A cardboard TBH

[jabourns]

Hi, thinking of trying to build a TBH out of cardboard, and have some ideas involving cheesecloth and elmers glue for added rigidity/durability.  Basically I'm going to cut the cardboard to dimensions that will fold into the box part of the TBH (Kenya style), make a glue/water paste to spread over the cheesecloth onto the cardboard, making a cast of sorts.  I know the cheesecloth/glue combo will make it rigid enough to house the bees, but will this combination present a problem on the wall and sides of the inner hive?  Would it be harmful to the bees in any way?  I will probably do a couple of layers on the outside, and only one inside.  I plan on using a spray on polyurethane to waterproof the outside, and inside if no one can find any objections to that.  Obviously being covered by the top bars and having a roof, the interior is not a susceptible to water damage.  

Surrounding the box, I will construct a frame to support the top bars.  The trough will basically hang from this frame, on the inside of the top bar supports.  

Don't know if I got my plans across or not..is this an insanely bad idea or do you think it could work?  If so, would be an extremely inexpensive way of constructing a TBH, and the only tools needed are an exacto knife and ruler.

[Robo]

Sounds like a lot of work and I have my doubts it will stand up to the moisture in the hive.  Why not use coroplast? (plastic cardboard)

I also question the strength.  You talk about building a support to hold the top bars, but then you say only tools would be an exacto knife and ruler:roll:  

Check out this -> http://www.ccdemo.info/GardenBees/CK5/CK5.html

I like your idea of building a frame to support the top bars and just hanging the sides from that.  I have the same principle going in the TBH I'm building.  I am taking a plastic 55 gallon drum and cutting it in half lengthwise (2 hives from 1 drum).

[jabourns]

Coroplast would definitely solve the moisture issue....I'm liking your plastic barrel idea quite a bit as well, and with the top bar frame surrounding the outer top edge of the barrel, there wouldn't be any warping issues to contend with.  May try that one myself..would definitely be interested in your design plans when you start.  

Regarding the "only tools" comment, I was referring to the box itself only, sorry to confuse.  On a smaller scale, my cardboard idea wouldn't be much work and might make a nice nuc/swarm trap.  I dabbled in model planes for a bit, and used to put tissue paper over balsa wings, and use the elmer glue mixture sparingly to work the paper onto the wing..it formed a surprisingly tougher wing while still maintaining the balsa's light weight.  I used to do a simlilar thing involving cross spars on homemade kites..I'd wrap cotton kite twine around the cross spar and work the glue mixture into the "knot" i'd created.  Once dry, it was nearly impoosible to remove unless cut with a saw.  The strength factor of the box, given the way it would be framed (probably similar to the above link, only surrounding the box would be the frame for bars as we discussed) would be more than adequate and for me less work than trying to build a wooden type as I have access to very few tools at my disposal, so was just kind of thinking "outside" the box as it were...muhahahaha!   :shock:

Now if I could get past the moisture problem, I've almost talked myself into making it.

[Michael Bush]

If you buy an MDA box either from MDA or Mann Lake or whoever else is selling them these days, it's a carboard nuc (also available from MDA in corpolast).  You could scale the design up in size and make a larger hive, I suppose.  The stiffness of the sides where the bars (of frames) rest would be the concern.  I'm now sure how best to keep it straght so the bars don't fall in.