Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: beek1951 on June 25, 2013, 04:22:41 am

Title: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: beek1951 on June 25, 2013, 04:22:41 am
Does anyone know the dimensions of Western boxes and frames?
I saw one once many moons ago, but don't have anything to measure
and Google comes up blank.
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: marktrl on June 25, 2013, 04:36:16 pm
Isn't a "western" a medium super?
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: don2 on June 25, 2013, 08:08:25 pm
I thought the medium was called the "Illinois" super.   :) :) d2
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 26, 2013, 10:05:12 am
I have seen the term "western" used for mediums (6 5/8" boxes) and for the 7 5/8" boxes.  Not sure which you mean.  But the 6 5/8" boxes are, on the outside, 6 5/8" x 16 1/4" x 19 7/8" with 6 1/4" deep frames.  The 7 5/8" boxes are the same except the depth is 7 5/8" and the frames are 7 1/4".
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: Sour Kraut on June 26, 2013, 06:05:51 pm
I've always heard it defined as a 6-5/8 is an 'Illinois' or 'Dadant' depth

and 7-5/8 is 'Western'

Can hardly wait for somebody to start marketing an 8-5/8.........
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 27, 2013, 09:23:02 am
The only logical sizes for boxes would be:

11 1/4" (10 7/8" frames)
9 1/4" (8 7/8" frames)
7 1/4" (6 7/8" frames)
5 1/2" (5 1/8" frames)

Because this would align with actual standard widths of currently available lumber...

So let's NOT invent another odd width box that does not align with standard lumber sizes...
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: Sour Kraut on June 27, 2013, 12:08:16 pm
I'm sure the sizes made sense when a 1 x 10 for instance was actually 9-3/4 to 10 inches back in the 'early days'

I've got a 130-year old house with:

'real' 2 x 4's (130 year old Yellow Pine, eats saw blades and drill bits)
1-7/8 x 3-7/8 '2x4's'
1-3/4 x 3-3/4 '2x4's'
1-5/8 x 3-5/8 '2x4's'
1-1/2 x 3-1/2 '2x4's'

my scrap pile is well stocked with 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch stock for shimming to get things level.....
Title: Re: Western Box and frame dimensions?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 27, 2013, 02:10:58 pm
Yes, back then a one by ten was 9 5/8".  An extra shallow was (and is) 4 3/4" which is what you have left after you saw a 9 5/8" board in half... and a shallow was the same as a one by six at the time, which was 5 3/4".