Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: flyboy on June 10, 2015, 05:06:27 pm

Title: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: flyboy on June 10, 2015, 05:06:27 pm: I have to do this one of these days and I am looking for ideas on how to cut or route out the handles. I am sure there is an easy way.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: Hops Brewster on June 10, 2015, 05:13:41 pm: There are a couple different ways... You can use a router bit and jig to cut out a racetrack shaped oval style, or you could use a wedge-type jig on your table saw that will give you that will give you the tapered cut in style handle. Not hard to find methods and jig designs with a simple search.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 11, 2015, 08:56:11 am: I usually do a plunge cut on a dado blade on the table saw.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: capt44 on June 11, 2015, 01:44:27 pm: I have a jig mounted on a drill press that uses a tire buffing wheel.
It works great.
Here's a link to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlM5yMuNetA
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: OldMech on June 11, 2015, 04:42:51 pm: I use a router and a jig.. router bits are cheap.. 7 bucks for a dovetail bit and they last 60 or 70 boxes..

http://www.outyard.net/bee-hive.html
About half way down the page is the router and jig, think theres a vid or routing the hand hold as well.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: flyboy on June 12, 2015, 04:40:42 pm: Great ideas everyone. I also did some googling and will now try a few ideas.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: TurnTex on June 17, 2015, 08:56:28 pm: I use my CNC router to cut mine! Very quick and perfect every time.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: Eric Bosworth on June 17, 2015, 10:09:29 pm: Quote from: TurnTex on June 17, 2015, 08:56:28 pm
I use my CNC router to cut mine! Very quick and perfect every time.
Cool... I would bet that the vast majority of the rest of us not only don't have a CNC router but probably wouldn't be able to program it if we did have one.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: biggraham610 on June 22, 2015, 01:44:18 am: I use Cleo Hogans handhold jig. Simple to make and works great. Nothing but a skil saw. G

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaWRjpJ5f0w
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on June 22, 2015, 06:04:43 am: Wow. That one is a lot better and safer than the one that I use. Being able to rock the saw up and down is a great improvement and it looks like it holds the saw a lot better also.
Jim
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: biggraham610 on June 22, 2015, 05:14:21 pm: It works great Jim, I have only done a dozen or so, and am very comfortable and efficient at doing them already. I did have to make a small adjustment to mine, I set mine up on the tables edge, so the flat part of the saw can come down below the end. Saw may be a little different. I built it off his pdf and just made a couple small adjustments and I am very pleased. G
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: biggraham610 on June 22, 2015, 05:18:47 pm: Ha ha, I just looked at it again, I had my saw turned around, that's why I had to make adjustments! Well, I am going to try it the right way tonight! It does work well. G
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on June 22, 2015, 10:55:30 pm: G,
Forward or backward, it looked pretty easy to you as well as safe.
Jim
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: biggraham610 on June 23, 2015, 01:40:06 am: Yeah, I just had my saw with the motor down instead of up, so it was dying against the bottom stop before I got a deep enough plunge. Once I took the bottom stop off, I was able to do it fine. But tonite I put the stop back on and turned the saw the right way, and it is foolproof and safer. G
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on June 23, 2015, 08:11:06 am: I just ordered a copy of the jig design from Cleo.
I like how much safer it is than the jig that I have and it can bee used on existing boxes to add hand holes on sides that do not have them.
Thanks for sharing this G.
Jim
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: flyboy on June 23, 2015, 07:12:51 pm: I tried the router method and although it works, I had to be mindful of not taking too much off in one pass. The bit would vibrate so much that it started coming out of the collet which of course was dangerous and also the depth of cut would get progressively deeper.

Once I figured that out it worked well.
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: KeyLargoBees on August 26, 2015, 09:30:15 am: Jim did Cleo ever respond to your e-mail with the jig design? Its been 3 weeks now and not a peep from 2 e-mails and I dont want to pester him but would like to get a copy of the plans if they are indeed "free" as he states in the you tube video....if anyone has a copy they woudl like to share please send it to piratehatapiary@gmail.com

Thanks in advance :happy:
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: BeeMaster2 on August 26, 2015, 10:10:07 am: No, I never received it. Nothing.
Jim
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: little john on August 26, 2015, 02:00:29 pm: I've used Cleo Hogan's wedge-shaped jig and a circular saw - works great and very safe. Easy and quick once you've got the jig set-up right. I'll see If I can dig out the plans this evening ...
LJ
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: KeyLargoBees on August 26, 2015, 03:00:13 pm: Thanks so much LJ...I received your e-mail and will in fact use the power of my faster broadband in the event anyone else wants a copy ;-)
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: little john on August 26, 2015, 04:37:43 pm: Many thanks - I'm located way out in open countryside and my 'broadband' (pause for laughter ...) reaches me via several miles of standard telephone line. Downloading is bad enough, but uploading really is excruciatingly slow ...

I've just dug out the Hogan jig I made a few years back to cut hand-holds in some Russian 'Alpine' hives I'd made in order to try-out the Warre system. But I don't use it anymore as the British Nationals I use have built-in hand-holds.

As you will see, I used a piece of plywood (10mm) instead of separate pieces of wood, which I think makes for a more rigid jig. The number '35' is a blade depth setting reminder. If it looks like it's been rained-on ... it has.

(http://i60.tinypic.com/23igk5s.jpg)

LJ
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: biggraham610 on August 26, 2015, 07:57:18 pm: Quote from: sawdstmakr on August 26, 2015, 10:10:07 am
No, I never received it. Nothing.
Jim

Sorry Jim, I should have just sent you this link. G

http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/handhold-jig/
Title: Re: How do you cut out the hive handles?
Post by: TwT on August 28, 2015, 12:16:46 pm: I make mine with a table saw set wood with claps with saw blade lowered all the way down, raise blade until it touches the wood, turn blade raise handle 1 full turn the use blade angle to turn blade to 45 degrees then back, raise blade 1 full rotation the angle to 45 degrees and back, do as many times as needed to get depth.