Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: twintrades on June 21, 2011, 09:21:09 pm

Title: Hive body size ?
Post by: twintrades on June 21, 2011, 09:21:09 pm

Made a box joint style hive body in a hurry just as a test run. Forgot to check my joints  :-P  lol. They wernt deep enuf. Resulting in the box being just shy of 1/8th inch all around. Will the size increase make the bee space to large on the outside frames & frame ends ? There would be a 1/16th inch more wiggle room than normal. Just dont want to paint the box/start a hive in it. And have the bees make life a pain in the rear for me cus i made the test box to large.

Inside mesurments are 18 1/2- & 14 7/8-ths    - means shy by a 1/32nd givertake


Im going to correct the problem so the rest of the boxes fit better. Like i said this was just a test run if it will come back and bite me in the butt ill just skip it and use it a a temporary hive like for a bee vac or swarm box.

 

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: schawee on June 21, 2011, 10:18:57 pm

i don't see any problem with the size of the box.just make sure you put the frames tight together and make equal space on the outside of the frames.       .....schawee

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: twintrades on June 21, 2011, 10:40:54 pm

Ok so should not space any frames ? I made a few frames with the plans off this site.   http://www.beeclass.com/dts/beeequipment.htm (http://www.beeclass.com/dts/beeequipment.htm)

I thought i would have to eavenly space these ? If i space them apart a little all 5 fit in cote nuc. But if i dont and push them tight together the nuc almost has enuf room for a 6th frame. Not quiet but close. Its probly just the plans i used. I have a set of plans that dadant uses ill just copy those. Or buy frames there cheap enuf.

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: fish_stix on June 21, 2011, 10:46:11 pm

As stated above push them all together in the center. If you space them out you'll have gobs of burr comb between the frames and they'll draw out wild comb on at least some of the foundation. Over a period of time the bees will build up propolis on the end bars and the frames will spread out to fit better in the boxes.

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: twintrades on June 22, 2011, 12:05:40 am

OK so pushem all to the middle it is then Thanks

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: twintrades on June 23, 2011, 06:16:42 pm

Made some more today and they turned out better. Now all i need is tin to cover the outercover.

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: twintrades on June 23, 2011, 11:15:16 pm

Ok now i just have to paint and add metal to the outer cover.

Btw The plans showed 3/8ths space at the bottom board. Is that enuf or should i flip the board and put larger strips on the other side ?

I was thinking 1 inch so i could make a entrance reducer or use a bordman feeder.

Pics

(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10686.jpg)
(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10687.jpg)
(http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn301/twintrades/SDC10689.jpg)

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: CapnChkn on June 26, 2011, 09:54:22 pm

Those look really good!

The space under the hives on standard bottom boards is 3/4 inches.  What kind of wood is that?

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: twintrades on June 26, 2011, 11:26:14 pm

scrap pine. Had too much blue in it for cabinet work. And i think ill make some bottom boards with 3/4 spacing. Id like to have the option to reduce the entrance.

Title: Re: Hive body size ?
Post by: AllenF on July 01, 2011, 09:13:32 pm

I like blue pine, at least when the price is right.  And the bees don't care.