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Author Topic: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives  (Read 1649 times)

Offline Charles Wright

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Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« on: July 23, 2020, 09:42:37 am »
Ok. I just got my first give in. I got it $60 cheaper than anything else I saw. I thought that was because it wasn't painted. But it wasn't assembled either.
Can anyone tell me the best way to clamp the frames and boxes together while the glue dries? And should I use nails, screws or staples to reinforce it?
« Last Edit: July 23, 2020, 11:47:05 am by Charles Wright »

Offline Charles Wright

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Re: Putting together beehives
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2020, 09:51:01 am »
I meant hive not give.  :angry:

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Putting together beehives
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2020, 10:40:20 am »
I personally do Titebond III wood glue and nails.  I have a lot of hands around the house to help me out, so I usually glue and then have someone help me square while I nail the boxes.  I don't clamp anything.  There's probably a more efficient way to do it than that, but that's just what works for me.

I meant hive not give.  :angry:
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Offline FloridaGardener

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Re: Putting together beehives
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2020, 11:30:30 am »
I use 1-5/8" exterior star-bit screws from Lowe's at the finger joints.  They are just the right thickness and don't rust.  The bit is included in the packet you buy. 

The top (half) tab is too small for that fastener.  I pre-drill and use a smaller screw.

If I don't assemble properly, the boxes have a gap within a year. I also cover the rough ends of the corner finger joints with glue..  It deters mold in the rough edged of the wood.

Offline Charles Wright

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2020, 11:51:05 am »
Ok. I'm hearing titebond 3 a lot. The hive came with some type of wood glue. I'll check before I go to harbor freight. If that's not what they sent I'll buy some. Thanks for the answers.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Putting together beehives
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2020, 11:51:17 am »
I always glue and nail the frames together. Two nails in the top bar and one on each end of the bottom bar. Not sure what your budget is but I set my frames up so they can be taken apart and repaired if needed. Staples will work if you get them long enough and they are a lot faster when compared to nailing.
  The boxes get glued at the finger joints and then either screwed or nailed together. I check for square once assembled and also check to see if the box is racked with one corner higher than the other. I've found that with the boxes a mockup assembly without nails or glue is helpful to find out if there is an out of square or racked problem. If there is a problem swapping the ends usually takes care of it. 

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2020, 12:43:06 pm »
Nails have been used for many, many years. They are fast, cheap and easily located and easy to repair boxes if they're not too heavily glued.  If you don't have a power or air stapler, it's the way to go.  Screws take longer to assemble, but can be easily removed for repairs.  If you have just a few boxes to assemble, either of these work well.  Nails work better than screws on the frames because of the small pieces of wood, so why multiply the fastener choice?

I have only a half-dozen hives and I've tried both the above options.  but I have a small compressor and a pneumatic stapler, so now it's my only method.  A bit of Titebond II wood glue, and zip-bang, I have a new box, a few more zip-bangs and I have new frames.  Works well for just a few boxes and frames or for many.

If you have more than a few boxes to assemble it would be worth your time to locate the ideas for box and frame assembly jigs on this forum.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2020, 07:36:30 pm »
This is how some professionals do it. 26 second video.

https://youtu.be/F3Y4Jwt3A8A
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Offline Absinthe

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2020, 11:09:39 pm »
If they are finger jointed you don't need to clamp them. They should be predrilled for nails or screws. Add glue, put 2 sides together so that it stands up and put nails in both sides. Then flip it over and put nails in that side. Now make sure it is square, if not bang it on the corner until it is, then put nails in the opposite sides.

Offline yes2matt

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2020, 06:41:05 am »
I have a cheap carpenter's square, but when I can't find it I use an old floor tile.

Titebond II or III is worth ordering online and waiting if you can't get it at a box store. And definitely wipe some on the open-grain end of the "fingers" of the joint.

I use nails. Start by spreading newspaper on the floor. I assemble the box on its side on the floor, dry. Then I work through each corner: I "break" the corner, put a little glue on each surface of the joint (just a little! use a small chip/paintbrush) and reassemble each corner, flip the box over to get the bottom corners. Then I get my square/tile out and work around, around, around. I always hammer down to the floor. Square the corner and hammer one nail down thru a finger. on the other corner square and one nail. Then roll the box one face and do it again square and one nail in each corner. Around around around rolling the box and dropping a nail into each up-corner until I've done all the fingers. I will have squared and made little adjustments to each corner three or four times by the time I get done rolling it.

It is slow this way, but my corners are square, and I don't build so many boxes a year that I need to be fast :)

Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2020, 05:58:02 pm »
With glues, type II glues are water resistant, while type III glues are water proof. Titebond III also has a high temperature rating that makes it ideal for wax dipping. Some glues go soft at high temp.
I use 2" screws on rebate boxes, 4 per joint.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2020, 10:20:44 am »
If they are finger jointed you don't need to clamp them.
I always have.  If the sides are just slightly warped you need to clamp the sides that you aren't nailing so the finger is bottomed out.  There is no guarantee that it will stay there before you get to nail the other sides unless you wait for the glue to set.  It is my experience that if you clamp you don't need a square.  The milled fingers will make it square.  Unless of course the milling was botched.  I haven't run across that.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Somebody please help. Putting together beehives
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2020, 10:25:17 am »
Nails work better than screws on the frames because of the small pieces of wood, so why multiply the fastener choice?
You shouldn't be using the same nail for the box as you do for the frame.  I think most of us won't be around long enough to have to repair new equipment.
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