2016 - Hive Assembly Course in Sussex

[o.stjohn]

Various courses at Plumpton College - hive assembly students will leave with their own cedar National Hive.

More info from [email protected]

 

[Millet]

I wish i was closer especially if you can get a free hive if you can put one together.

 

[o.stjohn]

Sussex Taster Day and Hive Assembly Day

Book here!

 

[Chriszog]

Do you know what type of wood is used for construction, number of Supers (if any) type of floor, hive stand or any other useful information.
Thanks

 

[Millet]

£250 for a 1 day coarse to show folk how to put a national hive together and frame assembly, is that not extortion.

 

[oliver90owner]

£250 for a 1 day coarse to show folk how to put a national hive together and frame assembly, is that not extortion.

Now that was a quick change - from your earlier wish? Sometimes it helps if you read of what you are writing about? Oh, by the way, there is coarse and course. They are different. Just like who and hoo.

 

[Millet]

£250 for a 1 day coarse to show folk how to put a national hive together and frame assembly, is that not extortion.

Now that was a quick change - from your earlier wish? Sometimes it helps if you read of what you are writing about? Oh, by the way, there is coarse and course. They are different. Just like who and hoo.

I did read it unless i missed something, i payed £160 for a full hive and everything to go with it from Thornes , so basicly it is going to cost those folk £90 just to be shown how to put some bits of wood together.

On the course subject i do have running dogs so most of the time i automatically spell it hunting related, either way you know what it means.

 

[Arfermo]

£250 for a 1 day coarse to show folk how to put a national hive together and frame assembly, is that not extortion.

You were thinking of it if they throw in a free hive. So what happened bar the bleedin' obvious?

 

[Millet]

You were thinking of it if they throw in a free hive. So what happened bar the bleedin' obvious?

The price charged for knocking a bit of lumber together. .

 

[o.stjohn]

Attendees will be shown how to assemble a cedar hive and will leave with a hive and frames. Not everyone knows how to put them together so why not learn the correct way from day 1...?

 

[Millet]

Attendees will be shown how to assemble a cedar hive and will leave with a hive and frames. Not everyone knows how to put them together so why not learn the correct way from day 1...?

That is very true and i am all in favour of helping people if i can, i just can not justify the price, if a decent fellow turned up at my door i would show him how to put the wood together for nothing, i do however understand that they will be more than one person at these events and no doubt some will be dim as far as practical work goes, so a small fee could well be justified.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not everyone knows how to put them together so why not learn the correct way from day 1...?

There is nothing difficult about assembling a hive. Or the frames. Just a simple matter of following instructions.

The difficuty arises from the cases where everything is not quite square, have poorly fitting joints, timber 'out-of-true', or whatever. Or where the participants are clueless or unwilling to study the subject and instructions beforehand.

To be honest, the instructions for assembling these kits could be better - such as extra tips to make sure the assemblers do not drive home nails before they are very sure everything is measuring up correctly, or suggesting ways to ensure the boxes are both square (building the boxes on a slotted metal queen excluder) and are assembled on a perfectly flat surface (to avoid boxes that leave gaps when stacked together).

These courses are specifically aimed at new beeks, but could easily include all those that cannot put a flat pack anything together.

I've not checked to see if the finished product will be gold plated or what. Not even checked whether their is a choice of hive type, whether it includes non-standard parts such as type of floor, hive stand, foundation, queen excluder.

At that cost, it maybe ought to include some flow hive gadgets!

Assembly of one box, the floor, roof and one frame seems all that may be required...... The rest is just repitition?

 

[Chriszog]

I actually think £250 for a days instruction and walk away with a brand new hive is quite a good price, I thought it might include cutting and joining instruction rather than putting a kit together. I don't want to start with a poor hive and a fully made up hive from Thornes is about £350.
The prospectus from Plumpton doesn't exactly explain the content very well, hence my original question!

 

[oliver90owner]

I actually think £250 for a days instruction and walk away with a brand new hive is quite a good price,

Fair enough. Then I suggest you fill in the email, from the link, with your questions re content.

The OP indicated ''assembly''. That would certainly not include learning potentially dangerous operations to carried out by totally unskilled noobies or ikea failures! Most certainly never going to train a carpenter, from zilch, in one day! But go ahead and ask them. Remember, it might even be a Warre, so unless those that want Langstroth, Commercial, Smith, Dartington, WBC, etc would be disappointed.

Ask away. I don't think the information will be too forthcoming on the forum.

 

[Millet]

I actually think £250 for a days instruction and walk away with a brand new hive is quite a good price, I thought it might include cutting and joining instruction rather than putting a kit together. I don't want to start with a poor hive and a fully made up hive from Thornes is about £350.
The prospectus from Plumpton doesn't exactly explain the content very well, hence my original question!

Nobody showed me how to put them together, they is however video clips on youtube that can be helpful and i think thornes have there own little video clips on assembling all of there hive parts, i have rattled 3 nationals of upto now and all the frames to fill them, my most expensive one was a full flat packed hive from thornes that cost me £160, just go for it once you have one square the rest of it is repetitive, one tip from me though DO NOT use nails for assembling the hive body, use suitable sized screws as they pull everything together better and if you make a mistake you can easily get the screws back out.

 

[oliver90owner]

Good tip re using screws, but the tip about not nailing fully home until sure is more relevant to those whose only tool was a hammer!

I always use screws wherever possible, always drill pilot holes (as appropriate) and always screw 'on the tosh' as many fixings are into end grain. There are so very many previous threads, on this forum alone, for anyone to follow and be able to get the assembly right first time.

But, undoubtably, there will be some that need personal guidance rather than being able to follow writen, pictorial or video instructions. It would be far cheaper to employ a local chippy to demonstrate how to do it, with your first hive, I would think.

 

[Millet]

Good tip re using screws, but the tip about not nailing fully home until sure is more relevant to those whose only tool was a hammer!

I always use screws wherever possible, always drill pilot holes (as appropriate) and always screw 'on the tosh' as many fixings are into end grain. There are so very many previous threads, on this forum alone, for anyone to follow and be able to get the assembly right first time.

But, undoubtably, there will be some that need personal guidance rather than being able to follow writen, pictorial or video instructions. It would be far cheaper to employ a local chippy to demonstrate how to do it, with your first hive, I would think.

I forgot to mention that, it requires 2 x cordless drills when i'm making just about anything.

 

[Chriszog]

Thanks for the tips Guys, I was wondering when I watched the Vids why no one used Screws as would make a much more solid box, may also negate the need for glue!!

 

[B+.]

Thanks for the tips Guys, I was wondering when I watched the Vids why no one used Screws as would make a much more solid box, may also negate the need for glue!!

Beds BKA have sessions for putting equipment together. Why not go to one of those?

 

[Chriszog]

Beds BKA have sessions for putting equipment together. Why not go to one of those?

I will now I know about them, I think we are also doing some bits on the beginners course!