The Art of Decapping without Burning Off All of Your Finger Tips

[Tucker1]

Well, all of my harvesting is over and we've just got a bit of bottling left to do. After wielding my electric decapping knife in a manner often seen to 1950's Zorro movies, I realized there has got to be a technique to decapping with a hot electric decapping knife.

Comb never seems to be perfectly flat, no matter how much I instruct the girls. So, I end up gouging off the caps on the low spots and taking off too much comb on the high spots. There must be some technique for doing this better.  Now is the time for the "craftsmen" to educate us bunglers.  :?

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,
Tucker1  (The man with no fingerprints left.)

[heaflaw]

This was my 2nd season with an electric knife.  I think I have decided it's okay to take off too much from the high places.  It takes too much time otherwise.  Also, my thinking is that if I cut it all level in one slice, that next year they will draw it evenly.

And yes I am very careful-I am fond of my fingertips.  There must be a way to do it more safely.

[applebwoi]

Yep, there must be a lot of art to get it right.  I only have a few hives and went back to the decapping fork. Guess if I had more to do, I'd try again, but I've found that I kind of like using the fork.  The problem ofunevenly drawn comb, especially when they are not drawn out very deep was one I never solved.

[riverrat]

the trick is to use 9 frames per super once you have drawn comb then it gets to be easy

[heaflaw]

I use eight.  They're drawn out even further.

[Scadsobees]

I use a bread knife to cut them, but also have a capping scratcher for some of the lower points.  9 frame supers.