Fire marker for hives (12 digits)

01 · WHY BURN IT IN

Screwed-on plates fall off and spray paint fades

Where the rules require hives to carry the holding registration code permanently, the method has to survive weather. Anyone who has solved it with screwed-on plates or spray paint knows how it ends: two seasons later half a dozen boxes are unmarked again. Fire neither falls off nor fades — one pass and the mark stays. For the detail that applies to you — code format, deadlines, census — the authority is your local livestock office.

02 · THE TWELVE SLOTS

Fill them all, even if your code is short

The head takes up to 12 bronze characters of 30 × 15 mm and leaves a marking line of roughly 19 × 3 cm. It will work with eight pieces fitted, but the maker’s recommendation is to fill all twelve: with every slot occupied the flame spreads evenly, the bronze block reaches a stable temperature and the burn comes out even from end to end. With fewer than eight the flame escapes at the sides and the mark comes out pale and patchy. If your code is short, fill the gaps with spacers or dashes: they cost little and change the result.

03 · PROPANE, AND THE REGULATOR

Butane runs out of pressure halfway through the batch

Two high-flow burners chill the cylinder fast, and butane stops vaporising at 0 °C: on a cool morning, or after a few minutes of continuous work, the pressure drops and the flame fades. Propane gasifies down to −44 °C and holds. The regulator matters as much: the tool calls for a 3 bar high-pressure one (16 bar inlet, 18 kg/h flow), and using anything else — a domestic kitchen regulator, for instance — gives out-of-range temperatures and, per the maker, voids the warranty. The hose must be gas-certified and 8 mm internal, with clamps. And before lighting up, soapy water on the joints: if it bubbles, there is a leak.

04 · WHAT YOU CAN MARK

Timber and plastic yes; a painted surface, no

On timber it leaves a dark, deep burn. On plastic and polystyrene it works too, with a quick touch and without deforming the material. But there is a limit worth reading twice: do not brand a painted, treated or impregnated surface. The maker warns of a risk of ignition, and it makes no difference whether it is wood or plastic. The right order is brand first, paint afterwards, on bare material.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

The box holds the branding tool: the characters, the regulator, the hose and the cylinder are all separate. Work out your character set before ordering — digits, letters and whatever dashes or spaces your code needs — because that is what most often delays getting started.

⚠ PRECAUTIONS

You are working with gas and a red-hot block. Check the joints with soapy water before every session and do not light up if they bubble. Never brand painted, treated or impregnated surfaces: there is a risk of ignition. Do not leave the tool lit unattended, and let the head cool before you put it away.