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Author Topic: How do I build screened bottom boards?  (Read 12331 times)

Offline MrBridgeflax

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How do I build screened bottom boards?
« on: January 10, 2013, 03:48:34 am »
I would like to build my own screened bottom bords but I am not sure what kind of construction I should go for.

I guess it could be really advanced but I am looking for something easy to put together at a low cost but still effective and good for my bees.

Any ideas or someone who would like to share their experiences on this subject?

Thanks in advance!  :)

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2013, 06:16:25 am »
I have a SBB with oil pan that I now use. I drew it up and took a picture of the design. I will try to up load the pictures later today.
Jim
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Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2013, 10:39:43 am »
For what type of hive ?

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2013, 12:34:17 pm »
10 Frame langstroth.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2013, 01:06:16 pm »
I added the design under a new topic, under Equipment Usage, to make it easier to find. See SBB design.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2013, 03:52:45 pm »
I will offer that having progressed through several variations(non on lang) my current design allows for removal of screen itself.
Cheers,
Drew

Offline Finski

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2013, 04:03:39 pm »
I would like to build my own screened bottom bords but I am not sure what kind of construction I should go for.



You are in Sweden. Get a good example as model and then beging to do them.

But beekeepers are mad when they offer their own solutions. They do not accept nothing else.

In cold Sweden such model is good that you may close it or reduce the opening.

I live in Finland and I use solid bottoms.  My openings are only 5% that of mesh bottom.
I do not understand why hives must be ventilated so much.

.I sep up my ventilation according ventilating workers.
in main flow I open more entrances.



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Language barrier NOT included

Offline AstroBee

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2013, 11:56:00 am »
See my post in the "Screen Bottom Board Design" thread.

Offline minz

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2013, 05:08:03 pm »
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/bottomboard/bottomboard.htm
Easy-peasy worst part is finding/ dealing with the wire.
Poor decisions make the best stories.

Offline capt44

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2013, 10:16:13 pm »
I get my #8 hardware cloth online from Ace Hardware
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline Sundog

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2013, 02:57:58 pm »
Very simple and inexpensive, under $3+screen (not shown).  Made from one 1x4, the stand is made from one 2x4.  Screen the brownie pan and you have a catch trap that slides underneath.  Slide a board between the SBB and the stand to close the screen on a cold night.  PM me if you are interested in more information.

 8-)


Offline Intheswamp

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2013, 03:40:01 pm »
Bridgeflax, whichever design you opt for go with one that has straight sides to it with no ledge on the inside of the hive. 

When bees knock mites and beetles from the walls or off themselves or the comb that faces the wall, the pests have a chance of landing on a ledge and crawling back up.  Without a ledge there is a better chance the pest will fall through the screen and on to the ground.  If a mite falls through the screen it is pretty much no longer a problem for the bees as it can't crawl up the hive stand...it's too far of a distance for it. 

If you have small hive beetles (do you?) they easily reenter the hive...that is where an oil tray is very helpful...the oil tray traps several different pests.

With a screened bottom board designed to incorporate a tray this means that a flat sheet of wood, plastic, or whatever can also be slid in place in the winter to help with low temperatures, to act as a wind baffle, or simply to close off the bottom to encourage the queen to lay lower in the bottom comb.

Ed
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Offline Intheswamp

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2013, 03:45:45 pm »
A couple of more things, Bridgeflax.  If you build by plans that you find you might want to build the sides so that they are elevated another enough to slide an oil tray beneath.  Here's a link to a thread about some modifications that I've been doing to some commercially built screened bottom boards.  Nothing fancy, but you'll see what I'm talking about in making the side rails taller and doing away with an inside ledge.  At the least maybe it will be some food for thought regarding "beyond the screened bottom board". :)

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,38714.0.html

Best wishes,
Ed
www.beeweather.com 
American blood spilled to protect the freedom and peace of people all over the world.  320,000 USA casualties in WWI, 1,076,000 USA casualties in WWII, 128,000 USA casualties in the Korean War, 211,000 casualties in the Vietnam "conflict", 57,000 USA casualties in "War on Terror".  Benghazi, Libya, 13 USA casualties. These figures don't include 70,000 MIA.  But, the leaders of one political party of the United States of America continue to make the statement..."What difference does it make?".

"We can't expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism."..."The press is our chief ideological weapon." - Nikita Khrushchev

"Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they wont come to yours." - Yogi Berra

Offline TemeculaBeek

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2013, 11:51:05 pm »
Very simple and inexpensive, under $3+screen (not shown).  Made from one 1x4, the stand is made from one 2x4.  Screen the brownie pan and you have a catch trap that slides underneath.  Slide a board between the SBB and the stand to close the screen on a cold night.  PM me if you are interested in more information.

 8-)

Nice design Sundog! I might try something similar.

Offline JWChesnut

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2013, 12:09:26 pm »
I have a downloadable pdf: "Building a Simplified Screened Bottom Board"
http://tinyurl.com/SimplifiedScreen

The key feature of my design is building in two frame sub-assemblies, and using biscuit joiner to make the frames.

Moots

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2013, 12:53:39 pm »
I have a downloadable pdf: "Building a Simplified Screened Bottom Board"
http://tinyurl.com/SimplifiedScreen

The key feature of my design is building in two frame sub-assemblies, and using biscuit joiner to make the frames.

Looks very nice, thanks for sharing....However, I'm always a little skeptical when I see the terms "Simplified" and "biscuit joiner" used together!  :-D

Offline Sundog

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #16 on: May 03, 2013, 01:50:02 am »
Moots – Dude…  biscuit joiners and biscuits are an easy and effective way to join boards. 

I can’t see the design, apparently the site doesn’t like my browser.

I have never used them cross-grain, but I suppose one could.  I use dowels mostly, no nails or screws, for boxes, BBs and stands, but I have only made three or four of each.

 8-)

Offline JWChesnut

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #17 on: May 04, 2013, 11:25:32 am »
Sundog,
My bottom board instructions are a pdf stored on Google Drive.  The tiny url address is to shorten the ridiculous Google link -- https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3H7Ru-k1dP3MWUzYTg2MmEtNWM3MC00MzU1LTk1YWItODIyOTMwM2I5ZDA5
is better stored as --
http://tinyurl.com/SimplifiedScreen

The document is a pdf - so depending on how you are configured, saving the link as a download will off load a local copy to your screen.

Caveat:  We are not troubled with Hive Beetles in my area, so the design is for monitoring and reduction of Varoa only, no oil pan. The design approach -- two mated sub-assemblies -- could be adapted for oil pans.

I find the inspection board useful for monitoring hive activity.  Eggs that are dropped can be seen, so you know where the active laying is occurring.  Eggs that hatch leave a skin that resembles a yellow-cream grain of rice.  Hatching larvae leave an integument of the antenna that drop.  Drone hatches drop the rounded cap.  Robbing shows up as chewed wax dust, etc.  Substantial pollen drops through screen, this allows you to interpret  the main forage crop.

Offline Sundog

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #18 on: May 05, 2013, 10:42:53 pm »
Thanks, managed a download.

I like the nail and dado free design and while I haven't used biscuits cross-grained, I don't see why not.

 8-)

Offline JWChesnut

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Re: How do I build screened bottom boards?
« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2013, 12:26:41 pm »
Sundog,
I use biscuits to build hive boxes.  I now have have 8 year old boxes with zero failures or warping. I use 3 #20 biscuits for deeps an 2 #20 biscuits for mediums.  I cut the rabbet end pieces to the inner dimension of the box, and run the side ( 19 7/8") pieces past.  The biscuits cut to the end of the rabbet pieces, and the side of the long dimension pieces.

I cut the biscuits on centers that are symmetrical, so the pieces can be flipped in during construction.

For mediums, I use cheap 8" fence boards ripped to 6 5/8th.  I look for "loss leader" sales on fence boards-  You can pick them up for about 1.50 per piece on sale.  The biscuits add about 16 cents per box, purchased in bulk.  I put in a drywall screw to tighten up the glue up.  Use Tightbond 2 or 3 for waterproof glue-up.  I use a carefully calibrated diagonal stick during drying to keep the box square.  One fence board builds one box  2x 14.5 and 2 x 20 = 70" (approx with kerf).

I heavily paint the exposed end grain on the side pieces.  I think keeping the rabbet end grain protected prevents the end boards from warping outwards, as the tend to do in the finger joint design.

 

anything