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Author Topic: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?  (Read 6205 times)

Offline Billybee

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I do not use foundation (Langstroth). As expected there are times that comb gets out of line, needs to be cut away and rubber banded back into the frames to  straighten things out. The biggest problem I have found is that the rubber bands get pulled out too wide by the top bar of the frame (I use the ones from brushy and make my own wedges for starter strip) and subsequently the comb tends to slide to the bottom of the frames where you dont want it to.

My answer to this was to cut 4 grooves on both sides of my frames spaced an inch from either end and 4 inches or so from those grooves. Now I can put any width of comb into a frame anywhere and have it grab and keep the comb in place in the center of the starter strip. See pics for what I have done. I am going to do this to the rest of my frames in stock unless someone has a better way to keep comb in place. I just dialed in the technique on my tablesaw and can get 50 frames done in an hour or so.

Any input on these grooves affecting something else I am not considering do say so.

Bill



Can somebody tell me where I can find a foundation tree?

Offline bailey

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Re: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2013, 07:50:50 pm »
Looks like it would work to me.
most often i find my greatest source of stress to be OPS  ( other peoples stupidity )

It is better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought of as a fool than to open ones mouth and in so doing remove all doubt.

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2013, 08:25:19 pm »
looks like it would make saving some of those smaller pieces, easier.  they'd be held into the frame better.

i don't see a problem.  looks like a better mouse trap to me  ;)
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2013, 01:27:12 pm »
and subsequently the comb tends to slide to the bottom of the frames where you dont want it to.

 I don't really see the difference if the comb is on the top of the frame, or the bottom. I cut a deep size comb in half and rubber band the pieces into medium frames. Both ended up at the bottom of the frame. The frames went into two hives and the bees attached the comb to the sides and bottom and built it up towards the top. One hive has it completed while the other hive seems to be too busy working on building out other frames. It's been a week since I've seen it, today is suppose to be a nice day, maybe I'll go in and take a look.

Offline loumaro

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Re: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2013, 02:08:31 pm »
It looks to me like it would really weaken the top bar. Is it really necessary?

Louie
Louie

Offline Solomon Parker

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Re: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2013, 10:03:45 am »
Have you heard of Dee Lusby's "swarm ketching frames"?  It's a frame split lengthwise and hinged, wired on both sides, so you can put just about any piece of comb in it you want.
Solomon Parker
Parker Farms, Fayetteville Arkansas

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Improvement, insanity and or is there already a better way?
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2013, 01:48:41 pm »
> I don't really see the difference if the comb is on the top of the frame, or the bottom.

Me neither.  Dee's frames hold things in very well and with the least amount of work (once you have built them).
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