Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: nepenthes on January 21, 2007, 08:48:56 pm
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OK sooo i want to build some Bee hives for My Ag class, in shop.
How much would you guys recommend for a Top Board, Bottom board, 2 Deep's and 20 Deep Frames? I should get Ponderosa Pine right?
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You can get about three sides and two ends out of an eight foot length (96"). (19 7/8" * 3 + 16 1/4" * 2)=92 1/8". I'm fond of 3/4" plywood for the tops. It's heavy so it doesn't blow away easily, and thick so it doesn't warp easily. For bottoms, I'd do a SBB with a one by frame of some sort. It's not that critical what, but you need a plan.
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When you make frames, the upper or lower frame bars should be free of knots. Bar will bend in the hive in their knot sites.
- or how its correcly said. Avoid wood like in picture
(http://www.jet-puu.fi/images/paneliok1.jpg)
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Ok, Thanks Ill remember that I'm sure thats gonna cost a tad more then huh?
Ive gotten some plans of of beesource.com some good PDF files their. How much wood would you say it takes to make the Frames I need for the two?
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i wouldn't be so picky about the species of wood used for the bodies....many places sell 'white wood' which is some evergreen species. its more important that it be at least air dried and dressed. tight knots are also fine for the hive bodies. i don't know what kind of woodworking equipment you have available but 2x4's seem like they could be easily made into frames.
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I look for sales, who ever has the best price for shelving board, even if its #2 lumber, I make my own equipment but can't say how much you need, I just buy what ever I have funds for that day and build till I am out..... never thought to count how many a 12' board would make...
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I have an AG shop All i would like is just The Specs on exactly what i would need, No bargaining, no this or that, strait forward please its much easier on me, i will look for my own barging if need be. Thank you.
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To construct the hive components you listed above you will need
2 - 1"x12"x8' pieces of wood. (1x12x8' bought in the store is actually 3/4" x 11-1/4" x 96") Either 1 - 48"x48" piece or 2 - 24"x24" pieces of 1/2 inch plywood . Beesorce planes call for 3/4" Plywood but I used 1/2 inch with no problems.
The lumber listed above will build you
2 - 9 5/8" hive bodies
1 - Telescoping cover
1 - Solid bottom board (If you want it to be a screened bottom board just cut a hole in the center of the solid bottom board and install Hardware mesh)
If you want to build a inner cover you will probably have enough scrap left over from the above listed lumber but you will have to buy a 24x24" piece of 1/4" plywood. If you can only make one trip to the store or feel that you may make some cutting mistakes you may want to buy an extra 1x4x8' piece to be sure you have enough to make your inner cover, and if you plan on using cleats as handles on the hive bodies. Just a note on cleats if you use them make sure you place them low enough on the hive bodies so that when you place your telescoping cover on the cleats don't touch it and that there is enough room for the bees to get in and out if you have at top vent hole in your inner cover. ( I made 4 or 5 HBs wrong and had to rip the cleats off. now I just router in a handle.)
You will need to buy some aluminum or other type of water resistant material for the top of the telescoping cover. You need a piece that is 23" x 21". Finding a 23 inch wide piece is probably going to be hard but you should be able to find a 21 inch wide x 8 foot long piece with out to much problem.
Hope that this helps
Greg
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Nice post greg
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Thanks A Ton Greg
What about frames? An Specs on that any one? I guess i could always buy bulk frames. Building them would be cheaper though!
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>Ok, Thanks Ill remember that I'm sure thats gonna cost a tad more then huh?
It's cheaper to buy #2 and cut around the knots. But then it's cheaper to just buy the frames. :)
I make some of my own because I want the end bars 1 1/4" wide and I want the top bar not more than 1" wide (3/4" will do) and I want a bevel on the top bar for the bees to build their comb on...
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/FoundationlessFrame2.JPG
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I meant to mention that I do not build my frames from scratch. I had planned on doing it but thought that the time involved would not cost effective. I needed 150 frames which would have taken a very long time to build. I bought 200 frames for around 130.00 I defiantly feel that the time saved is worth it.
About the type of wood to use I asked the same question when I was getting ready to start building my hives. I received many responses saying that it does not matter what you use so long as it is not plywood (for the hive bodies). I elected to use paint grade Poplar because I could buy it rough cut here from a saw mill and it made it possible to build an entire hive (2 HB 2 sup and the rest of the components. Not including frames and foundation) for under 20.00.
Here is a frame plan from beesource
http://beesource.com/plans/dadantfr.pdf
Here you can buy 10 frames for 8.25 plus shipping.
https://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_39&products_id=88
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( I made 4 or 5 HBs wrong and had to rip the cleats off. now I just router in a handle.)
Asking how you routed the HBs with handles? Are you using a jig of some sort to do this?
Any plans for doing it ?
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I calculated once that it cost me about 32 cents to make my own frame from 2X4 wood bought at Home Depot. I made almost 200 and it felt like I was in the woodshop for weeks, ripping, cutting, trimming, routing, etc. It beat buying by mail with shipping costs. Then I discovered a commercial beekeeper nearby who sold them in lots of 100 -- for 50 cents a piece. It was a no-brainer for me. And a 20 minute drive in the country beats shipping charges.
I've also discovered that if I rabbet-joint the corners instead of box cutting and fitting them, I can make one box out of a 6-foot board. And if you buy a 1X12 for a deep, rip off the excess from one edge, and use that excess to make a bottom board.
For handles, I use a 3/4" dado and cut a slot about a half inch deep 2 inches from the top, starting in the center of the side and cutting an inch or so both left and right (I use a jig to restrict travel). When all those slots are cut, I move the gate 1/2" and cut another slot below (and overlapping) the first, the same width. Makes decent handles that don't stick out like cleats do. Cleats make them more difficult to store or to wrap black paper around.
-- Kris
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I also thought I would try making some frames but after one I decided that the time involved was not worth what it cost to buy them and just assemble. It takes enough time assembling the frames and putting in foundation and wire. My advise from my limited experience is just buy frames and assemble them.
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Asking how you routed the HBs with handles? Are you using a jig of some sort to do this?
Any plans for doing it ?
I use one of these:
(http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00903217000?rgn=0,0,640,640&scl=2.56&fmt=jpeg)
With the cutter on top:
(http://s7.sears.com/is/image/Sears/00923214000?hei=100&wid=100&op_sharpen=1)
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Ok what is it?
Looks like a planer of some sort, have a Craftsman Planer attachment for Radial Arm Saw but not for router.
And where can I get or order one?
Supers ready to be put in service but no handles as of yet and don't want to just add pieces of wood.
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For hive box handles I've found that a simple flat chisel and a fairly wide curved carving gouge works wonderfully, very fast. Not as "exact" as when done with a jig or shaper but, then, personally, I like uniqueness of hand made work.