Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Pics of making foundationless frames?  (Read 7671 times)

Offline John Schwartz

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 319
  • Gender: Male
    • The Bee Farm
Pics of making foundationless frames?
« on: April 15, 2010, 01:34:37 pm »
Howdy friends,

Wondering if anyone out there skilled with making your own foundationless frames from scratch could post pics of the frames and your overall construction process?
―John Schwartz, theBee.Farm

Offline Kathyp

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 20339
  • Gender: Female
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2010, 01:43:52 pm »
come over and i'll walk you through making a few dozen   :evil:

it's really easy.  i just take out the wedge piece, then put my strip on and staple the wedge back in tight.   by the time i have all my strips on, my wax is melted.  i use a glass syringe that i got from ebay, but there is a tool made for this also.  i  glue the strips in with melted wax and i'm done.

you can cut the strips with a pizza cutter if the foundation in a warm room.  if you don't have any foundation, you can just run a wax bead down the frame.  when i do this, i don't even pull the wedge out.  just run the wax. 

i think it's MB that uses Popsicle stick as a guide or turns the wedge sideways.


Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline John Schwartz

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 319
  • Gender: Male
    • The Bee Farm
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2010, 01:46:37 pm »
Thx, Kathy :) I'm meaning completely from scratch (rollin yer own). Like this maybe: http://www.beebehavior.com/foundationless_frames.php
―John Schwartz, theBee.Farm

Offline Scadsobees

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 3198
  • Gender: Male
  • Best use of smileys in a post award.
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2010, 04:32:33 pm »
I've made some, but they were much more complicated than that link you posted. 

The ones I made were from the beesource plans for full frames.  I wouldn't bother with them again and turned out rather ugly.

The link frames look fairly straight forward and simple.  I can't beat that!!
Rick

Offline John Schwartz

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 319
  • Gender: Male
    • The Bee Farm
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2010, 04:56:31 pm »
Thanks for that info, Rick. :)
―John Schwartz, theBee.Farm

Offline Kathyp

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 20339
  • Gender: Female
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2010, 06:02:31 pm »
foiled again.  i was hoping for some free labor...   :-D

frames are pretty cheap.  considering the time, etc. to build from scratch....
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline BeeHopper

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1122
  • Gender: Male
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2010, 10:22:48 am »
foiled again.  i was hoping for some free labor...   :-D

frames are pretty cheap.  considering the time, etc. to build from scratch....


Now I see that " Little bad Girl " in You  :-D

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 148
  • Gender: Male
  • Pollinating So Cal
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2010, 03:51:41 am »
Wouldn't the paint stirrer/popsicle/tongue depressor sticks covered w/ wax be more durable than card board milk cartons? Yes frames bought in 100 per box unassembled run less than dollar per frame. Like the simple design of the frames on the link, but how durable/ long do they last?

Tried BeeSource's frames but need a wood shop to expidite those many cuts. Seen this cool series on YouTube of Colombian Lang frame/ hive wooden ware shop:

YouTube & search for APICOLA INDUSTRIAL 1 & check out the  2 - 4 series ( can't post link yet as need more posts )

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline glenn c hile

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 69
  • Gender: Male
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2010, 11:13:46 pm »
Look at the new ones Kelly's has for sale.  Pretty cool idea and really not that expensive.  I ordered 20 to try this spring.

Glenn

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 148
  • Gender: Male
  • Pollinating So Cal
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2010, 02:29:08 pm »
Hi Glenn, Whats the full catalog name of Kelly's & proper description of frame so I can investigate? In link limbo here as newbee as well. Thanks for tip.
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline pondman

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 64
  • Gender: Male
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2010, 09:11:11 pm »
Here is a link to kelly's, I hope this was ok to paste here. If not please forgive me as I was tring to help out with this an make it easy for this person.
Kelleybees.com

Offline buzzbee

  • Ken
  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 5930
  • Gender: Male
    • N Central Pa Beekeepers Facebook Page
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2010, 11:18:04 pm »
I never realized you could by frames with a comb guide. I've been pretty fortunate just throwing a bare frame between two drawn ones. I'm sure in time I will get taught a lesson about this way. :)

Offline Apis_M_Rescue

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 148
  • Gender: Male
  • Pollinating So Cal
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2010, 02:28:15 am »
Thanks Pondman for link. Those would be a great time saver as no paint stirrer sticks cut & glue on.
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  Proverbs 16:24

Offline manfre

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 143
  • Gender: Male
    • Backyard Apiary
Re: Pics of making foundationless frames?
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2010, 05:15:12 pm »
I've had really good luck with just rotating the wedge and using that as the guide for the bees. As far as making frames from scratch, it's too labor intensive to be cost effective, unless you're doing this for the experience of it.
Backyard Apiary - My adventures in beekeeping.
Brewed By Us - A social site for homebrewers (beer, mead, etc.) to share recipes and brew journals.