all hoffman frames space out at 35mm so they all give you a loose eleven in a National box
My SN4 frames fit exactly 12 frames in my super. Do SN5's fit exactly 11?
All Hoffman side bars are the same spacings, but if you insist on jamming 12 of them into a box, once the bees start using them you'll need a crowbar to get them out
I'm not intending to use 12 frames, but are you saying you are using 11 frames in a super, loosely, so the self spacers are not touching each other?
no, I don't use 11 frames of any kind in a super I use ten frame castellations with SN1 frames
You need a purple comb Emyr or was it pink ?
yes, and then every time I move a box the frames rattle around loosely inside crushing bees and making a mess. There's a reason why these ridiculous combs have been regarded a waste of time and money over here.
Wow. You've changed Erichalfbee since welcoming me on this board a few weeks ago.
Where’s your sense of humour? We are all suffering from lock down madness and if we can’t laugh we are doomed.
Proper Job ,,, that's what I do ...
Apple hasn't replied yet ... I think he's out in the field putting chimney pots on top of his rhubarb plants so he has enough leaves to treat his varroa before his Cornish AMM's start filling his supers ...
He's probably done that as well ... belt, braces, piece of string and some bells on his knee ...
Very useful clarification, especially for newbies. I don't bother with cut comb so don't reduce to 10 frames - though that makes a lot of sense simply because everything (frames and foundation) come in multiples of 10.
I find 10 frames in the supers ideal - nice and easy to uncap and it's the perfect width for cut comb - the comb fits nicely in the old cut comb boxes (looks far nicer than the new crystal ones) being just short of the top of the box. I remember one year at the Royal Welsh, someone had entered a really nice looking piece of cut comb in the novice class but it had been taken from a nine frame super so it looked awful in the white box - sticking proud and the judge was unable to put the lid on. A piece of cut comb which should have won ended up being knocked down to second - I think that if it hadn't been in the beginner's class it wouldn't have had a ticket at all.
I find them fine at any time, but I don't have particularly propolisy bees. I don't really use them to space as such anyway. I stick them in at each end of the super so I can move the box easily without the combs moving about causing damage to the combs and bees. It just locks them in place while I lift them, and if I have been having a nosy, just use them to 'neaten' the spacings. I tried castellations but really couldn't get on with them, my bees seemed to have a death wish and would try to guillotine themselves as I replaced the combs.
