Diy hive plans

[Springer]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, know what you mean about mixing measurements. The National hive was designed Imperial and fits in nicely with old timber sizes, now we have gone metric supplied timber has "shrunk" a shade, making thing a bit harder.
I like working with mm, and am old enough to know both systems of measurement, on their own or mixed, but the posed question is still there.

Yes I was fortunate to know Dave, he was a member of our local Association, a great loss.
S

 

[viridens]

It depends what you coat it with... epoxy resin, thin as varnish. It soaks in, sets and with acouple of coats you have a hard durable waterproof finish which has actually striengthened the wood.
Its now used in wooden boat building, each wooden plank is painted with it before assembly so there are no cracks for rot to start. The finish on those boats is beautiful. A great combination of modern and classic materials.

I believe that this 'soaking in' is the key to any type of wood preservation, whether epoxy, paint, or wax+solvent. Thin liquid which soaks in and is taken up by the wood prevents water from doing the same later.

I have been doing this for many years after realising that the conventional primer-undercoat-top coat paint system almost always failed at the wood/primer or wood/undercoat interface because the thick paint had not soaked in and keyed itself to the wood.

I have old windowsills here painted with thinned gloss over bare wood with a couple more coats of gloss on top which are still ok after 20 years.

I am currently evaluating beeswax in rape oil 'soaked in' on a new bare wood TBH.

 

[user 6228]

I believe that this 'soaking in' is the key to any type of wood preservation, whether epoxy, paint, or wax+solvent. Thin liquid which soaks in and is taken up by the wood prevents water from doing the same later.

I have been doing this for many years after realising that the conventional primer-undercoat-top coat paint system almost always failed at the wood/primer or wood/undercoat interface because the thick paint had not soaked in and keyed itself to the wood.

I have old windowsills here painted with thinned gloss over bare wood with a couple more coats of gloss on top which are still ok after 20 years.

I am currently evaluating beeswax in rape oil 'soaked in' on a new bare wood TBH.

the issue with oils and waxes is things eat them ... Stockholm tar anyone?

 

[madasafish]

I believe that this 'soaking in' is the key to any type of wood preservation, whether epoxy, paint, or wax+solvent. Thin liquid which soaks in and is taken up by the wood prevents water from doing the same later.

I have been doing this for many years after realising that the conventional primer-undercoat-top coat paint system almost always failed at the wood/primer or wood/undercoat interface because the thick paint had not soaked in and keyed itself to the wood.

I have old windowsills here painted with thinned gloss over bare wood with a couple more coats of gloss on top which are still ok after 20 years.

I am currently evaluating beeswax in rape oil 'soaked in' on a new bare wood TBH.

Rape oil and beeswax works very well on my TBHs...Applied warm of course.. on a hot day or a heated garage...

 

[Poly Hive]

A wee trick that is often overlooked is biscuit jointing.

I found by buying pine that was planed and then jointing it into widths that were suitable and using a router and dovetail jig I could make Langstrogh supers and broods for at the time about £1 for the super and £2 for the broods.

Very straightforward to do.

I then used a wood preseritive on them but it is no longer available but worked very well indeed.

PH

 

[richardbees]

PH

You are a national treasure! - in another decade or so, this would be comprehended as if written in a foreign language..:

" jointing it into widths that were suitable and using a router and dovetail jig I could make Langstroth supers "

with respect, richard

 

[The Apprentices]

I often thought about buying a biscuit jointer and dovetail jig but didn't want to pay good money for what is going to be predominantly a weaker joint, best course of action for me was a series of tuitions with a freindly local cabinet maker and learned how to do dovetails, you could even go to your local school night classes to learn and then you won't have to buy lots of tools.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I often thought about buying a biscuit jointer and dovetail jig but didn't want to pay good money for what is going to be predominantly a weaker joint, best course of action for me was a series of tuitions with a freindly local cabinet maker and learned how to do dovetails, you could even go to your local school night classes to learn and then you won't have to buy lots of tools.

Take quite a while edge joining boards with dovetails though,especially if doing several hundred yards,like PH is talking about for making supers and brood box's from narrower planks.

 

[The Apprentices]

Take quite a while edge joining boards with dovetails though,especially if doing several hundred yards,like PH is talking about for making supers and brood box's from narrower planks.

In a man versus machine the main is faster.

It takes about 2 minuites to cut the waste of the dovetail out normally, the old boys that showed me how to do things never even used a gauge just a wooden block that stood on the bench behind their work piece, I'm not quite there as yet but almost.
In a competion and for quality of consyruction the older tried and tested method gets my vote, For linear speed its a CNC hands down.
Even with fancy tools the operator needs to be confident using them or your still not going to get a decent job.

The biscuit jointer method is great for dry aplications unless your going to use urea based glues and the time that it takes to mix up levels all the timing.

Dovetails and UB glue in cheaper plywood is the way forward for strength and durability and price the glue seals all the joints and open grain/ends.

 

[madasafish]

Polyurethane glue solves every problem in my view...

 

[Torq]

A wee trick that is often overlooked is biscuit jointing.

buying pine that was planed and then jointing it into widths that were suitable and using a router and dovetail jig
PH

I've done exactly the same. I use a biscuit jointer to give the depth of board for brood boxes and nucs. I use a dove tail jig and router to make roofs and ekes in a few minutes, no more cutting joints by hand for me!