So I've just purchased a bunch of new wax dipped boxes for the first time - before now I've always gone plain boxes and preserved them with Metalex. For those that use wax dipped boxes, should I be painting them, or leaving them unpainted? I appreciate most guys that wax dip paint them also, but isn't it best to do it while the wax is still warm? When stone cold, how should I paint? Will waterbased paint stick to it, or do I need to go oil based? TIA
Painting Wax Dipped boxes
- Thread starter Jonny
- Start date
Paint sticks best to the boxes straight out of the dipper .. I dip 6 at a time, stack them on pallet, while the next 6 are in I’m 1st coating the hot ones. The pores are open and suck the cold paint right in. Generally I apply the 2nd and 3 rd coats back inside the shed and only apply that first sticker coat on while they’re hot. Works for me.
I do a primer coat on cold boxes and then left over house paint. No issues.
you'll be fine not painting wax dipped boxes. However, painting them will make them last even longer. Think of the paint as a first line of defence, with the wax dipping as a second. And you can reinforce that first line of defence every 5-10 years with a new/quick coat of paint. First coat of paint while still hot might be better, but while cold is still better than no paint
edit: i'd go with water-based. I've had some not so great experiences with weird rot/moisture stuff with oil based. Tiny sample size though, and they weren't wax dipped - or even my boxes. They're hives i manage on a volunteer basis. Very pretty.
edit: i'd go with water-based. I've had some not so great experiences with weird rot/moisture stuff with oil based. Tiny sample size though, and they weren't wax dipped - or even my boxes. They're hives i manage on a volunteer basis. Very pretty.
An oil based primer? I'm wondering if water based primer will adhere to cold wax dipped boxes?
Water based primer. I’m just a hobby keeper, so buy dipped gear and it’s obviously cold when I get it. Gear painted 5 years and going strong.
I paint my boxes with oil based paint and do them when they are hot
We paint all our boxes with ITM's budget waterbased paint with some tint ..... hot out of the wax bath ..... does'nt peel, last's until we throw them into the burning bin,which might be quite shortly, judging by the AFB rob out notifications coming in from Hivehub tonight.