll tie the box/split tot he trunk of the tree, then get on a ladder and use a drill to make a hole into the cavity of the tree, just above the colony. Then I will feed smoke through that hole to flush them out through the main entrance. What do you think?

In other news, I was walking in the forest this morning, and came upon an old stone ruin. When I looked inside a found about a dozen wooden beehives which look to have been abandoned for many years. few of them are rotten, but there are enough salvageable parts to put together at least a couple of hives (after sanding them down, applying a new finish, and mending any damaged joins, of course). It's such a strange coincidence that right after I have finished studying enough material to begin my journey as a beekeeper, I found a wild colony and a bunch of abandoned hives. Who am I to question with destiny?

Also...

>queen who drives her sisters

...shouldn't that be sisters and daughters?

>>373450 if you live in city DIY this thing!
one side of the window the bees can go to the wild, on other side you can watch them safely in your home

I have two dogpals
Can I become a beekeeper?

>>374773
Heh, that looks cool and all, but it'll get funky and you won't be able to see into it as well as you'd like because the "beespace" doesn't look correct. You'll have propolis everywhere and getting that off the glass will be a monumental task that will leave the glass all scratched up.

>>374856
Rubbing alcohol will clean that glass right up in your sink, I doubt its even glass tho...

Sell it to companies, or small shops who makes for example soap or facial stuff of it. I buy beeswax for a fortune here in Eu.

>>374929
Not alcohol, use ammonia.

>>374256
If you can hang mount a trap hive and exit cone like in the video below, you can probably get most of the workers out. And hopefully the queen will give up her brood when she's lonesome, and make her way to your trap hive.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I6Ip-SWBlE

and this guy makes it look easy, I'm sooo jealous...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HTISpm5BWs

We are taught to be afraid of old abandon'd beehives because spores from some nasty bee-diseases can survive 10+ years. But if you clean the, bleach them, dry them in the sun, then paint, and let them air out well, then you should be able to salvage all your woodenware/hive-parts. It's a lucky coincidence and hope the bee-gods shine on you and your hives. best of luck, come back with pics! check out beesource.com for all kinds of good info, plans, and how-to for newbees!

>>374773
the beekeeping community had a good laugh at the phillips beehive concept. done by a bunch of design students who I doubt had any more than 1 day of 'beekeeping' experience. As others have said, beespace is an issue, and while you could find a plastic to filter out everything that the bees could 'see', it would quickly get built up on the sides, leaving the prime viewing directly in front of or behind it.
And forget about having a nice pump dispenser for sweet honey goodness. And it wouldn't be legal in most places, because it doesn't have movable frames that allow full inspection... meh.

>>374256
and yes, you are correct, her daughters, and possibly sisters as well, depending on the circumstances.

please keep us posted on your woodenware and who comes to live in it! post pix!