Have I got this right (National super)

[garlicpickle]

I haven't nailed anything yet in case it's wrong, but this flat pack super didn't come with instructions, and the PDF I downloaded from Maisem*re isn't completely clear to me.

side view (sloping bit at the bottom, sloping down and outwards presumably to shed water)

top view, 7/16" between the top of the box and the top of the frame rails

so the frames sit in it like this

it's just the bottoms of the frames are flush with the bottom of the box, and I thought Nationals were supposed to have bottom bee space. My other super is on the hive 5 miles away, so I can't look at it to compare. :\

 

[Hivemaker.]

Fit the frame runners.

 

[garlicpickle]

umm it didn't come with any, my other super didn't either. Sorry i sound so hopeless but I haven't done any woodwork since I was about 10.

 

[oliver90owner]

As Hivemaker. It appears as top bee space at the moment. The frames should be only just below the level of the sides for bottom bee space.

The gap under the frame lugs (due to the runners lifting the frame) is important - it is a bee space, so should not be propolised or braced by the bees.

 

[garlicpickle]

the instructions I downloaded from Maisemore said that their side panels had chamfered edges presumably to allow for frame runners to be fitted. But on this one the side panels are square. Does that mean it's similar to Thorn*s budget super and that I will need to fit castellations?

The other super I bought was already assembled. This is the first ime I have tried to put together a flat pack one.

 

[Illo]

Hi Lisa,

If the super isn't supplied with frame runners then you can move the side panels up a bit until the top bar of the frame that you offer up sits at the top of the super, thereby giving you the bottom bee space. There will be a bottom bee space on the crown board/super above also, so don't worry that there is no space at the top.

If you look at the side panels, one long edge will be flat and the other will be at an angle. the angled side should be uppermost, with the angle sloping down and away from the centre of the super, so that there is a space underneath the frame lug - this minimises contact of the lug with the super so they're easier to dislodge.


LJ

 

[garlicpickle]

Hi Lisa,



If you look at the side panels, one long edge will be flat and the other will be at an angle. the angled side should be uppermost, with the angle sloping down and away from the centre of the super, so that there is a space underneath the frame lug - this minimises contact of the lug with the super so they're easier to dislodge.


LJ

This one isn't, the side panels are completely flat with no angles anywhere

 

[oliver90owner]

As an aside, I normally pin the frame wedge through the other way - a little easier to remove, should I need to, and the wired foundation can be pinned through the loops. No real hassle (the pins could conceivably fall out when in upwards, but highly unlikely). I use shorter pins (16mm).

No absolute 'right way'.

You can nail your box parts - just don't drive them fully home until you are totally happy with the box as they are more easily extracted if you can get hold of the head.

I pilot-drill and screw all my boxes 'on the tosh' and don't use any nails these days. The extra for screws is worth it.

 

[garlicpickle]

As an aside, I normally pin the frame wedge through the other way - a little easier to remove, should I need to, and the wired foundation can be pinned through the loops. No real hassle (the pins could conceivably fall out when in upwards, but highly unlikely). I use shorter pins (16mm).

No absolute 'right way'.

You can nail your box parts - just don't drive them fully home until you are totally happy with the box as they are more easily extracted if you can get hold of the head.

I pilot-drill and screw all my boxes 'on the tosh' and don't use any nails these days. The extra for screws is worth it.

They came assembled too, I'm intending to spend th winter profitably learning how to do these things myself (and save money in the process)

Good point about screws, although I think I'll bribe the more DIY-oriented member of this household to do it for me. I hate fitting into the stereotype of a useless female, but I am very poor at object visualisation and I find designing or even assembling 3D objects very difficult. I thought as this was flat packed it would be easy! I've emailed the seller to ask whether their supers are intended to be used with castellated spacers given that there's no chamfer on the side panels.

 

[Luminos]

When I ordered my flat pack supers, I had to order the runners separately - you have Hoffmans in your super?

 

[garlicpickle]

When I ordered my flat pack supers, I had to order the runners separately - you have Hoffmans in your super?

At the moment yes as I didn't know much about the alternatives at the time

 

[Luminos]

I have a couple of supers full of them, too

 

[jackbee]

Hoffmans will still work with castellations so no major prob there

Odd about the flat sides, I bought maisemore supers a while back and they were chamfered, although they were seconds, if that makes a difference

thornes I bought at the start of the year weren't and needed runners/castellations

 

[Meg]

You done good lisa. Well done.

If it were mine I would either add a metal runner (making it bottom bee space as you have it now) or move the inside bits up a bit and then add castellations. What would be helpful for you to know is whether or not your other one is definitely bottom bee space. You don't wnat to mix things up as it all gets a bit sticky.

Meg

 

[garlicpickle]

Hoffmans will still work with castellations so no major prob there

Odd about the flat sides, I bought maisemore supers a while back and they were chamfered, although they were seconds, if that makes a difference

Th**nes I bought at the start of the year weren't and needed runners/castellations

it isn't from maisemore, it came from beechwood bees (because they offer free P&P and I'm tight). I got the instructions from maisemore because BB didn't send me any, and then got thrown by mention of a chamfer which didn't exist.

Looks like I will be wasting my nice Hoffman frames by having to fit castellations.

 

[Luminos]

You can still use them, though - and you'd discard them eventually, anyway?

 

[garlicpickle]

You done good lisa. Well done.

If it were mine I would either add a metal runner (making it bottom bee space as you have it now) or move the inside bits up a bit and then add castellations. What would be helpful for you to know is whether or not your other one is definitely bottom bee space. You don't wnat to mix things up as it all gets a bit sticky.

Meg

I'll check the other one at the earliest opportunity before deciding what to do about this one. I'll be down there at the weekend so can have a look

Would a runner fit though, given that the side piece is flat on top. Aren't they made to fit the sloping side panels?

 

[garlicpickle]

You can still use them, though - and you'd discard them eventually, anyway?

Yes, I just meant "waste" as in "not making use of their self spacing capability"

 

[Meg]

THe runner will fit the flat top. Sloping (chamfered) top side panels are instead of a runner as far as I am aware.

Meg

P.S. Have a look through various pictures on whatever subject on here - you are bound to see runners and castellations then.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Looks like I will be wasting my nice Hoffman frames by having to fit castellations.

You don't need to fit castellations,just straight frame runners.