Best of both worlds.

[moor141]

I'm currently running several colonies on double brood nationals. Although this works fine I'm keen to try something different on one or two colonies. I'm thinking alone the line of running a single Commercial brood on national floor and supers. I'm not keen on going over to 14 by 12 as I make my own hives and the national although fine it seem overbuilt and complicated. Also vast amount of brood bodys piling up behind my workshop.
To me this looks like a good compromise maybe cutting down on equipment per hive.

 

[protheroe]

i am thinking along the same lines,theres a lot of cuts in a fully jointed national,its time consuming and thats something i am short of with work lately

 

[itma]

Think again about 14x12.

A Standard National brood can be converted into a 14x12 with a simple eke (simpler under the standard box). If you plan to buy one, Maisie's sell that type - T's goes on top.
/ If you want to buy one and make 5 replicas, that's your call. They are pretty simple chunks of wood!

And if you have some National Brood frames still in kit form, all you need to get are the 14x12 sidebars and foundation. OK, so the 14x12 brood frames should have the thicker, stronger top bars (same as DN5 rather than DN4) -- but unless you are brutal, you shouldn't get a problem with the slimmer one. Incidentally, the wider ones make better (bar/bar beespace) sense even for a standard Nat.
You can work the std 'deep' frames out of the hive as you introduce 'jumbos' if you don't fancy a Bailey change or a shook swarm. No such option going commercial.


If determined to go for the commercial, T's can help with a cheap conversion eke ("Hamilton converter" - gives a 10 frame commercial), but you'll need full frames and foundation.

I'm delighted that I changed from Nat to 14x12.

 

[oliver90owner]

I agree with itma; all but one of my 14 x 12s are eked conversions from deeps. Th*rne deep seconds were more easily available and better value than the limited 14 x 12 offerings at the time (and my initial broods were all converted, of course). Deep frames have been scrapped or used as parts for shallow frames over the years.