Frames - Seconds

[Bates]

Trying to get hold of seconds frames - at least 2000 DN4 national deeps. Maisemore rang me today to tell me they will refuse to serve us as we will buy the lot, even though I had rang them 6 weeks ago asking for them then but was told to wait till the sale. Real kick in the balls as screws our plans up for the coming weeks and assembly we had planned for he entire weekend during collections.

Anyone able to help?

 

[dpearce4]

Why don't you give Gill a call at thornes they should be able to help out. they do packs of 500 in their sale so im sure they can quite easily be able to do the quantity required.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Why don't you give Gill a call at thornes they should be able to help out. they do packs of 500 in their sale so im sure they can quite easily be able to do the quantity required.

No chance of that happing Doug, i have tried so many times to get seconds in large quantity's for them plus Maisemores, they totally refuse to let you have any seconds until their sales days, only chance is C.Wyne Jones, who sell Thornes and Maisemores seconds as their budget range, unfortunately they have sold out i know because i wanted several hundred myself, but next week they may have what is left over from the sale tomorrow, this really bugs me as bee farmers we should have access to seconds all year round, i feel it is about time our Association got its act together and got us a deal with these two plus a trade discount and a monthly account Chris

 

[Bates]

Im all for seconds all year round. Just annoys me that they knew 6 weeks back wed rang them and they were aware we were coming only to be told the day before we would not be served.

D - Already tried all them avenues, story as Chris said.

 

[ROACHMAN]

You could try Victor at Honey Bee Suppliers, Hook Norton, they make their own frames so might be able to supply.

He's also a member of the BFA

 

[Bates]

I know Vicktor well, Ill call him later.

As for Maisemore. Rang them today see if any left - turns out they allowed someone else to buy a sh load but not us? Not impressed.

 

[Bates]

Cant get hold of Vicktor, hopefully can get 1000 this weekend from Mark. Maisemore rang me offering 40% discount but still amounts to nearly double what I was willing to pay.

 

[ROACHMAN]

I saw someone loading a panel van up to the roof with hive parts.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Cant get hold of Vicktor, hopefully can get 1000 this weekend from Mark. Maisemore rang me offering 40% discount but still amounts to nearly double what I was willing to pay.

Viktor was talking about not making frames anymore, not sure if he was serious though... as we have just milled and sent him 27 tonnes of timber last friday.

 

[DanBee]

Perhaps a stupid question: are seconds frames purposefully done as complete runs with lower-grade timber, or sorted from the firsts during a normal run?

I'd always assumed that seconds were a byproduct of making firsts.

 

[Bates]

I can only imagine sorted from firsts?

 

[Chrisfnvs]

I know that a lot of gear is made just for the sales days so i assumed that all the seconds were made as seconds, ie from timber with knots and splits etc, thinking about the shear volume of woodwork they shift in the sales they would have to make it just for that purpose and that purpose only i would have thought.

 

[BKF Admin]

Some of the main suppliers tend to use spruce for seconds and mix in any knotty firsts with them.

1st's = Redwood - Pine
2nd's a mixture of red/whitewood - Spruce

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Mark did you get my PM`s ref second frames, i have sent a few recently with no reply not sure if its working or not, can you let me know many thanks Chris

 

[Bates]

Extremely desperate now - anyone? Rang around to no avail.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Extremely desperate now - anyone? Rang around to no avail.

I am with you on this one Bates, i am down to boiling some old ones in the berkco !! had to search through the kindling stack in the garage, lucky i found some which were about 5 years old, i think i will have to get my workshop up together and make all my own gear from now on as we can not get what we want when we need it for a reasonable trade price from the big suppliers

 

[VEG]

Does the BFA not sort out bulk buys?

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Does the BFA not sort out bulk buys?

I was hoping they would, and there was talk of it a while ago Veg, not herd any more since, we as professional bee farmers should have access to monthly trade accounts and seconds year round in my opinion, this is something the BFA should be chasing up for us, i intend to increase my stocks every year for the next three years to get to the level i want around 200- 250 stocks but the cost of gear is just to high, making your own is the way to go i believe with wood work and wax foundation.
Chris

 

[Hivemaker.]

making your own is the way to go i believe with wood work and wax foundation.
Chris

... i find it is.

 

[fiftyjon]

Rob N who organises the bulk buy stuff for the BFA asked a while ago about bulk buying of hive parts and there was only one person who talked to him about frames in particular. I suppose there would need to be a consistent demand for certain frame sizes so fixed prices can be offered, I don't think seconds would be available though like this.
Maybe it's worth contacting him and see if anything can be organised.