Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: cinch123 on August 10, 2012, 02:48:47 pm

Title: Sealing the inside of a top feeder
Post by: cinch123 on August 10, 2012, 02:48:47 pm

I am going to build a couple top feeders from the plans on the site. Those of you who have built them: What did you seal the inside with, if anything, and how have they performed, leak-wise?

Title: Re: Sealing the inside of a top feeder
Post by: AllenF on August 10, 2012, 06:01:03 pm

Caulk

Title: Re: Sealing the inside of a top feeder
Post by: S.M.N.Bee on August 10, 2012, 11:50:08 pm

I've built a few. I use Gorilla glue on all the joints and two coats of polyurethane to seal the wood. One feeder is three years old and has not leaked a drop.

John

Title: Re: Sealing the inside of a top feeder
Post by: Hemlock on August 11, 2012, 11:13:00 am

Deck screws & tightbond 3 for the joints.  Beeswax & paraffin for the entire inside.  Including the floating grates.  
(hint) stick a galvanized finishing nail in each grate; if you make that kind.  Use it as a handle when you're wearing gloves

My neighbor bought a wooden one that got moldy inside very quickly.  The black-green mold that gets into the wood. I painted the inside of mine with the hot wax mix.  Not just where the syrup is in contact with the wood but everywhere inside.  Year and a half later no mold and it looks like new.  Nicest thing is it can be rinsed when it gets dirty.

No leaks

Title: Re: Sealing the inside of a top feeder
Post by: BlueBee on August 12, 2012, 01:37:50 am

I also coated the inside of mine with paraffin wax.  Works great, although a little slow without a dip box.