Equipment For Sale Clear Polycarbonate Crownboards

[Big ears]

I would be interested in 5 with rim and central feeder hole please

 

[Melmarlborough]

I have the opportunity to purchase a quantity of 6mm clear polycarbonate - it's quite a lot I would have to buy - it's a remnant from a building project and it's a bit scuffed and scratched but perfectly serviceable as crown boards. I can cut to 460 x 460 for national hives and could go up to 500 x 500 for polyhives.

It's going to work out at about £6 each for unframed pieces if you wanted to make up your own frames or I could add a 6mm single frame and do those for about £10/£10.50. You could have either a central feeder hole or just plain, no extra cost.

Plus, of course, whatever the courier cost is depending on quantity and destination. Sorry, it would have to be shipping to UK only.

These prices are less than half the price of any available from the 'normal' suppliers and at 6mm thick twice the thickness of most others available. It's going to be a once only deal, not likely to be repeated.

The benefits of clear crown boards have been well documented on here many times and more and more beekeepers are now using them but the cost of polycarbonate make them quite expensive normally - indeed, with the rising cost of plywood this offer is going to be cheaper than solid ones !

Before I commit to this I'd like to gauge what interest there is from forum members. If you are interested just add a reply to the thread with how may you think you might like (no commitment at this stage) and if there are enough to warrant buying the lot I'll progress it.

I would take 10

 

[Helen Tworkowski]

I will take 10, central feeder hole. No rim.

 

[pargyle]

Just an update ... I now have the sheets of polycarb with me ... they are a bit more scuffed and scratched than I had hoped for and they are 4mm thick not 6mm ... I'm going to cut some up and see what they look like and I'll post some photos of what they are like.... that's the bad news ... well, not such good news anyway, The good news is that I'm going to be able to knock a bit off the price as I've agreed a discount with the supplier which I can pass on.

There is not going to be enough of these 'used' sheets to go round. However, the same supplier has some brand new 6mm polycarb sheets which are perfect condition. They are more expensive than the used ones but I think I can offer them for a lot less than the going rate for either buying 6mm polycarb cut to size by the usual suppliers and considerably less than the cost of buying clear crown boards from the Bee Equipment suppliers. There is a large quantity of these so, again, I'm going to make some up - post some photos and you can decide which you would like to go with.

Bit more patience required ... I'll get there eventually !

 

[Murox]

Thanks for the update @pargyle. 4mm is just fine as far as I am concerned - in fact it means I would want to order one more cut to a slightly non standard size when the time comes if possible

 

[Erichalfbee]

Great work Philip. I’ll have the new ones so that frees five up for somebody else.

 

[blackcloud]

Ditto that for my half dozen

 

[Melmarlborough]

Happy to still take 10…as long as bees can be seen through scratches…it’s for winter - just need to see the food

 

[HasBEEn]

Would be interested to know the price difference as I think I'd like to donate some to my club Apiary and that could be the 6 of the 4mm I've ordered and I'll take 6 of the shiny new ones for me, although all this depends on the pennies...

 

[pargyle]

I've been a bit busy and after a fall last week not as active as I might have been. I need to do some work to make some up and see what they come out at. The good news is that what I thought were 4mm are actually 5mm and having looked through the various sheets this morning the vast majority are not as badly scratched and scuffed as I feared when they arrived. I also need to find out how many of the 6mm new pieces there are available... it's probably going to be next week before I manage to get some idea of what I have available and what I can get my hands on of the new stuff. Bear with me ... Philip

 

[Jon Seddon]

I've been a bit busy and after a fall last week not as active as I might have been. I need to do some work to make some up and see what they come out at. The good news is that what I thought were 4mm are actually 5mm and having looked through the various sheets this morning the vast majority are not as badly scratched and scuffed as I feared when they arrived. I also need to find out how many of the 6mm new pieces there are available... it's probably going to be next week before I manage to get some idea of what I have available and what I can get my hands on of the new stuff. Bear with me ... Philip

 

[Swarm]

That lathe is starting to gather dust, Phil.

 

[pargyle]

That lathe is starting to gather dust, Phil.

It is a bit at present ....two things have got in my way ... a new fence down one side of my garden and a bruise the size of Australia on my left rear and back as the result of falling off a wall ....

 

[Swarm]

Ouch, I bet that hurt.

 

[Rachelw3]

I’m still interested please. Happy to have the scratched one’s if damage nor too bad. As long as I can see through when winter feeding

 

[pargyle]

Ouch, I bet that hurt.

Yes ... it did, I was lucky nothing broke but its been a very uncomfortable week where movement of any kind has hurt and even sitting and sleeping has been difficult - I did something stupid and I can't really complain as I should have known better. I hit the paving like a sack of potatoes unable to break my fall at all and I knew immediately I was going to suffer ....

 

[Jon Seddon]

Yes ... it did, I was lucky nothing broke but its been a very uncomfortable week where movement of any kind has hurt and even sitting and sleeping has been difficult - I did something stupid and I can't really complain as I should have known better. I hit the paving like a sack of potatoes unable to break my fall at all and I knew immediately I was going to suffer ....

Take care of yourself, your health is precious

 

[Erichalfbee]

Take care of yourself, your health is precious

It sure is. We’re waiting for all these crown boards.

 

[Flowermagpie]

Please add me to your list:
3 x Poly Nuc Size, 1 hole in centre if possible.
4 x Poly National Size, but need to be slightly smaller than 460 x 460, I can give you actual measurements if you still have supplies by the time you get to my order, would need one hole.
6 x National, with rim and one hole.
Finally if you have any off cuts big enough to cover two feed holes in crown boards I would happily pay suitable amount for 5-10 of those. Hope that makes sense! If you need help making a list of who wants what I’m happy to help out.

Thank you for your offer, and all the work you’re going to be doing!

 

[pargyle]

Please add me to your list:
3 x Poly Nuc Size, 1 hole in centre if possible.
4 x Poly National Size, but need to be slightly smaller than 460 x 460, I can give you actual measurements if you still have supplies by the time you get to my order, would need one hole.
6 x National, with rim and one hole.
Finally if you have any off cuts big enough to cover two feed holes in crown boards I would happily pay suitable amount for 5-10 of those. Hope that makes sense! If you need help making a list of who wants what I’m happy to help out.

Thank you for your offer, and all the work you’re going to be doing!

I've got everything on a spreadsheet ... when I get started I'll be in touch with everyone to confirm sizes and quantities and yes, there's going to some offcuts if anyone needs bits ...