Author Topic: Equipment....Buy or Build???? (Read 3156 times)

snickers104 · « **on:** July 25, 2016, 08:36:46 am »

Going to start in the hobby next spring....have done lots of research and feel ready to start on this adventure. Getting equipment together and was wondering if it would be worth my time to build my own supers or buy the woodworks?? I am pretty handy with power tools and woodworking but not as good as what I have seen.

Thanks for any insight.

Colobee · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2016, 08:50:13 am »

If you have access to cheap or free wood, building your own can fill time in the winter months and save you some while providing the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Buying wood - even at "Big Box" prices - can make the task almost break even compared to some of the sale prices at some bee equipment suppliers. I've found I can compete for many items, but it's hard to build a well fitting box jointed super and stay competitive.

Power tools can be ruthless. Be safe!

bwallace23350 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 25, 2016, 08:59:28 am »

I bought mine but I am a very unhandy person. It was better for me to buy but I could see where a skilled guy could make his own hives very easy.

Acebird · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2016, 09:18:12 am »

Both, build until you don't have the time to do so then buy. Boxes are made from short pieces so scrap material is fine for the making. I would not bother with finger / box joints for your first few boxes. I would buy frames from the start.

Dabbler · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2016, 09:43:23 am »

Snickers
I am just one year ahead of you - in my first year our bee stewardship. I built all my woodenware including the frames, hive top feeder and quilt box.
I had the time and enjoy building things so that was as big a factor as the pricing.

Regarding your "not as good as I have seen" comment: The bees don't care. Remember, feral colonies live in decayed hollows in tree trunks. I think it is safe to say your work looks MUCH better.

If you elect to build, I would recommend:
http://www.michiganbees.org/beekeeping/in-the-beekeepers-workshop/

Best of luck next year.
It is fun, an emotional roller coaster, addictive, and I never cease to be amazed by these little girls.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2016, 09:52:22 am »

Unless you have access to cheap or free wood, I don't see any advantage to making your own. I make my own when what I want isn't available or I'm desperate for a box today and don't have time to wait, but otherwise I buy my boxes and frames. I make my own covers though because what I want isn't available.

Nugget Shooter · « **Reply #6 on:** July 25, 2016, 10:31:12 am »

I build all my own boxes etc. but have a large supply of free wood available and enjoy building the equipment. As said though if I had to buy the lumber for all my projects I may just order un-assembled and put together myself. Pine 1 x 12 like I have piles of can cost a pretty penny at even the big box stores...

CrazyTalk · « **Reply #7 on:** July 25, 2016, 10:44:27 am »

Buy - there's not much to be gained by building.

You can buy boxes at the right time of year from Mann Lake for about $6.50 a piece - unless you can get 1x stock really cheap, you're gonna have a tough time breaking even at that cost. You can build with 2x stock, and probably get down to about $4.50 a box, but then you've got nonstandard equipment. Things like Nucs, mating boxes, etc, can probably be made from 2x stock without getting into too much trouble (and they tend to be overpriced in catalogs).

You can legitimately save some money building frames - if you just take wood costs into consideration, and ignore labor and tool wear. You can make a couple dozen frames from a $15 2x12x12 - but you're going to spend a ton of time, you're going to put a lot of wear on your router and table saw, and you're going to need to make really precise cuts.

Bottom boards, inner covers and telescoping covers are a pretty good place to make some cash back though - they're way overpriced, and pretty easy to build. Stick to building the "I need one or two of these" items and you'll be fine. Buy stuff that you need in bulk.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #8 on:** July 25, 2016, 11:02:58 am »

Of course you can come out ahead with free wood or a local saw mill that has wood at wholesale prices... but I can't buy the wood as cheap as I can buy the hives...

evil nick · « **Reply #9 on:** July 25, 2016, 11:50:50 am »

Im not sure if posting store is frowned on but me and my buddy buy from mannlakes ltd (mannlakes.com). If you order more than 100$ its free shipping so we tend to combine our orders. We are looking at buying some boxes again because the ones they sell are very nice, cheap enough that its comparable to just buying the wood and they often have sales so the boxes are a couple bucks off.

Plus you can order some good frames while youre at it. Just make sure to buy the 7d nails to assemble the boxes

jalentour · « **Reply #10 on:** July 25, 2016, 12:11:57 pm »

I would recommend that you purchase frames and boxes unassembled and put them together yourself. I purchase from a big box on Black Friday and occasionally during sales.
I make my own tops and bottoms.
I am very handy and have a nice wood shop, but my time is worth money and I have 20+ hives and nucs to deal with.

Plan for feeding and expansion/growth, then add 25-50%.

If you decide to build, #2 pine is fine. Save your scrap for entry reducers, handles, and blocks to tilt the boxes forward. I use plywood for the tops and bottoms.
Buy paint from Sherman Williams at $5 per gallon from exterior paint rejects. There are a lot of beige and earth tone rejects. Some keepers don't paint, I currently do but if the hives are in your yard they should look nice.

Enjoy your bees.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2016, 12:55:47 pm »

I made my first 2 hives, 6 boxes each (except the frames). Now I make everything but the supers and the frames. They are not worth it.
Jim

GSF · « **Reply #12 on:** July 25, 2016, 01:09:21 pm »

In the last couple of years I've probably made around a hundred supers; deeps & mediums. Loved doing it because of this ego thing. I've found someone who will make them for about 3-4 dollars more per super. I think I'll go that route this year.

Rurification · « **Reply #13 on:** July 25, 2016, 01:32:27 pm »

I'm with Ace - do both. I bought the first few boxes. Then my husband made a couple. Had to have some NOW and bought a couple more. Husband made a few more. I like inner covers with holes for jar feeding and we've tried/altered a couple of different kinds. I don't like landing boards or screened bottoms. Now that we have a good idea of what we like and don't like, Eric can make a few. I buy all my frames. Way easier and you need them in bulk anyway. They're not heavy so shipping is less. It takes enough time just nailing/gluing them together.

If you're at all interested in doing the all mediums thing, then don't let anyone talk you in to a beginners kit that includes deeps. If you end up getting nucs on deep frames, then you can make yourself a little shim to go under your medium box to make it tall enough for the deep frames.

cao · « **Reply #14 on:** July 25, 2016, 02:28:46 pm »

If you have the time and enjoy woodworking then build them. If not buy them. There's not much savings If you consider your time building your boxes. I have built some of everything(top covers, boxes, frames, bottom boards, and stands). I enjoy woodworking as a hobby so I don't consider my time.

MikeyN.C. · « **Reply #15 on:** July 25, 2016, 04:42:59 pm »

I've yet to find the $5.00 SW paint yet , their leftovers ( returns) is $18.00 here

MikeyN.C. · « **Reply #16 on:** July 25, 2016, 05:01:13 pm »

Jvalantour,
You're right, just called SW in Raleigh N.C. told me with big return orders , yes $5.00 a gal.
Thanks

Colobee · « **Reply #17 on:** July 25, 2016, 05:18:48 pm »

Our local HD & Lowz are both minutes away. They "cull" 1X's every week. If you ask, they will tell you the day & time. I can't even break up hardwood pallets that cheap, all things considered. One "half pallet" of culled lumber was $5, the next was free.

The winter's are long here - plenty of time to build quite a bit of stuff if you keep a good list and make the time. I didn't plan well enough - still making some equipment in a rush to keep up this summer.

I DO cherish the re-claimed pallet hardwood bottom boards, QE's, etc.. I know from experience that they will likely last a few generations for some lucky beek.

flyboy · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2016, 05:55:28 pm »

I love to build and am a bit of a skinflint. I have always found "time" to build, so I built right from the get go. For XmasI got The Dummies book on building a beehive. (some serious hinting)

Make sure your wood is well dried because size definitely matters and warping is not nice. Also look into different ways to build to speed it up. I steered away from typical edge joining and went for Kreg corners. I also buy rough lumber and so it is very inexpensive and the shavings are for the chicken coop.

Building costs about 1/6 the cost of ready-made in my experience.

I also made frames and looked at making foundation, but backed off.

Frames are a lot of finicky, kind of dangerous work, but definitely cheaper. I gave up when quality control became an issue.

If pressed I can whip up a hive overnight, I found out with my first swarm.

Acebird · « **Reply #19 on:** July 25, 2016, 08:28:54 pm »

Well snikers has not come back to us on how he feels about building but some people like woodworking and they are willing to spend money on their woodworking hobby. That could be why they could ever get talked into caring for stinging insects. I thought the idea was nuts and here I am beehaving 5-6 years later. A hobby ... be it fishing, deer hunting, remote control planes, sewing, painting, collecting stamps or coins can cost way more than what you get out of it if you were a bean counter (accountant). But we get involved in hobbies because we have idle time and enjoy the WORK. Hopefully we have the funds to support our hobbies and it does not cause a stress on the family budget. I have met people in the remote control planes hobby that justified buying a new plane instead of fixing a broken washing machine. That was sad and it really hurt me to think about that logic.
I will go back to my first post. If you enjoy it than build your boxes. If you are a bean counter than buy the wooden ware and assemble it. If you have no desire to assemble anything than don't aggravate yourself by trying to do something you don't like. But first and foremost enjoy the hobby and DON'T put a financial strain on your family budget. If you are doing it right bees will calm your stress not add to it.

snickers104 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 25, 2016, 08:58:44 pm »

Thanks for all the input...I have done many hobbies from brewing beer to remote control planes to substitute teaching. I work 12 hour shifts and only work 14 days every 28....need something to keep me busy and have fun with. Beekeeping will be a challenge but I love to learn new things. After hearing your thoughts, I think I will buy my first set of equipment then decide if I want to spend my time making some. Thank you all for your thoughts and input.

flyboy · « **Reply #21 on:** July 25, 2016, 10:06:00 pm »

That's actually a good plan because if you buy first then you can get measurements off of the store bought ones and so eliminate the problems with plans.

My ex used to razz me (for good reason) about trying to bee cheap and then buying the best afterwards. So I would therefore buy twice. I've even tried to build a catamaran and a guitar. Sometimes I even finished the project.

A friend told me that about 10% of homebuilt aircarft actually get built.

Last thing I bought with her was a top-of-the-line racing catamaran (Hobie Tiger) after we were going to drive all day in a potential snowstorm, to buy a cheap old used one.

Colobee · « **Reply #22 on:** July 26, 2016, 06:02:05 am »

When acquiring "store-bought" items, be aware that they are not always the same dimensions at another supplier. Some "bee-space" issues are encountered when mixing and matching. Limit this problem by sticking to one or two suppliers, or ordering small quantities first ( to check dimensions), or ASK QUESTIONS before you buy.

One example - supers/brood boxes commonly come with either "top", or "bottom" bee-space, or split the difference. Mixing different types can start to cause headaches.