Another 14x12 nuc??

[beezers]

Yes, I've just arrived. Thank you for your many posts about nucs. My head is spinning trying to get one that suits me, but none are really for dummies without an inkling for woodwork. Here goes:
I want to make 2 14x12 out of plywood,6 framer,mesh floor & vented roof.
Not sure which thickness of ply yet but I know it will be exterior-12mm probably-
I need simpleton plans or better still videos that include sizes & not rebates, as I only have a hammer,jigsaw & hairdryer.
? If I need to overwinter bees in a nuc, is 12mm enough?
Entrance hole or slot?
Will raw linseed oil be okay on ply?
Should I just buy a couple of ready made?
I have 2 hives & 2yrs beekeeping experience.
Thank you.

 

[JohnyP]

I think 15mm exterior grade ply would be better, 18mm is very heavy.

Download Sketchup, mock up the sizes you need to cut the 8 x 4 sheet and get your timber merchant to cut it for you. It's worth it. Then you can just glue and screw!

 

[beezers]

Will have at that program & 15mm. Thought ply went from 9mm to 12mm then 18mm. Oops.

 

[oliver90owner]

I would suggest 18mm for the ends as that will give someting sturdy to screw into. 5mm side walls are adequate for most winters although I would not recommend it to others. How do I know? One Dartington carry-box has been home to bees for the last three winters and they have survived. There has been another box with stores above. I am surprised the last winter did not overcome the colony this time, but they are flying quite strongly!

I hope you do not intend venting the crown board.

Mind you, the polynucs are better - honestly!

 

[beezers]

Thanks guys. Sketchup is beyond me.
Polys are interesting, but I would like to try making one first. If I fail,at least I've tried.
Out of interest,has anybody made a roof that's deep enough to nearly enclose the brood box? i.e box within a box, like a wbc-would need a bottom entrance-.

 

[REDWOOD]

A 5 frame 14x12 nuc is big enough, the roof can be made from 12mm ply, hole or slot makes no difference as long as it's @ the bottom and keep it small to avoid robbing, don't use linseed oil, coat open ends of ply with a few coats on pva glue or varnish to seal them and sand down the sharp edges to avoid splitting, give the exterior at least 2 coats of cuprinol garden shades or similar product. I always glue and nail to hard wood battens to the bottom side walls as this is where the hive sits and prone to water absorption, (got this tip of olly)

 

[LeoP]

The difference in weight between 18mm and 15mm ply is negligible for a nuc - 20%. I used 18mm because I used the rest of the sheet for hives and because it's more durable.

(18-15) / 15 x 100,

i.e. 100 / 5

For a full hive and supers that would be significant, but this isn't that. If you really want to make a weight saving go for 12mm ply. I've found that the thicker the sheet the flatter it is. Getting a flat sheet of 12mm is difficult.

 

[LeoP]

Like redwood says, seal all of the cut ends of the plywood. Also run some glue into any voids or knot holes.

I prefer to glue and screw together. Use exterior (or weatherproof) PVA. I have used PU glue in the past but it's more expensive. I use decking screws and drywall screws. Pilot drill the holes to the thickness of the core of the threaded part to prevent splitting.

 

[LeoP]

Out of interest,has anybody made a roof that's deep enough to nearly enclose the brood box? i.e box within a box

It's an interesting idea, but I expect it might be difficult to remove - you'd have to lift it perfectly and if the wood moves or swells it might jam.

The cavities would make ideal winter homes for wasp queens and possibly homes for wasps and bumble bees at other times of the year.

 

[beezers]

Failed at the first hurdle. The price of the ply + misc is crazy. I'm getting one from fleabay as I my need it veryvery soon. When I come across some offcuts I'll have a go.
An interesting program for cutting: cutlist fx, 30day trial.

 

[Swarm]

You'd be far better off buying a poly nuc.

 

[itma]

Failed at the first hurdle. The price of the ply + misc is crazy. I'm getting one from fleabay as I my need it veryvery soon. ...

Support your local enterprise and try a poly from P@ynes (as someone else suggested right at the start).
They usually do next day delivery (if you don't collect it yourself).

 

[clv101]

I use 14x12 hives, have made a couple of six frame nucs from 12mm ply. They work great, however, they are rather heavy and I'm not confident they'd really be warm enough. I am tempted by a couple of Poly Nuc 14x12 nucs for over wintering. Which companies make them?

 

[oliver90owner]

(as someone else suggested right at the start).

Not me Guv!

I suggested poly but I would not recommend one from P@ynes, would I? I am not even keen on them. I can stand on the roof of my poly nucs.

 

[clv101]

After a brief search, are P@ynes the only people making poly 14x12 nucs?

 

[tyke]

If at some stage you do make your own boxes then go for 18mm ply rather than 15mm. Using 18mm thickness ply will mean that you can mix your ply brood boxes with standard cedar ones and won't need "specially" dimensioned floors, crownboards etc as they will conform to BS National sizes give or take 2mm. If you use 15mm the external box dimensions will be 8mm narrower than cedar boxes and so you would need to make all the other bits fit to these dimensions.
Andy

 

[clv101]

I see what you mean about the dimensions, however 18mm ply is very heavy not that cheap either.

 

[oliver90owner]

If you are wanting:

1) Light weight

2) Cheap.

3) Exactly half size of a National box cross section.

4) over-wintering capability.

5) Ply construction

Go for the Dartington carry boxes as I outlined above with a robust wintering roof. They will easily over-winter with insulation fitted in the roof and on the ouside. The only down side is the frames are a tightish fit, so the outside of the outer frames are not fully utilised. No great hassle to add a Dartington half-super above and they are far bigger than a deep National brood box and a better shape for over-wintering.

Me? I would prefer to use my bought-in poly nucs (not P@ynes), modded for the 14 x 12 frames.

 

[pargyle]

Failed at the first hurdle. The price of the ply + misc is crazy. I'm getting one from fleabay as I my need it veryvery soon. When I come across some offcuts I'll have a go.
An interesting program for cutting: cutlist fx, 30day trial.

Then you should consider a pallet wood one .... I've still got to put a covering on the roof and I'm considering putting some more insulation on the top of it before I cover it with either aluminium or roofing felt - depends what I can lay my hands on. I know it doesn't need either a porch or a landing strip - but they look pretty !

It's a double skin of pallet boards with solid 20mm timber ends so it's a bit on the heavy side but I reckon it will be pretty snug for the girls. There is a crown board as well and the roof is ventilated in the 'usual' way for a nuc.

Outside is painted with some dregs of Ronseal Shades I had left and the inside is hive & frame scrapings (propolis, was, bit of wood etc.) dissolved in meths and then painted on the inside - smells like a real hive already !

Oh ... I've still got to put the runners in for the frames (Plastic tile edging offcuts left over from bathroom project) - who needs to spend lots of money on beekeeping ? Total cost - glue & screws - about £2 I reckon.

 

[itma]

After a brief search, are P@ynes the only people making poly 14x12 nucs?

Well, I know Park (Blackheath-ish) also do a poly nuc that does 14x12, and National, and Langstroth ("3 in 1").
I'm selling my Park to standardise on Pains. Lovely feeder on the Park though. But despite the feeder, my personal preference is the Pain.
And since the OP was wanting one quickly and is less than 15 miles from Pains, his choice seemed pretty simple.

However others (o90o, maybe drstitson?) have, I believe, enjoyed success converting Lanstroth-type nucs.