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Long hive sides are bowing outwards.

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Bob Wilson:
The first two long langstroth hives I made are warping. They are 4 feet long, one made out of 3/4 inch white pine boards and the other out of 3/4 inch exterior grade plywood.
The plywood hive is bowing outwards in the middle. The frames sit on the frame rests at the two ends, but in the middle section they fall down into the box. If I move a frame towards one side to seat the frame on the frame rest, it falls off the other side. It is very frustrating to inspect the hive.
The pine board hive is also warping some.
HOWEVER... the third box I made was from 2X10s, and it is nice and straight.
Anyone else experiencing this problem?

BeeMaster2:
Bob,
Since I don?t have top bar hives, I haven?t but what I would do is put a bar clamp acros the top where it bows the most and put a wire strap across it and screw it down on the outside so that the screws are not in the way of the top boards. Use the top boards to determine the best location so that you have minimum interference whit the top boards.
If you don?t have large clamps, I have some you can borrow.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird:
Put a block in the center of the bow and run a cable around the hive going over each block on the sides.  Use a turnbuckle to tighten the cable.  Protect the corners with a small piece of angle or bend sheet metal around the corners.  Clamping might be helpful initially with the cable as a permanent solution.
As the frames fill with honey the weight could be pushing the walls out.
The clamping method could be permanent by cutting a "U" shape in a sheet of plywood and using wedges between the U and the sides.  Sling the U underneath.

Bob Wilson:
I have thought of another way of fixing the problem. Since every repair presents problems or interference with the hive in some fashion, I am going to...
1. Build another thick walled 2X10 long lang hive, and,
2. Cut up the problem box into short sections and create 5 nuc boxes out of it.
I think the 4 foot long walls eventually bend due to the natural warp of the wood,the humidity from without, and bee moisture within.
A 4 foot section on 2X10 has less warp and "bendiness".

Acebird:

--- Quote from: Bob Wilson on May 21, 2022, 09:32:40 am ---I think the 4 foot long walls eventually bend due to the natural warp of the wood,the humidity from without, and bee moisture within.
--- End quote ---
You will always be plagued with this.

--- Quote ---A 4 foot section on 2X10 has less warp and "bendiness".

--- End quote ---
Not in theory.  If you lay a 6 x6 on the ground it will absorb moisture from the ground only on one side and bow like crazy.  It is the nature of wood to expand and contract by moisture content.  Painting helps by slowing the process down.  Wax dipping would help also but that would be fun on a 4 ft long piece.

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