My new hive is built, using the same plans as my first; with just a few differences.
This hive is built using 1 full inch thick Southern Yellow Pine and finished with a Semi transparent Cedar stain.
The hive is 48 inches long and 34 inches to the top bars.
The sides are 14 inches wide and cut at 22.5 degrees. I cut the top and bottom side boards at 22.5 so the top bars and bottom board would fit flat against them.
I notched the bars 1/8 inch by 1 1/8 inches so they will lay flat on the top of the sides and not move very easily.
It has a 3 foot long by 5 inch wide thick Plexiglas window for viewing the girls at work. The Plexiglas is flush recessed on the inside and silicone in place.
I used a router with a Rabbit bit on the bottom of each side board to make a 3/4 inch wide by 1/8 inch deep cut in the boards; then cut my #8 screen so it would fit nice and snug all around the bottom and not interfere with my bottom board when closed or follower boards.
I built the roof using 3/4 inch exterior grade ply wood and insulated the inside with foam board. It is shingled with dimensional style shingles.
The Top/Roof, Window cover and Bottom board are all hinged with a brass piano hinge.
My top bars are 1 1/8 inch and 1 1/2 inch by 17 1/8 inches long so they will interchange with the other hive I built. Each bar is grooved down the middle and 2 inches in from each end using a 1/8 inch tapered router bit. I'll fill the groove with Bee's wax and cross my fingers our new family likes their home.
Check our photo's out on PhotoBucket.
http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i373/MRTMEA/ My next project is to build a habitat area for the hives, I have a load of Cedar Slab wood I'm going to use to build a fence for decoration and to protect the hives from the wind.