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Author Topic: Building your own equipment.  (Read 10123 times)

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #20 on: September 07, 2012, 10:46:14 pm »
Maybe I was doing a little over kill. I built eveything bee keeping myself. smoker, hive tools,cutout tools, frame gripper, vale, all woodenware. extractor (out of wood) barrel for extractor. Sawed the trees milled the logs. dryed the lumber. plained to thicknest. ( Man the things you can do when you don't have the money to buy what you need. plus I learned from a master way back when if you don't have it and need it , build it your self and be proud that you did it your self.

john

You're my hero.  I love building stuff myself.  Even if I CAN find it cheaper to buy, there's a lot to be said for being able to build ANYTHING for yourself.  Been trying to talk the smarter half into letting me buy a planer so I could make stuff out of the trees we keep cutting down, but no go so far.  I rigged my router into a jointer table, but that's the best I've got.  Would love to have a planer and a lathe.  (sigh)

Pawn shops are your best friend. I picked up my 12 inch by 12 inch planer for 75.00 I have a metal lathe that I use for turning my wood. Minz  you need a lathe to turn dippers for honey. makes for a great add on sale. . I make them from scrap hard wood and sell them for 5.95 . can't make them quick enought.

John

Offline minz

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2012, 10:49:10 pm »
Divemaster, very cool! I had a guy here give me some PNW Yew.  Supposed to be great for turning.  As embarrassing as it seems I cannot figure out how to use the parting tool.  I can turn a segmented bracelet but I am doing something wrong with the parting tool? Any advice, sharpening hints rest adjustment?
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Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2012, 10:37:46 pm »
Divemaster, very cool! I had a guy here give me some PNW Yew.  Supposed to be great for turning.  As embarrassing as it seems I cannot figure out how to use the parting tool.  I can turn a segmented bracelet but I am doing something wrong with the parting tool? Any advice, sharpening hints rest adjustment?

I can tell you but it may sound like greek. The best thing to do is go to youtube and look up turning tools.

ps. get a professional sharpener to sharpen the tools for you.

John

Offline Lone

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #23 on: October 09, 2012, 10:08:27 am »
Quote
I have a metal lathe that I use for turning my wood. Minz  you need a lathe to turn dippers for honey. makes for a great add on sale. . I make them from scrap hard wood and sell them for 5.95 . can't make them quick enought.

John,  my wood lathe was set up a couple of weeks ago so I am new to it - so new I don't know how to make honey dippers. I haven't actually made anything yet, just had a couple of practice pieces. Would you be able to give me easy Dippers for Dummies instructions, please?  A video would be great if it's not too much trouble.  Thanks mate.

Lone

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #24 on: October 12, 2012, 08:17:51 pm »
Sorry I don't have a video camera. But the easiest way is to use wood with a med moisture content. that way it is easier to turn. start with a piece of wood that will give you a two inch cylinder. then turn the head round with the end a 1/2 inch thick. ( this will keep it from breaking off) then the thick part of the round being about 1 inch thick. then taper the shaft down to about 1/2 thick. then with a parting tool cut grooves in the round about 1/8 inch deep. about 2- 4 will be good. then sand the head with fine sandpaper till smooth. then start turning the handle down to about 1/4 thick. be careful. I turn mine into a wave handle to prevent breaking. then sand till smooth.then with a hacksaw blade you can cut the ends and sand smooth over.  then I boil mine in some beeswax and veg oil to protect it and shine it or leave it plain.  hope this helps.

john.

p.s. I prefer hardwoods over soft woods. it doesn't tear out as easy.

Offline bluegrass

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #25 on: October 12, 2012, 10:00:53 pm »
Only downfall I would warn of with building frames out of 2x framing lumber is to watch the stamps... If it is stamped GN rather than KD, don't use it... You will run into this mostly with box store lumber.

I currently buy all my Woodenware.. This year deep boxes cost me 7.00 each and frames .60 each... I cannot build them for that. 
Sugarbush Bees

Offline Lone

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2012, 05:35:24 am »
Thanks a lot, John!  I made some clap sticks today from old river redgum fence posts my father had. It was a good way to get familiar with the lathe. The posts obviously don't have much moisture, but they are hard wood. So I think I will try the honey dipper next with the red gum.  What is a parting tool?  Maybe it is one I don't have.  I tried practising those grooves with the tools I have but they were too rough.  Also, what is a wave handle please?  And what quantity of vegetable oil do you mix in with the wax?

I am looking forward to this  :)

Lone

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #27 on: October 13, 2012, 10:45:37 pm »
Thanks a lot, John!  I made some clap sticks today from old river redgum fence posts my father had. It was a good way to get familiar with the lathe. The posts obviously don't have much moisture, but they are hard wood. So I think I will try the honey dipper next with the red gum.  What is a parting tool?  Maybe it is one I don't have.  I tried practising those grooves with the tools I have but they were too rough.  Also, what is a wave handle please?  And what quantity of vegetable oil do you mix in with the wax?

I am looking forward to this  :)

Lone
The Parting tool is the tool that is flat with a angle cut end and sharp on all sides.It's about 1/8 inch thick by about 1 inch wide and tapers to a point. use the end edge to cut thru the wood  just keep going slowly till it cuts thru.  pratice the angle your cutting at. you should get smmoth shavings with the right angle. check out wood turning on youtube. there are some good vids about how to use the tools properly. the wave handle is just that. the handle has waves in it to fit the hand. try different styles of handles and find one you like.

john




Offline little john

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #28 on: October 28, 2012, 02:33:31 pm »
Assuming that there's as big a resurgence in beekeeping in the States as in Britain - if I had a workshop full of woodworking equipment and some spare time ... I'd make hives for the suburban housewife market: in particular the English WBC hive, which must rate quite high up on the 'pretty' stakes. Much nicer to look at than a boring square box - even if it ain't very practical to use.

Can't include a pic of what I'm talking about - not enough posts yet ...  :roll:

LJ
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Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2013, 11:15:39 am »
Anyone making their own foundation ? how ?
Cheers,
Drew

Offline edward

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #30 on: January 10, 2013, 11:25:57 am »
how to make foundation

Using a foundation mold

how to make a mould

Making a beeswax foundation mold

mvh edward  :-P

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #31 on: January 11, 2013, 10:48:20 am »
IMO the only way to come out ahead building your own equipment is if you have a source of free scrap lumber or at a minimum, a source of cheap LOCAL lumber from a local sawmill.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline minz

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #32 on: January 11, 2013, 05:24:09 pm »
I love to cut wood and the final product gives me pride.  Every winter I buy a few hundred dollar’s worth of hardwood and build a project: kids bunk beds with built in desk, Bedroom set (king sized bed, double dresser, mirror, 5 drawer, nightstands) kitchen table and ladder back chairs, fish tank stands….it goes on and on. Probably not dollar wise on any of it if you add in even the time to finish. 
Fir is almost free compared to what I normally use. If I figured ‘deferred costs’ I am way ahead of the game!
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Offline BingalingBees

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #33 on: January 22, 2014, 02:05:04 pm »
I'm more of a fence & deck builder... not what I call a "fine carpenter". :^) I buy my wood components from Western Bee Supplies in Montana; then assemble and paint here in Mount Vernon, WA. Freight costs are expensive but a few beekeepers can go together and order to share the costs? It works for me, I've got 52 deeps & 71 honey supers I built that way...
Brad Raspet - Mount Vernon, WA
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #34 on: January 22, 2014, 08:36:32 pm »
IMO the only way to come out ahead building your own equipment is if you have a source of free scrap lumber or at a minimum, a source of cheap LOCAL lumber from a local sawmill.
I used to get large oaks, gums, magnolia's and cedar logs cut into boards. Cost $15 per setup/move and $0.15 per board foot to cut. I still have some left in my workshop. That was back in the late 90's. My neighbor just had some cut and it was .50 per board foot and he had to take the logs to the mill. He cut some really nice wide cedar. He said another mill wanted $1.00 per board foot.
Jim
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Offline Football928

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #35 on: July 06, 2015, 10:09:13 am »
Its worth making boxes but not completely sure about frames its about 20$ for a 10 frame box

Offline gww

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #36 on: July 06, 2015, 10:49:52 am »
I built a band saw sawmill.  I had built my small amounts of hives and frames out of reclaimed barn wood, leftover stuf from other projects.  I found out it takes quite a bit of wood to do this stuff.  I have plenty drying now.  I don't believe at my skill level that I come out building my own even when I was using free wood.  I did have two commodities that made it a bit better.  I had lots of time that I did not count and I was bored enough that the building was interesting.  Not much money but lots of time.  I found it fun but would not want to do 300 hives the way that I did it cause I would maby never get done. 

The above is the differrance between a hoby and a buisness.

gww

Offline Dave86

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #37 on: August 11, 2015, 05:04:25 am »


In Australia the cheapest box is about $21 aud, frames $110 per 100. made from hoop pine mainly or imported radiata from NZ.

Im currently looking at cypress, the main issue is getting the 10x1 boards. Meeting with the miller on Saturday to discuss the possibility of using 6 and 4 in boards tongue and groove joined to make a 10in full depth box. Miller is 150kms away(about 90miles)

Should be able to make full depth boxes for about $16aud, far cheaper then a commercial hoop box and cypress will last at least 2 times longer then hoop.

Some suppliers here are selling commercial grade boxes for up to $30 each, beekeeping in Australia is becoming an expensive start up hobby let alone going commercial

Offline OldMech

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #38 on: August 11, 2015, 03:59:42 pm »
IMO the only way to come out ahead building your own equipment is if you have a source of free scrap lumber or at a minimum, a source of cheap LOCAL lumber from a local sawmill.


   50 hives at $47.00 each. 40 frames for those hives at  $10.80   That is with reversible inner covers and metal for the tele covers. = $57.80 each x 50 = $2890.00

   PLUS, electricity, saw blades, glue, staples etc....

   VS;

     Mann Lake HK-340 ten frame 6 5/8 hive with wooden frames = 269.95 each x 50 = 13497.50
  ThirTEEN THOUSAND...  cough...
     thirteen..   thousand... five hundred.....    dollars..............

         13497.50 - $2890.00  =  a savings of  $10,607.50...

 
   I am quite content that I came out ahead on the 50+ hives I built, and am currently pretending to control....
   Wood from Menards, there is no such thing as a local lumber yard within 30 miles of my home.  The last one closed three years ago.
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline Honey Hive Farms

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Re: Building your own equipment.
« Reply #39 on: November 21, 2021, 08:36:59 am »
Boy have things changed sense the first post in 2012.  Wood prices are off the charts. We are holding on to all of our wood products and taking very good care of it all.  Wish you all well in 2022,, try to keep safe.
Saving the world one bee at a time!
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