Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: mtman1849 on August 23, 2008, 02:57:01 pm
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(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/5677/beehivestand003ua5.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand003ua5.jpg)
New hive stand with new Nuc on it
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/9660/beehivestand004gg6.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand004gg6.jpg)
Start with 3 10ft treated 2x4's
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/4857/beehivestand006yf1.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand006yf1.jpg)
End trim about this much to make sure they are square
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/455/beehivestand007ib6.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand007ib6.jpg)
Cut 2 of the 2x4s to 76 1/4 inches
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/471/beehivestand008rw3.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand008rw3.jpg)
This will leave 2 pcs about 43 inches long
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/8069/beehivestand009jo2.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand009jo2.jpg)
Form these 2 pcs cut for pcs 20inches long for legs
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/2921/beehivestand010xw6.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand010xw6.jpg)
From other 2x4 cut 3 pcs 18 inchs long for end and middles support
and
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/8379/beehivestand011hp6.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand011hp6.jpg)
8 pcs 9inches long 45deg angle on one end
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/9696/beehivestand012pw7.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand012pw7.jpg)
Pre bore end of 45deg angles or they will split as a matter of fact pre bore the outside for all screws it will make assembly got that much faster
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/4610/beehivestand015ao3.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand015ao3.jpg)
Lay sides on flat surface approx 18 inches apart
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/8097/beehivestand016yu8.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand016yu8.jpg)
Put in end pcs and center pcs make sure they are to the inside of side pcs
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/1599/beehivestand017ai0.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand017ai0.jpg)
Make sure sides and ends are flush with eachother and screw together with 3" deck screws if outside is pre bored this is alot easier
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/4151/beehivestand018uy1.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand018uy1.jpg)
Put on 20 inch legs screw legs thorough main frame first 2 screws in end and 2 screws in sides then put on angle pcs for added support
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/4159/beehivestand022sq6.th.jpg) (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=beehivestand022sq6.jpg)
Finished hivestand This is not for a commerical operation but it works great for the backyard beekeeper. It holds up to 3 hives and the spacing between the hives allows enough room for working, also when you take racks out of hives the spacing between the front and back allows them to perfectly fit between. Anyway it took about an hour and a half to build making pictures as I went
Hope you enjoy
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Now take the legs off and set it on the ground and you'll have a great stand. :)
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#hivestand
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the reason I have them up off the ground are two 1. I am 6'2" tall and don't like to do alot of bending over and 2. with them at this height if and animal like skunk or a opposium stands on it hind legs to get in their belly is exposed to the bees for stinging ease.
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You do nice work. :) I'm not a fan of community stands but that's my thing. I was wondering, did you anchor the legs into the ground at all? I ask because (here is the reason why I don't like community stands) last spring I had a couple hives tip because during the spring the ground got extremely saturated. One hive completely toppled over (luckily I didn't lose it). If they were on a community stand...YIKES! My suggestion would be to ensure something like that doesn't happen by anchoring it down or ensure good drainage around the area.
I like the reasons for having the legs. I'm 6 foot tall and even though my hives are on cinder blocks, I find myself stooping and with a sore back when I'm done inspecting the smaller hives. The hives with 10+ boxes I don't have an issue with.
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Thanks for the complement :lol: when they reach their final destination hopefully before winter I plan on rocking the area for the stands to set. The legs will also be in cans of oil, and before it get said I am going to make rain shields above the cans so water never gets in. There will also be a six foot tall fence on the prevailing wind side. to protect for the cold winter wind.
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Great minds think alike. I built two last year very similar to yours. Mine has as center leg.
Steve
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The legs will also be in cans of oil, and before it get said I am going to make rain shields above the cans so water never gets in.
Very nice.
That's one disadvantage about mine. I always have a small colony of ants under my inner cover. They don't seem to bother the bees and I never find them inside the hive, but they bother me. This year, there was a large colony of carpenter ants under the inner cover of my largest hive. Again, they weren't a bother but it was a lot more than I would like. Finally I ended up getting rid of them. I used to use cinnamon sprinkled over the blocks, but that only lasts as long as it doesn't rain. Otherwise it worked well. I wonder what other solutions I can find. I haven't really explored it too much. HMMMMMM....
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>I had a couple hives tip because during the spring the ground got extremely saturated.
"You can't fall off the floor" --O'Riely's law (one of Murphy's laws)
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MTN man... good idea, that rain cover for oil cans around the legs... I like it.
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I like the stand i going have to build me one :-D
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There will also be a six foot tall fence on the prevailing wind side. to protect for the cold winter wind.
How far away from the hives? Familiar with how a snow fence works?
I'm pointing this out only because I may not have picked a great location considering winter weather. If I set up a windbreak, and I will need one, i could burry the hives under snow on the lee side of the fence/shrubs/whatever...
not sure what I'm gonna do yet.
And, hey, nice looking stands you have there!
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I am going to build my windbreak fence about 4 feet form hives and 6 feet high and on the side where the prevailing winds come in the winter which in my case is north or northeast Depending on where you are form you may want to adjust the height of the fence according to the depth of your avg. snow. Please change you profile to at least say what state thanks
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Nice work mtman. I had some stands like yours as well and they served me well.
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hi
nice stand we have to have them off the ground over her,or the can toad sites in front eat,s the bees.
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Those rain shields will also hopefully keep the bees from falling into the oil. I originally had my hive legs sitting in small cans of motor oil. It got so funky with dead bees filling up the cans because they thought it was water and they drowned in it.
I finally just had to remove those cans.
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just one thing I thought about when I first seen this post but didn't want to say anything about but I better because you will probably see sooner or later, these are very well made and a good design but the only thing I question is the chose of using 2x4's going across to sit the hives on and the legs, 2x4's will work but you will need center legs and 4x4's would be a lot safer, after 3 full hives sit on it and in the weather it will bow on you and possibly break after a time, them hives can get 200-400 pounds each imagine them hives sitting there on them legs and wind blowing back and fourth, not enough wood there for me, 4x4's would have been better without using center legs. hope a little constructive criticism want hurt but I seen it happen and it was about the same design (it bowed about 5"-6" down in the center and outside hives leaned towards center hive a good bit), maybe your want bow but the odds are against it, I use sender blocks set on 4x4's, good luck!!
you wouldn't want to see this happen to you, he used 2x4 legs and hives sit on 2x6's, he did have a load of hive on it
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221659