Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: FredBorn on October 12, 2005, 05:43:24 pm
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I made a small one frame obseravtion hive to take to bee talks.
I plan to put a frame in the observation hive just before I go to the meeting/talk and put it back in the hive immediatelty after.
I made it out of plain pine.
What could I finish it with? Varnish, shellack, ???
Thanks
fred - citrus county florida
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You could probably finish the ouside with just about anything you want(varnish, stain, wax coat, etc.) just don't finish the inside. I had a permenant observation hive just last year. I didn't apply any kind of finish given it was an indoor hive but, if you let it dry and air out for a while the bees would probably be fine with any kind of finish on the OUTSIDE of the observational hive.
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shellack would be a bad choice, it is affected by water, I am sure
you have seen fine furniture with a white ring where someone set
a wet glass. That happens on a shellack finish
varnish outside nothing inside would be my choice.
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I'd only finish the outside. I'd use polyurethane or nothing or boiled linseed oil. :)
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Mine is coated with polyurethane, outside only.
(http://www.leominsterbeeman.com/images/100_0329.JPG)
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Only do the outside. But then be creative, but practical as well. I stained mine, and put 2 coats of polyurethane on it.
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I use analine dye stain (water based) and shellac. Dried shellac is considered food grade. It is used to coat capsules, so it can be used inside if you wanted. I don't.