clear crownboards

[pargyle]

Glass ?? I know what I have to do with the hive tool to remove a ply crown board and doubt 3mm glass would survive. Me thinks you mean some form of plastic.

Possibly not Tom, Thornes sell 3mm 'Glass Quilts' ....

http://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=glass quilt&product_id=1905

Although I share your sentiments ... indeed, Thornes even recommend that 'it is removed in winter as it has poor insulation qualities'

 

[drstitson]

"Hi I use 3ml glass crown boards with all my hives but it does condensate"

with top insulation or without?

 

[blackie]

With out insulation .seems to condensate in the corners not above cluster not had any problems yet .

 

[Cazza]

With out insulation .seems to condensate in the corners not above cluster not had any problems yet .

Stick some insulation on and it won't condense at the corners either.
Cazza

 

[Tom Bick]

Possibly not Tom, Thornes sell 3mm 'Glass Quilts' ....

http://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=glass quilt&product_id=1905

Although I share your sentiments ... indeed, Thornes even recommend that 'it is removed in winter as it has poor insulation qualities'

Well I stand to be corrected, I wonder if its toughened? but then toughened bizarrely can be brittle if handled wrong.

Now that I have seen the link (how did that get through?) I have seen them at trade shows but never paid any great attention but still shocked that they are 3mm glass and they must break from time to time.

 

[Cazza]

Well I stand to be corrected, I wonder if its toughened? but then toughened bizarrely can be brittle if handled wrong.

Now that I have seen the link (how did that get through?) I have seen them at trade shows but never paid any great attention but still shocked that they are 3mm glass and they must break from time to time.

Mine are at least 50 years old. They are pretty sturdy. The wood is deteriorating at the corners of some but I have not managed to break one and I am very clumsy.
Cazza

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Perspex in Warrington

Well I stand to be corrected, I wonder if its toughened? but then toughened bizarrely can be brittle if handled wrong.

Now that I have seen the link (how did that get through?) I have seen them at trade shows but never paid any great attention but still shocked that they are 3mm glass and they must break from time to time.

There's some perspex on Fleabay - item number 251390829773 - for collection in Warrington. Enough to make several clear crown boards super cheap! Anybody near enough?

CVB

 

[ugcheleuce]

Hello everyone

Does anyone know of any data about the insulating quality of such clear crownboards, for different thicknesses? I can get 2 mm locally for very cheap, and obviously it gets more expensive from there on (all the way to 20 mm).

With regards to insulation (e.g. in winter), do you think it matters whether the plexiglass is 2 mm or 10 mm, as long as it is covered by an extra layer of insulation?

Samuel

 

[VEG]

Be care full if using the thinner perspex that it doesn't dip down in the middle when on the hive.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Be care full if using the thinner perspex that it doesn't dip down in the middle when on the hive.

No sign of dipping on the 3mm clear units I made, even when used with a rapid feeder. If any sign does become evident it's a simple matter to attach a small piece of wood just outside the feeder hole to sit on the frame below and provide support

 

[Norfolk]

Not at all keen on using glass cb's personally.
Too easy to break and one ones I have used just got gummed up to the point where they were next to useless.

 

[itma]

My polycarb ones *without* holes have stayed really clean.

Those with holes, sagged with a rapid feeder enough to have the bees notice the lack of headroom and start to gum the space up. Having started, they go to town.
No holes see-through is the way to go.
You don't need to see through feeder and clearer boards - so ply board with hole ...

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

What Gilberdyke John said.

 

[Galaxy55]

An excellent question:

Lots of advice and as a complete beginner myself very useful. I will certainly give these clear crownboards a try.

 

[Madge]

... Those with holes, sagged with a rapid feeder ...

Just add a few spacer sticks underneath near the hole to prevent sagging.

 

[REDWOOD]

Bus shelter's clear panels are perspex, a bit of a pain i would think taking all the advertising posters of it
I am not suggesting to go and rob one but if the council are replacing the bus shelter with a new one you could help with the removal of the old panels

 

[REDWOOD]

How much do you you pay for 4mm Acrylic as I found this website that cuts them to size

http://www.sheetplastics.co.uk/index.php?route=checkout/cart

 

[Gilberdyke John]

How much do you you pay for 4mm Acrylic as I found this website that cuts them to size

http://www.sheetplastics.co.uk/index.php?route=checkout/cart

Seems expensive I bought some 3mm for £9.99 from a local "cheap" diy store and after cutting it up with a circular saw got three crownboards out of it. Two whole ones and one with a joint. It's covered in my forum blog on this site if you want to look.
If they get propolis on them surgical spirit and a soft cloth should clean without scratching.

 

[itma]

Just add a few spacer sticks underneath near the hole to prevent sagging.

My experience was that any 'props' simply acted as a starting point for propolisation.
Have you found a way of preventing that, or just accepted it?

 

[pargyle]

My experience was that any 'props' simply acted as a starting point for propolisation.
Have you found a way of preventing that, or just accepted it?

I use 6mm poycarbonate, frame is just a second layer of polycarbonate around the edge to give me my beespace, glued with superglue ... no flex in it whatsoever, you could stand a concrete block on it ... offcuts from ebay... link posted earlier.

My bees are not building above the frames and the only propolising is where I have two separate crownboards and they have glued the joint between them and as usual around the edges. I've taped the outer edge of the crownboards to the hive with aluminium tape to seal them up for the winter. They seem to like it and it's a great additional insulator.