My top box on a 10 frame medium had about 5 frames of capped brood with two frames of eggs/brood. I put it on it's own bottom board just like it was and added another empty to the mother colony. I had 8 queen cells in less than 7 days, one already capped. I did not notch the larvae cells. I split that box into two mating nucs this past Friday. If you take 2 or 3 frames of capped brood with bees on, one frame of eggs and newly hatching brood, then one frame with pollen and honey, no reason why they shouldn't make cells.
or if you have a colony like Mine and you are not going to get any honey from it, move the whole box.. be sure and put an empty where you take one from. I didn't even know which box the queen was not in till I found the queen cells.
I don't know about all this, do this, don't do that. Queen less colonies will make queen cells if they have eggs/larvae. About all I see needs to be done is space control. Don't put 5 frames of bees in a 10 frame box to make queen cells. Like M B said, load the box up with bees.
my .02 :)d2