Rethreading a crown of thorns

[Amari]

The threads on my COT became undone so I've attempted to rethread it but it's not as easy as I imagined.The central holes seem alarmingly big while those at the edge look smaller, which makes sense when you look at the thorns from below - each parallel string is closer to its neighbour at the edge of the circle that they are across the middle. I'm both fat-fingered and spatially challenged which might explain it, nor do I have an original to compare.
My late mother persuaded me to apply for a Navy cadetship when I was about 15. The IQ test tasks were spatially difficult so fortunately I failed the entrance exam.
Maybe we could have a timed trial on the forum of who can rethread a COT quickest?

 

[enrico]

Personally I think you have done a bloody good job. You can thread my COT any day!

 

[Erichalfbee]

There’s a very interesting bit in this thread…… bear with me
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/mystery-nibbler.51903/

Personally I think you have done a bloody good job. You can thread my COT any day!

I would expect nothing less @Amari
Bravo

 

[Garry R]

I have been making some for ebay and found that a flytying bobbin holder does a great job. I was at a meeting and someone had a plastic one but you couldn't get the pen close enough to the queen due to the thickness of the plastic. COTs are great

 

[enrico]

I have been making some for ebay and found that a flytying bobbin holder does a great job. I was at a meeting and someone had a plastic one but you couldn't get the pen close enough to the queen due to the thickness of the plastic. COTs are great

I have a plastic one. Only tried to use it once...... If anyone wants one!

 

[Jules59]

I have a plastic one - it was useless. Cut the grill out and drilled holes all the way round and threaded with fishing monofilament - works great now.

 

[Newbeeneil]

God, this thread seems hard work. Makes me glad I just pick the bloody queens up!

 

[rook66]

I have a plastic one - it was useless. Cut the grill out and drilled holes all the way round and threaded with fishing monofilament - works great now.

Obviously never field trialled in China! The lengths beekeepers will go to, just to save a penny never ceases to amaze!

 

[blackcloud]

Mine evaporate so I have to use plastic ones
They work fine

 

[wbchive]

I can recommend the one-handed catchers with a sliding door at the base. Great for clipping and marking.

 

[Amari]

I can recommend the one-handed catchers with a sliding door at the base. Great for clipping and marking.

I only tried one once and bisected the queen

 

[Amari]

Thanks for all the above replies. It's the 'maths' that interests me. If you look at my pics you'll see that the central holes are bigger than the peripheral holes - for the reason which became obvious after a while: the parallel threads are closer to each other at the periphery of the circle which I only appreciated when threading.
Q1: could someone please look at their COT and let us know if the holes are all the same size - or different like mine?
Q2: if the holes are the same size what pattern (ie having passed the thread round one pin which pin next?) did the makers deploy to thread the cotton?
I feel a little AI might solve what I see to be a conundrum.

 

[RJC]

Thanks for all the above replies. It's the 'maths' that interests me. If you look at my pics you'll see that the central holes are bigger than the peripheral holes - for the reason which became obvious after a while: the parallel threads are closer to each other at the periphery of the circle which I only appreciated when threading.
Q1: could someone please look at their COT and let us know if the holes are all the same size - or different like mine?
Q2: if the holes are the same size what pattern (ie having passed the thread round one pin which pin next?) did the makers deploy to thread the cotton?
I feel a little AI might solve what I see to be a conundrum.

It's presumably the same technique as restringing a tennis or badminton racket; if you unthread one the threads don't simply go up and down in an expected fashion, but go horizontally and then vertically. Beyond that though I can't help, having just rethreaded a COT myself, which looks at lot worse than yours. So I forked out and bought a new one!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I can recommend the one-handed catchers with a sliding door at the base. Great for clipping and marking.

I only tried one once and bisected the queen

awful things

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Q1: could someone please look at their COT and let us know if the holes are all the same size - or different like mine?

I've looked at a selection (the one that is always in my bee suit pocket, the 'spare' purchased from Thornes and another 'ebay bargin' with fishing nylon threads - both sit in my desk drawer) the holes are all different sizes

Q2: if the holes are the same size what pattern (ie having passed the thread round one pin which pin next?) did the makers deploy to thread the cotton?

See below - the first two are the Thornes Baldock cage, the third the Ebay one. If you look closely, you can see that each thread is taken in a round turn around the needle before being led across to keep the tension.

 

[wbchive]

awful things

Each to his own.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I also think you have done a tidy job of rethreading your cot mine is looking a bit frayed and will need doing at some point.
I’ve tried other means of marking queens but I think the cot is the best , I can’t be bothered waiting for the workers to move out of it and nine times out of 10 the workers don’t , they sometimes even cover it because they think hm is in some sort of trouble and they love her to bits.
It touches my heart that honey bees are so compassionate for one another and this is one reason why I love working with them ,it makes you want to be as gentle as possible working with them.

 

[Amari]

I've looked at a selection (the one that is always in my bee suit pocket, the 'spare' purchased from Thornes and another 'ebay bargin' with fishing nylon threads - both sit in my desk drawer) the holes are all different sizes

See below - the first two are the Thornes Baldock cage, the third the Ebay one. If you look closely, you can see that each thread is taken in a round turn around the needle before being led across to keep the tension.View attachment 36773View attachment 36774View attachment 36775

Thanks JBM, very useful. Looking carefully at your pics, the central holes in the COTs are larger than those around the edges - just like the one I rethreaded. I've used COTs for years but never noticed this. Obviously there is no magic threading formula to make all the holes the same size. Just wind the thread to join pins on the opposite side of the ring then move to the adjacent pair of pins. These matters are of great importance to the discerning beekeeper........

 

[Garry R]

The important thing is the pins or the thread holes don't allow the queen to get through. If the workers get out that's fine. If they don't get out it's no big deal. As long as the queen's thorax is in the position centrally in a square that's perfect and accesible to the pen. Gentle pressing is essential and the COT allows that to happen as the thread is giving the pressure on the queen's back. Just take it steady.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've used COTs for years but never noticed this

neither had I until you posted the question