Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: rickgoose on April 21, 2014, 11:24:39 PM

Title: Duraglit foundation
Post by: rickgoose on April 21, 2014, 11:24:39 PM
Has anyone used Duraglit foundation? Do you like it?
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: 10framer on April 21, 2014, 11:50:53 PM
yes i've used it and no i don't like it.
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: capt44 on April 22, 2014, 12:20:47 AM
I've used it and don't care for it.
The Bees will remove some of the wax and move it, leaving a slick plastic.
Then when they decide to build comb they build burr comb mostly.
I prefer Rite-Cell wax coated.
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: asprince on April 22, 2014, 01:51:14 PM
I tried some once in honey supers. Never again.


Steve
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: Vance G on April 22, 2014, 02:16:39 PM
I have drawn out ten thousand sheets of it over my bee keeping life.  Most of it when I started beekeeping and ran 300 hives.  If you drawn it by the box when the bees are on a good flow or feed it in a frame at a time into a brood nest between frames of capped brood, it comes out beautifully.  It was a quantum advance in its day over wiring medium brood let me tell you! 

Now if you have it on your bees at the end of the season or a flow, the bees will indeed strip the wax for spare parts usage elsewhere and ruin the foundation forever.  If it is roughly handled in the cold when newly drawn it is fragile.  I have twenty some pounds of it waiting to be used in supers after I get my detested small cell plastic frames that people make the same slanders against as the duragilt! 

It is like my grandfather said,  If you are going to do something, do it good!  If you are drawing foundation, do it right or you will have a mess no matter what the medium. 
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: asprince on April 22, 2014, 02:23:11 PM
Vance, maybe I will take another look at it and follow your directions.

Steve
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: 10framer on April 22, 2014, 03:16:56 PM
we were using it for deep brood frames in the 80's and we were phasing it out within a few years.  too many bare spots where there should have been comb.  i won't use it again. 
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: Dimmsdale on April 22, 2014, 04:23:35 PM
Ditto.  Don't like it!
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: drlonzo on April 22, 2014, 05:05:30 PM
Haven't used it but do use the Rite Cell waxed and the bees love it.  Draw it out with no problems.
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: RHBee on April 22, 2014, 06:30:41 PM
I gave it a try. My bees drew comb everywhere but on it. One super was enough.
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: vmmartin on April 24, 2014, 12:03:14 AM
I have found the bees to draw it out very well.  I bought several hundred sheets from a retiring beek at a fantastic price is the main reason I am using it.  However, it does not hold a candle to plasticell when it comes to durability.  As my Duragilt gets damaged, I am phasing it out. My .02
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: AliciaH on April 25, 2014, 11:03:39 AM
I started with it, then phased it out.  Unfortunately, I had to use some last year and like before, ended up with bare spots.  I got the idea to cut out the bare spots and see what the bees would do.  Yes, they filled the bare spots in, but all with drone cell.  Maybe it was the time of year they were building? 

In the end, I won't use it if I don't have to.
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: tefer2 on April 25, 2014, 11:58:44 AM
Junk IMO
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: Jim134 on April 25, 2014, 12:25:58 PM
I use a lot of this in the early 80's and I would not use it again unless it was free and I would think twice about that.

      BEE HAPPY Jim 134
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: biggraham610 on April 25, 2014, 11:42:48 PM
Wow, thats sad to hear. I got some, couldnt get a scrap of comb built on it last year, put the box on late chalked it up to that. Have a super on now with it and nothing, Im gonna pull half of it out and checkerboard and see if they will start drawing without foundation.
Title: Re: Duraglit foundation
Post by: Michael Bush on April 26, 2014, 03:17:22 PM
Yes, no.