Top bar honey extraction

[nosmoking]

I have been looking into using/buying a 'normal' honey tangential extractor for my top bar honey extraction. I have searched high and low for info and the only video I can find is on youtube. The chap (in USA) who is using it bought a 'normal' 2 frame spinner and adapted it slightly for top bar use. This appears to work very well. Is there anyone on this site or knows of anyone that has used and/or adapted one in this way? I just can't see the point of wasting the comb by chopping it up! There's several plastic ones available for about £125/150 which I find rather favourable in price. Any comments would bee welcome.
(I have just found the youtube video again and there's mention of the adaption. A 1/4inch drop to the basket). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4lwVgHTja0

 

[mbc]

I imagine it would require very delicate handling to uncapp the combs without detaching them from the topbar

 

[Brosville]

Why bother to keep the comb? (unless you're producing comb honey) - they can soon build some new fresh comb.....
"Crush and strain" is simple, easy and cheap, and can be accomplished using stuff found in most kitchens........

 

[Nellie]

(just to prove I don't disagree with everything he says out of principle )

 

[Mike a]

Hi Richard,

Provided the comb is supported evenly its possible to put it in an extractor. I would gently wrap the comb with a course wire mesh sleeve to help support it if I wanted to reuse it, but as Brosville says they will build a new clean comb very quickly in between any gaps which should be nice and straight. Which you will see in your TBH in 3-4 weeks time once your new queen emerges and hopefully mates well as we put in those spaces in your TBH.

Just watched part the video you linked, one thing I noticed IMHO he is spinning it in the wrong direction. If he span it in the other direction the honey would spin out slightly better due to the up slope direction of the cells but I guess its down to personal choice.

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

You have several options for extracting natural comb

1) Agri-Nova radial extractors fitted with a nylon bag will take most combs
2) You can crush it or chop it up and crush it using a car jack like David Heaf.
You can use a heather honey press or in my case a small wine press
3) You can use a machine called a "La Moulimiel" which chops up the comb very small and then allows it to drain into a tank by gravity. see http://www.ruche-warre.com/la-moulimiel.html which allows for commercial sized operations.

 

[madasafish]

Build your own press?

https://sites.google.com/site/topbarbeehives/beekeeping/honey-press

Piccies of mine: