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Author Topic: Wooden or Plastic frames?  (Read 13013 times)

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #20 on: October 11, 2008, 12:24:25 pm »
Cindi, I wear earplugs!  I love my nailer, so fast & doesn't hurt my shoulder like hammering all those nails would!  Winenutguy, if I can put them together, anyone can.  I'm seriously mechanically challenged & managed to put my hives AND frames together...although I can't figure out how to do the bottom boards or migratory tops... :? so I got SBB & telescoping! They don't look like Dr. Seuss houses either!  J.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #21 on: October 11, 2008, 12:41:44 pm »
Jody, yo' a smart gal.  I know, I should wear ear plugs most of my life, hee, hee.  I will remember to do that thing when I am working with Ken outside.  So good for you that you can wield a gun.  I don't know how you do that thing, the one that my Husband has weighs an awful lot, I don't think that I could do that one handed -- it would take both my arms to work it, maybe I have just become more weak.  Are you strong or something?  Hee, hee, smiling.....I have had a really bad shoulder the past week because of the nailing I did while I was making some new roosts for the chickens.  It almost hurts as much as when I had that severe rotator cuff injury a couple of years ago.  I thought for surely that I had torn the other shoulder too, but that rest at my Daughter's home over the weekend did a world of wonders.  Now I am back and ready for the garden cleanup, hard, killing frost last night, things are all blackened, the work begins.....have that most wonderful, awesome day.  Cindi

PS, look at the next post I am going to make about my chicken coop addition, hee, hee...
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline winenutguy

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #22 on: October 11, 2008, 01:44:55 pm »
Hi All.  Well I guess I'm ahead of the game because we do have a compressor.  Does anyone have a favorite brand for a brad gun?  Winenutguy.

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #23 on: October 11, 2008, 08:37:55 pm »
Winenutguy,
This is the unit my wife bought me at Lowes for my birthday:
http://www.bostitch.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=BOS_FINISH_AND_TRIM_NAILER&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=BT200K-2&SDesc=2%22+18-Gauge+Oil-Free+Brad+Nailer+Kit

I've used it on frames and boxes,just be sure to use a quality all weather wood glue!!
 When you put top bars on the frames,put one nail down through the top bar into the side bar and one nail in from the side through the side bar into the top bar. that way when you need to pry frames upward,the top bar has a tougher time pulling off the sides if the frame is really propolized into the hive box.
  Cindi:
This will quiet the nailer up:
http://www.elvex.com/ear-muffs-start.htm
Or maybe you can get a longer hose to get further from the compressor!

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #24 on: October 11, 2008, 09:06:36 pm »
More help for a newbee on a related subject please.  Are wooden frames tough to put together?  I'm the first to admit to being "carpentry challenged".  Any advice?  I'm going to go foundation-less but I'm still going to need to put about of 100 of these things together this winter.  Any tips would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks to all!  Winenutguy.

Remember the frame jig I showed you for making frames?  Buy your frames, bring them down, and We'll put them together using the jig.  I'll also show you how to do the popsicle sticks for foundationless frames.    Such a Deal, you shouldn't refuse.

Hi All.  Well I guess I'm ahead of the game because we do have a compressor.  Does anyone have a favorite brand for a brad gun?  Winenutguy.

I use the cheapo from Harbor Freight Tools...$19.95.  If you get the Brad Nailer/Stapler combo you  have every thing you need to build frames, hive bodies, super, tops, bottoms, etc.   Brads and Nails in both 1 inch and 1 1/2 inch are all you need.
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Offline winenutguy

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #25 on: October 12, 2008, 02:05:45 am »
Thank you all!  Brian I won't refuse!  I'll take you up on your kind offer.  I'll let you know when I get my boxes and frames.  I'm still getting a brad stapler though.  Thank you BuzzBee for the tip.  I'll put that down on my xmas wish list.  Best to all. Winenutguy

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #26 on: October 12, 2008, 09:50:55 am »
>Are wooden frames tough to put together?  I'm the first to admit to being "carpentry challenged".

Not "tough" just tedious.  A frame jig and a stapler make it quite easy.  I'd take Brian up and save a lot of expense.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #27 on: October 12, 2008, 10:40:58 am »
Oh I wish that I lived closer to Brian, I would love to have him show me how to do carpentry stuff, too.  Have that most wonderfully awesome and healthy day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #28 on: October 12, 2008, 08:17:51 pm »
I was intimidated by frames at the beginning.
 But after i made one frame, I realized how easy it is! And so much cheaper than the plastic frames I started with!

your friend,
john

Offline JP

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #29 on: October 13, 2008, 02:35:21 am »
All wood frames here.


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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #30 on: October 13, 2008, 02:17:30 pm »
I do not like plastic frames, I have many.  Yes, just like there is places for the small hive beetle to hide, there is an awful lot of places for earwigs to hide too.  Cindi

Interesting, I've always considered my yard to be the earwig capital of the world.  I never have earwigs hiding INSIDE the hive.  Inner cover, outer cover, underneath, space between boxes, and stinkin' little crack they can cram their nasty beastly stinking bodies into, but not in the frames.  Oh..did I mention that I don't really like earwigs.....

I wasn't really intimidated by the thought of making wooden frames, but after making 200 of them I don't have any more interested in making another stupid frame. :-D  Plastic frames are sooo much easier....

Rick
Rick

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #31 on: October 13, 2008, 09:54:59 pm »
When we were kids we were told that earwigs crawled into your ears and ate your brain!
your friend,
john

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #32 on: October 13, 2008, 11:17:05 pm »
I do not like plastic frames, I have many.  Yes, just like there is places for the small hive beetle to hide, there is an awful lot of places for earwigs to hide too.  Cindi

Interesting, I've always considered my yard to be the earwig capital of the world.  I never have earwigs hiding INSIDE the hive.  Inner cover, outer cover, underneath, space between boxes, and stinkin' little crack they can cram their nasty beastly stinking bodies into, but not in the frames.  Oh..did I mention that I don't really like earwigs.....

I wasn't really intimidated by the thought of making wooden frames, but after making 200 of them I don't have any more interested in making another stupid frame. :-D  Plastic frames are sooo much easier....

Rick

There are 2 things I no longer find in my bee hives since I've changed to bottomless hives and migratory tops (upside down solid bottom boards); Ants and earwigs.   Both now stay down on the ground as everything they want from a bee hive now falls at their feet.  2 other critters that have gone missing are varroa mites and SHB. 
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Offline BjornBee

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #33 on: November 02, 2008, 08:07:16 am »
To the original question...I favor wood frames. I can not tell you why other than that they feel and handle better. The plastic frames just seem cheap or somehow not right. With that said....I have been known to slap in a bit of pierco plactic foundation in those wooden frames. :roll:
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Offline Romahawk

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #34 on: November 02, 2008, 10:55:24 am »
I prefer wood also. The plastic frames I have tried have thinner top bars and the bees seem to like to fill the difference in space with lots of burr comb, Grrrrrrr....   :-x
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Offline ikeepbees

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Re: Wooden or Plastic frames?
« Reply #35 on: November 06, 2008, 11:40:16 am »
I love to experiment. As a result I've tried way to many different ideas, things, methods, etc. in my beekeeping career. When it comes to frames, I've tried solid plastic frames (Pierco, EZ, and another brand I can't identify that I received through a buyout), wood frames with plastic, wood frames with wired, unwired brood, and unwired comb wax, and wood frames with no foundation.

As an aside, I still haven't tried the 7/11 foundation offered by Kelley. Michael Bush has spoken of it on the other forum. I don't think they offer it wired, and if I use foundation I prefer wired. But I still want to try it.

If I use plastic foundation, I prefer it in a wooden frame. The downsides I see to the solid plastic frames are:
 - Flimsy, as mentioned earlier.
 - My experience is that there will ALWAYS be burr/bridge comb between the top bars and whatever is above them.
 - I use one of those lever type hive tools rather than a frame grabber or standard hive tool - much too often the ears of the plastic frames break, rendering it essentially useless.
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