building medium supers

[dfizer]

Recently I purchased all the equipment needed to make my own hives and I've made a few however I struggle with the deeps and medium supers in that the end pieces have a frame rest that is not the same length / depth as my box joint teeth.  I have made my jig and it works very well once you have the first notch cut.  After that it's a piece of cake it's just getting started that I've found frustrating.  Any help would be appreciated. 

[OldMech]

  I use rabbited corners rather than the finger joints. There is no struggle or worry and it takes a LOT less time..    In fact I used butt joints for quite a long time, and still have all of those boxes in service, but people BUYING a hive dont like the butt joints, so they are all rabbited now.  Good glue and brads or staples.    The few boxes I have left with finger joints are all splitting and twisting because it is harder to get all of that end grain sealed and keep it sealed, especially with all of the over and under laps where water can collect.  The Butt Joint and rabbited corner boxes ARE out lasting the finger joint boxes..  I am re clamping/gluing/painting them about every other year, while the other joints just get repainted as needed.   Your mileage may vary depending on your climate!

[flyboy]

I've made all of mine with Kreg style Pocket hole joints. Strong and very easy and quick to build. Uses less wood also. Use Kreg screws and try to get the coated waterproof ones, not that it matters much as they will be inside out of the weather anyways. I used waterproof glue also as a sealant and waterproofer.

For that cut out for the frame rests I just use a router - square bit or the table saw or my shaper.

I gave up on box joints years ago. 2 much trouble! If you get going and make a mistake and cut the wrong way it's garbage time for your wood, plus all that cutting, buying the dado blades and other reasons.

[BeeMaster2]

I have also switched to rabbit joints. I originally did not think they would be strong enough compared to finger joints but they are. I use screws to hold them together. That way I can take them apart if I want to.
Jim

[nella]

I also make rabbit joints for the hive bodies, use Tightbond III(waterproof) glue and 2" staples. I have hives 5 yrs old and they are still like new.

[loumaro]

 If I understand your question. Just make sure the top slot is cut in the ends with the step. If you cut the top slot
in the sides there will be a gap where the step is. Is this what you're talking about? Or am I not understanding
your question?


Louie

[nella]

If I understand your question. Just make sure the top slot is cut in the ends with the step. If you cut the top slot
in the sides there will be a gap where the step is. Is this what you're talking about? Or am I not understanding
your question?


Louie

Cut your rabbit in the end pieces, not in the side pieces to prevent a little notch at each end of the frame rest.

[Joe D]

I also use the rabbit joint.  I router the end pieces on three sides, 2 for the rabbit and one for the frames to sit on.  Built a little jig to put the four sides of super in.  Put some glue on meeting parts and staple with 1 1/2" staples, fast and easy.  Good luck





Joe

[capt44]

When building either supers or deep boxes this is what I do for a 10 frame box.
I rip a 1x12 either 9 5/8 or 6 5/8 inches wide.
I then cut the long boards 19 1/8 inches long and the short boards 16 1/4 inches long.
On each end of the short board I cut a 3/4 inch rabbet joint 3/8 inch deep.
After I get all my rabbet joints cut I adjust the fence so I will cut a rabbet joint 5/8 inch wide x 3/8 inch deep.
That is the frame rest.
When you place the short boards over the ends of the long boards the box will be exactly 19 7/8 inch long x 16 1/4 inch wide by either 9 5/8 or 6 5/8 inches deep for either a deep or medium box.
If you want to build a shallow cut the board 5 11/16 inches deep.
I use tite bond II wood glue and brad nails.
I have boxes out there 8 years old.

[OldMech]

Well said Capt44.  Easy but still strong.

[marktrl]

Recently I purchased all the equipment needed to make my own hives and I've made a few however I struggle with the deeps and medium supers in that the end pieces have a frame rest that is not the same length / depth as my box joint teeth.  I have made my jig and it works very well once you have the first notch cut.  After that it's a piece of cake it's just getting started that I've found frustrating.  Any help would be appreciated.

To actually answer your question: when I start cutting the pins I start from the bottom edge of the box and when I get to the last one ( the one that lines up with frame rest dado) I lower the dado blade to 3/8" (the height that fits into the frame rest) then cut it.

[minz]

To actually answer your question: when I start cutting the pins I start from the bottom edge of the box and when I get to the last one ( the one that lines up with frame rest dado) I lower the dado blade to 3/8" (the height that fits into the frame rest) then cut it.
[/quote]
Well that explains it! I start from the top. If using dimensioned lumber I cut the width of the box last.  That gives me shims, inner covers or candy boards with a finger joint end and all the boxes fit perfectly flat. If I put the plywood into the bottom of the box it also helps me to square them prior to cutting the ‘bottom’ off of the box for a perfect deep.