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Author Topic: anyone build their own frames?  (Read 11972 times)

Offline fshrgy99

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anyone build their own frames?
« on: March 29, 2013, 05:52:50 pm »
My prices for medium frames work out to $142/100 (tax in) locally. I have found a Mi reailer that sells for $88/100 but it's a 3 hour drive. I build my own boxes and would gladly build my own frames but there is so much detail! I have seen a few posts that refer to home built frames. Anyone doing it and have straightforward plans? Scoped the forum plans but don't see anything.

BTW 10 degrees and the snow is almost gone (PTL). The girls are out and looking for  ...something! Got my first swarm trap out lol!

Dennis

Offline Joe D

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2013, 06:16:45 pm »
I haven't was going to but was running short on time, and just ordered some.  A lot of the suppliers will ship for free if order is over $100.  Will probably make my next ones.




Joe

Offline fshrgy99

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2013, 06:46:26 pm »
shipping gets dicey for me as it's over the border and has to pass through customs. If I drive down and stay for 24 hours I can bring back $200 in purchases. For 48 hours the amount climbs to $800 in purchases. Costs for some things are similar. For others (like frames)  the difference 'stings'. In general stuff in Canada costs way more, sometimes even for Canadian stuff! Most consider it a rip off.

Offline Bush_84

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2013, 07:11:39 pm »
I tried, but it was more hassle than it was worth.  I now just buy them from Mann lake.  $77/100 frames.
Keeping bees since 2011.

Also please excuse the typos.  My iPad autocorrect can be brutal.

Offline PeeVee

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2013, 08:29:24 pm »
I probably should buy my frames but, I made a few (around a hundred) then I had a few miscellaneous parts left over. So, next time I made a few more. Well, I'm sure you know what happened  :roll:

Once I am set up, I can run enough parts for a few hundred as easily as a dozen.

I do need to get back in the shop now that the weather has warmed to start assembling.

-Paul VanSlyke - Cheers from Deposit,NY

Offline capt44

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2013, 11:00:28 pm »
I've got the band saw and table saw and such but haven't had time to build any.
I have the patterns made and ready.
But on the other hand Mann Lake Ltd has them for $76.00 and up per hundred with free shipping over $100.00.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline Hoot Owl Lane Bees

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2013, 12:14:12 am »
I made over 200 in 6 evenings about 2 hrs each night. I followed a post from another forum. beesource.com Look up  How-To-Make-Your-Own-Frames-Photo-Tutorial

I had some Oak flooring that I was burning in the wood stove before I noticed it was 3/4" thick. My top and bottom's are Oak and the ends are made from old 2x4's all FREE.
Jim

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2013, 12:52:24 am »
I build everthing my self (boxes, frames,traps,hand tools, smoker). check by binging frame paterns and you'l get a ton of them. but make sure you use your foundation as you assemble the frames to make sure you have them square till you get use to making them.

John

Moots

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2013, 10:52:06 am »
I build everthing my self (boxes, frames,traps,hand tools, smoker). check by binging frame paterns and you'l get a ton of them. but make sure you use your foundation as you assemble the frames to make sure you have them square till you get use to making them.

John

Another option would be to use a square, to make sure they're square.  :-D

John, pretty darn impressive that you build everything. I toyed with the idea of building my frames for a very brief moment...And building a smoker instead of buying one never even entered my mind.  :laugh:

Offline ScooterTrash

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2013, 12:17:25 pm »
Over the Winter Built 3,000 frames, 300 "all" medium 8 Frame Langstroth type Bodies, 50 Telescopic Covers, 50 combination Inner/Ventilator/Insulator/Feeder (supports 5 1qt Jars) Covers, 50 bottom boards (w/oil pans for our friends the SHB). Ready to collect 50 swarms & save a million bees.

Regarding making frames & reviewed Huber's New Observations Upon Bees The Complete Volumes 1 & 2 and the The Practical Beekeeper Beekeeping Naturally; I went with narrow frames not currently offered by vendors so had to build my own. 9 frames (1-1/4" side bars) in the Brood Chamber and 8 frames (1-1/2" side bars) in the Supers both style frames with 7/8" top bars.

side bars: scrap 2 x 4s; cut to length/dado both ends (same size cuts & make yourself a sled for the table saw to do these cuts, use router table to cut detent for beespace on side bars, run the sections of 2 x 4 thru table saw one gets 7 side bars per section of scrap 2 x 4).

Get with local sawmill for rough cut lumber (1" x 8" x 8' about $2.30 a pop), select thickness well and/or let the saw mill folks know that dressed out you will need 7/8 thickness. Plane to 7/8", square boards on tablesaw, cut to length, cut frames rests w/dado, rip boards to 1-1/8", as I am running foundationless so I used a 45 degree chamfer bit on router table to cut the comb guide into the frame, use tablesaw with dado blade for cutting slots for side bars (build a tablesaw sled for those cuts), bottom bar pretty straight forward.

Any number of sources on the www for frame dimesions.

Retired early and somewhat able to do what I want, to much time on my hands and to little money.
I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

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Offline rbinhood

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2013, 03:40:08 pm »
Time is the one thing that gets intensive when you make frames, do all of you bottom bars at the same time, the same when you do the ends for your frames and the same for the top bars.  If you cut and mill one top bar and two ends and then a bottom bar, then go back an repeat this for each individual frame you are wasting a lot of time.  Make a setup then complet this entire operation then move to the next and so on until you have a large quantity of each item.  Then assemble your frames the same way.
Only God can make these two things.....Blood and Honey!

Offline jmblakeney

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2013, 05:24:50 pm »
This guy does really good with explaining the process he uses making frames.

How To Build A Beehive Frame Part 1
How To Build A Beehive Frame Part 2

I make all my woodenware as well with the exception of frames.  Found it to be too tedious of work with my fingers to close too the blade for me to do it.  Frames cost me $.85. I have to use my fingers every day at work and can't risk it.

James
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Offline PeeVee

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2013, 08:36:03 pm »
Nice video but, Always, (did I mention, ALWAYS?) use a push stick on the table saw. Keeps your fingers away from the biting parts!
-Paul VanSlyke - Cheers from Deposit,NY

Offline Simon

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2013, 09:17:54 pm »
I'll second what PeeVee said.  The only safe practice that the guy in the video has is standing to the side of the table saw blade :shock:  I had to close my eyes at certain points in the first video.  Anyone trying to build their own frames (or anything with a table saw for that matter) should always use push sticks  ...some feather boards to hold the timber down and against the fence wouldn't go astray either.  It is only a matter of time before the saw kicks back and a piece of wood goes flying through the air at speed towards some part of your body.  Believe me, the saw will still try to get you even if you do stand away from the line of the blade!

Offline fshrgy99

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2013, 09:58:41 pm »
With the addition of a used dewalt 12.5" planer that I recently acquired I think I now have all tools needed to manufacture my own frames.
Have made my own bee boxes so far and now intend building all 8 frame mediums. I have a stack of softwood that I had cut by a local mennonite sawmill to 5/4
(free urban logs). It has been drying for a few years.

As mentioned by others it is very important to keep track of all 10 fingers at all times and practice safe wood working technique  (the video, although excellent makes me cringe somewhat).

30 years ago I spent time working as a residential framer. I once cut the power cord off a skill saw faster than I can blink. I still remember holding that cut three strand 14 gauge wire with reinforcement and insulation alondside my index finger and wondering which was tougher.

Did I mention I play guitar and banjo?


Trivia: He lost 2/3 of his right middle finger at age 4 when he was holding wood for his older brother to split. He is ranked 11th by  "Rolling Stone" on their list of top 100 all time greatest guitarists.

Keep on truckin beekers!

Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2013, 12:32:46 pm »
The guy in the video, Ryan Bekke, does a great job showing how to not only make frames from scratch, his video series shows how to build an entire hive.
 He just started selling his plans on his website but if you watch his videos, you can figure it out for free.

Offline bailey

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2013, 02:14:44 pm »
Frames from Mann lake are cheap. Half a hand lost to a table saw?  No way to measure the cost. 
Table saw scares the crap out of me!!!!!   I worked er for years and saw 3 very serious table saw injuries.
So I won't let one on my property. 
Bailey
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

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Offline D Semple

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2013, 05:55:01 pm »
I've made 1,000's, but for safety the only thing I use a table saw for are the dado cuts.

I use a planner to get boards to the desired thicknesses, a radial armsaw for cutting stock to length, a table saw for all the dado cuts, a jointer to narrow the bottoms of the side pieces, and last a bandsaw for the all the fine ripping of individual pieces for safety. Unless you can get your wood for free it still doesn't pay.  I can make 500 frames in a hard weekend, but I have a full shop.

And, it's the MOst BORING wood working in the whole world. (if I wasn't married I'd never make them   :-* )


Moots

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2013, 06:07:00 pm »

And, it's the MOst BORING wood working in the whole world. (if I wasn't married I'd never make them   :-* )


:lau: :lau: :lau:......
Perhaps the funniest comment I've seen on the forum in a while...Thanks for the laugh!

D, I'm hoping for your sake that your wife does't visit the forum!  :laugh:

Offline jrbbees

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Re: anyone build their own frames?
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2013, 01:57:40 am »
Anyone trying to build their own frames (or anything with a table saw for that matter) should always use push sticks  ...some feather boards to hold the timber down and against the fence wouldn't go astray either. 

Or better setup your feather boards with a cover so there is just a slot for the wood to be pushed through. That way you can feed the parts through the front and they come out the back of the setup. It takes a little more time to setup  but it is way safer.