Jig Plans

[Brian Bush]

Does anyone have a plan and/or pictures of a jig for assembling National boxes, please?

 

[enrico]

Does anyone have a plan and/or pictures of a jig for assembling National boxes, please?

I just push them together and screw them. Not sure why you would bother with a jig.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't tend to dance when doing any woodwork
Not since I fell off a roof helping my father years ago
Luckily we were putting a roof on a bungalow

 

[JamezF]

I guess a jig might be useful for keeping everything square whilst it is fixed together, though I don't use one myself. Depending on how I feel I either use a large try-square or some 90° clamping blocks. In the case of the ten supers I've put together over the last couple of days it was the square.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

Does anyone have a plan and/or pictures of a jig for assembling National boxes, please?

I’ll take some pictures of mine when I get a chance

 

[Beth]

I just use a sash cramp and screws.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Does anyone have a plan and/or pictures of a jig for assembling National boxes, please?

Morning Brian,
A picture of my jig used for making boxes.
It’s basically a piece of 3/4 ply with 2 bits of timber screwed to it at a right angle.
I then fixed 2 strips of 9mm ply that sit under the end walls to give bee space.
I knocked this up as a trial thinking I would refine it but as it works so well I’ve never got round to it and it’s served for several hundred boxes so far.
It takes me about 6mins to make a box using this. I have a video that shows it being used but the system tells me it’s too big as file to upload here.

 

[Amari]

Does anyone have a plan and/or pictures of a jig for assembling National boxes, please?

This is what I use. Also useful for making ekes etc

 

[polymath]

This is what I use. Also useful for making ekes etc

use the same sort of thing

 

[Brian Bush]

Morning Brian,
A picture of my jig used for making boxes.
It’s basically a piece of 3/4 ply with 2 bits of timber screwed to it at a right angle.
I then fixed 2 strips of 9mm ply that sit under the end walls to give bee space.
I knocked this up as a trial thinking I would refine it but as it works so well I’ve never got round to it and it’s served for several hundred boxes so far.
It takes me about 6mins to make a box using this. I have a video that shows it being used but the system tells me it’s too big as file to upload here.

Hi Neil
Thanks for the picture. I just wanted to confirm my initial thoughts for making one myself. Why re-invent the wheel?
I make all my own boxes and for others but noticed that last year several were slightly out of square. It could be my eyes or just getting old!!
I thought I would seek technological help this winter

 

[Newbeeneil]

Hi Neil
Thanks for the picture. I just wanted to confirm my initial thoughts for making one myself. Why re-invent the wheel?
I make all my own boxes and for others but noticed that last year several were slightly out of square. It could be my eyes or just getting old!!
I thought I would seek technological help this winter

I set them up in the jig and before I drill the pilot holes for the nails that I drive through the joints I compare the corner to corner dimensions and adjust to make them identical. (c 650mm)

 

[markyfive]

This is my jig, pretty much a variation on the others shown, I make all my boxes, ekes and boards on it….I air staple the boards and ekes and it holds them securely during this process.
I’ve included a centre hold down to ensure the corners don’t lift during assembly.
There’s a nuc jig set up on the other side.

 

[RichardBeeW]

Just a really basic but quick to use jig. I set up a ’perfectly’ and carefully aligned nuc or bb first then imply screwed the guides o a piece of flat scrap. Making subsequent boxes is then a doddle as it’s a tight push or even tap fit but I often forget to use it these days. Maybe I will again

 

[RichardBeeW]

Hmmm, imply - does that ‘imply’ I did the screwing or do I screw like an imp? Should read ‘simply’ - like the way my brain works.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I have a video that shows it being used but the system tells me it’s too big as file to upload here.

If you ever get round to uploading it to YouTube, be sure to post the link here. You can restrict access to those with the link.