Frame end spacers

[Eyeman]

Thought I'd save some money and use non-Hoffman frames with end spacers, once drawn and extracted they go onto castellated spacers
Didn't realise that only 11 frames fit in a national shallow which then needs a spacer/dummy.

 

[enrico]

Just being critical, move the spacers off the rail, otherwise they will sit too high, slide them towards the end of the frames more. I don't bother with dummy, I just centre the frames up in the box, never causes me any problem and means I can get the end frames out easily. I always use spacers. My suggestion is not to mix spacers and Hoffmann! If you do it makes it difficult to interchange between hives, I add spacers to all my Hofmanns to avoid any problem. Never understood why spacers have different spacing to hoffmans though!

E

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's what I do.
Hoffman spacers on SN1s then into 10 space castellations.

 

[Thymallus]

Never understood why spacers have different spacing to hoffmans though!

E

Second that, they are both quoted to give the same distance between frames. But don't.

 

[beebot]

I keep meaning to sort out my frames but always seem to end up with a horrible mix of Hofmann and DNs.
Thinking of buying Hoffman adapter (from Wynne Jones) to make all into Hoffmans.
Beekeepers seem to be intent on making as many thing incompatible as possible. Guess its all historical with different people developing thing in isolation.

 

[Eyeman]

Good point about moving them nearer the end.
Thanks

 

[BeeJayBee]

I don't bother with dummy, I just centre the frames up in the box, never causes me any problem and means I can get the end frames out easily.E

Odd as it may seem, this does work. I've not had them build brace comb out from the outermost frames, even though the books reckon it will happen.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Never understood why spacers have different spacing to hoffmans though!

My Hoffmans don't, they are the same spacing as the narrow plastic or metal end spacers, but i never use Hoffman spacing in shallows, just ten space castellated with sn1's in all of them.

 

[oliver90owner]

Eleven frames fit the box. Look at the less than a bee space at one side and more than a bee space at the oter end of the frames. Space them properly and they are filling the box with enough space at that right side on your picture.

 

[Eyeman]

Thanks for all the replies.
Yes 11 frames fit on the box so I'll manually space them out evenly / not a problem because when they are drawn and extracted I'll be fitting a 10 frame castellated.
My reason for posting was that I had expected the plastic end spacers to allow 12 frames with even spacing- it doesn't seem like rocket science to have made the end spacers a slightly smaller width so they matched a Hoffmann spacer.

 

[enrico]

I was not suggesting spacing them out manually. I was suggesting leaving a larger gap at both ends, a few months of hoffmans with a bit of propolis and you won't get twelve in the box without a real squeeze. 11 and a dummy is easier for you and the bees.
E

 

[maddydog]

10 space castellation with sn1s, simple. Bees draw out the frames beautifully. Also has the added advantage of calming those beeks with ocd who can't believe why foundation doesn't come in packs of 12

 

[Eyeman]

maddydog 10 space castellation with sn1s, simple. Bees draw out the frames beautifully.

Some bees will and some bees won't.
Some bees will some of the time but not all of the time.

I prefer to get the frames drawn before they go into castellations.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Yes 11 frames fit on the box so I'll manually space them out evenly

No, don't space them 'evenly', push the frames together to make sure the spacing between the frames is correct and make sure they're central in the box. Leave an even space at each side/end of the group of frames, it'll be a smidgeon over bee space.

 

[Chorlton Honey Bees]

i like to use the spacers one side one colour and the other another colour helps me to not make a big mistake putting a frame the wrong way

 

[richardbees]

Some bees will and some bees won't.
Some bees will some of the time but not all of the time.

I prefer to get the frames drawn before they go into castellations.

Good comment and food for thought.

I also got fed up with fiddly spacers and totally converted to ten space castellations years ago. It may be that they start on new supers more readily with frames closer together in problematic years....like this one.