Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: flyboy on December 09, 2013, 06:44:48 pm

Title: Books on building a Hive
Post by: flyboy on December 09, 2013, 06:44:48 pm
I am thinking about building a hive. Any suggestions on a book to use as a guide or possibly good plans online?

I am a newbie with good woodworking skills and tools.
I currently am reading a book fro the library called "Build Your Own Beekeeping Equipmant" by Tony Pisano
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: charlie b on December 09, 2013, 07:21:09 pm
For a Top Bar Hive ....http://www.§¤«£¿æ.com/forum/index.php (http://www.§¤«£¿æ.com/forum/index.php) and http://www.backyardhive.com/magazine/ (http://www.backyardhive.com/magazine/) . For a Langstroth..http://shop.threesmilindogs.com/Fat-Bee-Man-8-Frame... (http://shop.threesmilindogs.com/Fat-Bee-Man-8-Frame...) . I have plans from all three and have made all three. Very good plans.
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: charlie b on December 09, 2013, 07:25:48 pm
That first link just doesn't want to happen so I'll try this one. How to Build a Simple Top Bar Hive (http://www.scribd.com/doc/168332145/How-to-Build-a-Simple-Top-Bar-Hive#)
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: Joe D on December 09, 2013, 10:17:52 pm
Which type of hive do you want to build.  If you want to do the TBH, I would make it where I could use Langstroth frames, so when you do build langs you can interchange frames.  You can build the frames also, foundationless or with.   Type in parts for a Langstroth hive, it will give you the sizes.  Good luck to you.




Joe
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: Michael Bush on December 11, 2013, 08:01:04 am
If you want to build Langstroth equipment, there are free plans on the web.  Larry Connor has a book out.
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: charlie b on December 11, 2013, 07:57:22 pm
Thanks Mike. A little research and I found a great site. Anything you want build can be found here, http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/ (http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/)
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: capt44 on December 11, 2013, 11:37:45 pm
I build hives 10,8,6,5 frame Langstroth Hives.
Dimensions for a 10 frame is 16 1/4 in X 19 7/8 with box joints then however deep you want the boxes.
If you use rabbet joints cut your long boards 19 1/8 inches long.
Cut the short boards 16 1/4 and cut a rabbet joint at each end 3/4"X3/8"
Cut the frame rest 5/8"x 3/8"
A deep box is 9 5/8" deep
A medium box is 6 5/8 " deep
A shallow box is 5 11/16"
I have dimensions on each part of the hive.
feel free to email me and I will see that you get them and they are free!
I built around 100 hives last season for folks.
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: bbbthingmaker on December 18, 2013, 08:42:38 am
I got the plans for all of my equipment on the internet.  Pick one set of plans and stick with it so that all your hive components will be interchangeable.  Even hive components from different manufactures will often have slightly different dimensions. 
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: capt44 on December 18, 2013, 11:26:54 am
The only component I've seen where the dimensions vary much is the 8 frame hive width.
Some are standard 13 3/4 inches and others are standard 14 inches.
Just depends on where you get them.
The shallow box depth must be 5 11/16 inches deep or the frames will be too deep. Some say 5 5/8 inches but it is too shallow.
I only use the shallow boxes for comb honey.
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: flyboy on December 18, 2013, 03:03:42 pm
Thanks for all the great info. Keep it coming. I am getting more excited to do it.

PPL have been giving me doom and gloom about building, it but I think I will do OK. I build lots of things.
Title: Re: Books on building a Hive
Post by: capt44 on December 18, 2013, 05:12:15 pm
If you're going to use box joints for the boxes cut the long boards 19 7/8 inches long and the short boards 16 14 inches long for a 10 frame hive box or 14 inches wide for a 8 frame hive.
If you're going to use Rabbet Joints cut the long boards 19 1/8 inches long and the short boards 16 1/4 (10 frame) or 14 inches (8 frame)
Cut the rabbet joints at the ends of each short board 3/4 wide X 3/8 inch deep.
Cut the frame rest 5/8 inches wide x 3/8 inch deep.