What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[REDWOOD]

Yep nail or screw but I would at least glue along the planks as continual temperature changes will warp them
Did you use treated timber?

 

[ugcheleuce]

Did you use treated timber?

I don't know (don't laugh!).

The wood comes from a dismantled patio tile (follow link in previous post). These tiles are used on patios and in gardens.

We removed all the grass from our little garden two or three years ago, put down a woven mat to prevent grass from re-growing, and put these tiles on top. So the ones in my yard have seen at least two summers and winters, and they don't seem to be affected by it, except that they gradually change colour (the locals like it when outside wood does that).

The tile is made of 13 planks of 50 cm x 4 cm x 1 cm and the planks in the tile are nailed together with an abundance of staples. The fact that these planks are meant for outside usage and particularly for heavy traffic areas makes me worry somewhat less about its ability to last a while.

 

[pargyle]

I don't know (don't laugh!).

.

Probably Tanalised from the look of it but after two years out in the weather I would not be immensely concerned ... mind you Samuel ... it will be nice to see one of these 'creative' hives with some bees in it this year !!

 

[ugcheleuce]

Okay, the patio tile box is practically finished. Lessons learnt: next time use an electric saw, because using a handsaw on such small planks leads to very rough cuts. Not that there's anything wrong with rough cuts, but it looks bad.

The box was designed for a double honey frame, and I don't have such a frame with me, so that explains the frame in the images would appear rather short for the box. I also haven't added frame rest strips (strips of plastic or wood that the frames will rest on, so that they are lifted up from the frame rest plank, and so that the box gets bottom bee-space instead of top bee-space).

Here's the finished product:

The frame rest consists of a piece of polystyreen covered with milk carton cardboard, and on top of the polystyreen is a plank, where the frames rest on. This setup allows me to adjust the frame rest after the box is built, to tweak the distance between the wall and the frame. I used the milk carton cardboard because I hope the bees won't eat it, and it's watertight.

At some points the wood looks a little rough, but there are no sharp or splitery edges where it matters.

In the above photo is looks like there is a plank underneath the frame, but that is because I've pushed the frame all the way to the edge. Also it looks like the frame ears sit very deep in the hive, but that is because the frame rests haven't been adjusted to the correct height yet.

The image below shows the underside of the box.

The box is lovely light-weight...

 

[VEG]

A bit too much space above the frames. Posted before reading properly

 

[pargyle]

A bit too much space above the frames. Posted before reading properly

No... I think you are right ... the height of the frame rails is going to be quite high to get the frames up to the top of the box (He's going for bottom bee space) so he's going to end up with too much bee space at the sides of the frames under the lugs and odds on they will fill this with brace comb.

You need to re-think this a bit Samuel ... perhaps another strip of timber on top of the frame landings to take up the surplus space before you add your rails.

Very creative .... I reckon this is your best so far ... looks to me as though it has the potential to be your first real bee hive ... well done.

 

[ugcheleuce]

No... I think you are right ... the height of the frame rails is going to be quite high to get the frames up to the top of the box (He's going for bottom bee space) so he's going to end up with too much bee space at the sides of the frames under the lugs and odds on they will fill this with brace comb.

The frame is made from 10 mm thick wood. The hive design (in Microsoft Paint and Notepad) calls for 8 mm between the frame and the frame rest wall, 8 mm between the frame ear and the hive wall, and 8 mm under the frame ear. The frame ear is supposed to rest on something e.g. a thin plastic curtain railing or a castellated frame spacer or a long dowel or such like.

What happened in the picture is that the polystyreen under the wooden plank is not exactly the right height, which means that it sags lower than it is designed to be, because neither the polystyreen nor the plank above it are affixed to the hive wall yet. The original design also had an extra plank underneath the polystyreen, which I didn't do here. I know it's not obvious from the pictures, but the frame rests are not affixed yet, so they tend to sag deeper into the hive than they are meant to be once they are nailed and glued in position.

A valid question would be whether the frame ears need to be dead against the hive wall, or whether it would be safe for there to be beespace.

 

[VEG]

all the hives i have seen the frame ears are against the side walls so you are correct.

 

[REDWOOD]

The frame ears in a national are quite tight to the hive walls this is so the frames don't slid when moved
A good alternative for frame rails are plastic tile edging, they come in 6,7,8,10 and 12mm. the correct bee space under the frame ears is 6-7mm
http://www.wallsandfloors.co.uk/range/tile-trims/pvc-economic-tile-edge-trim-07mm-depth/

 

[pargyle]

]

A valid question would be whether the frame ears need to be dead against the hive wall, or whether it would be safe for there to be beespace.

OK .... you've got the space at the top of the frames covered ... that's good.

No .. you don't need bee space at the end of the frame lugs ... just make it so that they are nearly flush with the walls but not rubbing ... when handling your bees it's nice to be able to move the frames as one (ie: slide several frames at the same time along the rails using a hive tool as a lever). If the lugs are tight up against the hive walls they will jam .. too loose and the frames can move to one side of the hive and you'll lose beespace (or gain beespace) between the frame sides and the hive walls ... but of a suck it and see job I'm afraid.

 

[Paul in Poole]

Made a gabled roof

Made up a nice gabled roof out of an old pallet and covered it with ally sheet.
I hope to expand this season from two hives.

 

[pargyle]

Nice job using reclaimed materials ... I'd suggest two things:

1. Make the sides of the roof a lot deeper so that you have a good depth of timber down the sides of the hive.

2. Put a 'landing' inside the roof to raise it up and give it enough space to put a slab of Kingspan insuation in the roof (another reason why the sides of the roof could do with extending downwards).

Nice job though ...

 

[blackie]

made up 15 glass crown boards and 15 cedar roofs with galvanized lid and staind last of my hives

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Made up a nice gabled roof out of an old pallet and covered it with ally sheet.
I hope to expand this season from two hives.

I've said it before but it bears repeating, the best form of recycling is re-use and it's good to see pallet wood being used in this way. I get my aluminium from a local car breakers where I know there is an old caravan, from which I cut out sections for my National roofs. Although it costs money, it's cheaper and greener than buying new.

CVB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Adapted a wooden National floor with an underfloor entrance to take a p a y n e s box. Good fit

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Filling, sanding, painting ...... Filling, sanding, painting, ...... Filling, sanding, painting! I now have enough spare kit to support all of my existing colonies and then a bit more to allow for possible (probable) expansion!

Jimmys dad is starting to huff and puff about how much time I am spending in HIS shed!

 

[drstitson]

"made up 15 glass crown boards"

why glass rather than polycarbonate? rather 20th century and prone to breaking.

 

[itma]

Adapted a wooden National floor with an underfloor entrance to take a p a y n e s box. Good fit

Would be nice to see. Got any photos?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Three pictures.
I used a piece of stripwood along two sides, glued and nailed.
The front overhangs the floor by a centimetre or so . That way any rain dripping off misses the entrance.
In the last picture I've pushed the box back a little so that you can see how the stripwood sits above the side of the floor.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Three pictures.

Thank you for the picture D, i notice you used a combination of screws and nails to fix the parts together, did you know that you will likely get greater heat loss using screws, as opposed to nails.