Wiring is a hassle - it takes time and patience, and I'd love to be able to omit that extra job if it were feasible - but on balance I think it's a job worth doing, for it only needs to be done once in the lifetime of a frame ... that is, providing that you don't put that frame in a solar wax melter.
What does putting them into a solar wax melter do to the wires?
As the sun is frequently noticeable by it's absence here in the UK, I personally use steam rather than solar energy to recover wax - but I'm told by those who have tried this, that monofilament fishing line will stretch with the heat generated inside a solar wax melter.
Using wire - as opposed to fishing line - would be one way around this problem, but you'll need to use those little brass inserts to prevent the wire from cutting into the wood. One reason that I use 50-60 lb bs monofilament fishing line is because it's larger diameter won't cut into the wood - the other reason being that the bees can't get their mandibles around that diameter in order to chew it out. Apparently, much lighter gauge fishing line (20-30 lbs) can be chewed - but I learned from the experiences of others to avoid the lighter stuff.
The above video is very informative - the only comment I'd add with regard to 'crush and strain' when using wired foundationless, is that it's easy enough to slide a knife along the fishing line to release the comb in sections. A little more care is needed than without wires, that's all.
SlickMick - the guy in the video advised against using pins, as they localise the stress in a small area at the edge. I guess as a temporary fix, you could always run a loop of fishing line right around the outside of the frame, to give the comb some temporary support ?
LJ
