Making your own frames

[Olivia9801]

Thankfully I got the power tool setup to make my own hives and even my own frames.

I don't make frames to save money, but for the shear joy of making my own. Likewise with pressed foundation though I have recently advanced by purchasing the British foundation embosser at the Telford show last week which I can't wait to use and was a fraction of the price (£300) of the Chinese version.

Going back to frames, I only wish there was a British firm who would do the equivalent and manufacture at a fair price a frame making device like what's recently been advertised but at a wicked cost of over £1,200. For what it does it's a basic machine.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Penninetrader]

Thankfully I got the power tool setup to make my own hives and even my own frames.

I don't make frames to save money, but for the shear joy of making my own. Likewise with pressed foundation though I have recently advanced by purchasing the British foundation embosser at the Telford show last week which I can't wait to use and was a fraction of the price (£300) of the Chinese version.

Going back to frames, I only wish there was a British firm who would do the equivalent and manufacture at a fair price a frame making device like what's recently been advertised but at a wicked cost of over £1,200. For what it does it's a basic machine.

Fingers crossed!

A bit of meat on the bone here, what make is the embosser and how much. The frame making machine, possibly a link so we can have a look at it. what type of frame do you make and roughly how do you manufacture......oh, in what quantities and timber source in regards cutting from ?

 

[deemann1]

A frame making machine would cost 100s of thousands

 

[Olivia9801]

A bit of meat on the bone here, what make is the embosser and how much. The frame making machine, possibly a link so we can have a look at it. what type of frame do you make and roughly how do you manufacture......oh, in what quantities and timber source in regards cutting from ?

I bought the Clownbee3d embosser at £300 and British.

To make my own frames, my timber source is from my kind builder supplier who stores for me the untreated timber spacers that are put between their timbers. I put all these through the planer/thicknesses and then cut to size with a jig on my cross cut saw. Then it's jointing with the table saw and then scallop cut the sides of the frames on my router table.

I intend to change technique by moulding them in my spindle moulder and cutting them in thick section and "slice cut" them on my large bandsaw which will be much quicker.

Thankfully I prefer Manley frames which are much easier and quicker to make.

Regards

 

[Penninetrader]

I bought the Clownbee3d embosser at £300 and British.

To make my own frames, my timber source is from my kind builder supplier who stores for me the untreated timber spacers that are put between their timbers. I put all these through the planer/thicknesses and then cut to size with a jig on my cross cut saw. Then it's jointing with the table saw and then scallop cut the sides of the frames on my router table.

I intend to change technique by moulding them in my spindle moulder and cutting them in thick section and "slice cut" them on my large bandsaw which will be much quicker.

Thankfully I prefer Manley frames which are much easier and quicker to make.

Regards

That is a little more than some power tools

 

[rolande]

A frame making machine would cost 100s of thousands

I think (based on the stated price) that the op is probably referring to the Chinese machine which was popping up in Facebook adverts a few months ago. Can't remember the manufacturers name now.

 

[Penninetrader]

A couple more questions, your Spindle, what make is it ? If you cut the wood down on the bandsaw that will lead to some dimensional inaccuracy which could lead to more difficulty producing the groove in which to slide foundation into, or am I wrong......usually am. Would be very interesting to see some pics

 

[JamezF]

A couple more questions, your Spindle, what make is it ? If you cut the wood down on the bandsaw that will lead to some dimensional inaccuracy which could lead to more difficulty producing the groove in which to slide foundation into, or am I wrong......usually am. Would be very interesting to see some pics

Who needs a groove?

James

 

[rolande]

I think (based on the stated price) that the op is probably referring to the Chinese machine which was popping up in Facebook adverts a few months ago. Can't remember the manufacturers name now.

I've seen unsubstantiated comments that this machine costs £1200, but the company itself seems reluctant to make the price public.

 

[Penninetrader]

Who needs a groove?

James

Thorne ? enlighten as to your method please

 

[JamezF]

Thorne ? enlighten as to your method please

I don't think I've ever seen anyone who makes their own frames put grooves in them. Simpler just to wire the frames and use unwired foundation, doubly so if you're making the foundation yourself. Nor are they required if you're using starter strips or are completely foundationless.

Outside the UK, I'm not even sure how common grooved frames are. Certainly there are plenty of videos made by non-UK beekeepers on youtube showing that they're using ungrooved frames, even with pre-wired foundation.

James

 

[Penninetrader]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone who makes their own frames put grooves in them. Simpler just to wire the frames and use unwired foundation, doubly so if you're making the foundation yourself. Nor are they required if you're using starter strips or are completely foundationless.

Outside the UK, I'm not even sure how common grooved frames are. Certainly there are plenty of videos made by non-UK beekeepers on youtube showing that they're using ungrooved frames, even with pre-wired foundation.

James

Each to their own. As you have posted previously, you make a lot of your own foundation. On your frames, do you vary how you wax them in regards full cover or partial allowing the bees to make a bottom loop ? or to allow for drone comb

 

[JamezF]

Each to their own. As you have posted previously, you make a lot of your own foundation. On your frames, do you vary how you wax them in regards full cover or partial allowing the bees to make a bottom loop ? or to allow for drone comb

For the last couple of seasons I've mostly been making frames with starter strips or using foundationless frames and the bees can do as they will. I've had a few sheets of wired foundation to use up at the same time, but that's all gone as of last year and if I should need a full sheet for some reason now then I'll be wiring the frame to take what I've made myself and not using the groove.

James

 

[Penninetrader]

For the last couple of seasons I've mostly been making frames with starter strips or using foundationless frames and the bees can do as they will. I've had a few sheets of wired foundation to use up at the same time, but that's all gone as of last year and if I should need a full sheet for some reason now then I'll be wiring the frame to take what I've made myself and not using the groove.

James

The starter strip is my intention for this year, I am presuming you are speaking of wax, if so how wide or deep ?

 

[JamezF]

The starter strip is my intention for this year, I am presuming you are speaking of wax, if so how wide or deep ?

Probably around an inch deep and generally close to the full width of the frame, although I had a pack of foundation that had been broken at one end and was missing two or three inches in width. I just sliced that into strips, stuck it in the middle of the top bar and they were quite happy with that.

James

 

[pargyle]

Probably around an inch deep and generally close to the full width of the frame, although I had a pack of foundation that had been broken at one end and was missing two or three inches in width. I just sliced that into strips, stuck it in the middle of the top bar and they were quite happy with that.

James

The bees are happy with just a dribble of wax under the top bar ...a strip of foundation is luxury !

 

[Olivia9801]

I think (based on the stated price) that the op is probably referring to the Chinese machine which was popping up in Facebook adverts a few months ago. Can't remember the manufacturers name now.

That's the one I was referring to.

 

[JamezF]

The bees are happy with just a dribble of wax under the top bar ...a strip of foundation is luxury !

I know I don't even bother with any wax on my foundationless frames. Sometimes though I just like to give myself a good feeling that they're going to get the right idea (by which I obviously mean do what I want them to do).

So if for instance I'm dropping some fresh frames in between ones that are already drawn, I'd probably go for foundationless. In a bait hive where they have lots more freedom to go a bit crazy if the mood takes them, I tend to use starter strips. I'm aware this is probably unnecessary, but it makes me feel better

James

 

[Penninetrader]

Probably around an inch deep and generally close to the full width of the frame, although I had a pack of foundation that had been broken at one end and was missing two or three inches in width. I just sliced that into strips, stuck it in the middle of the top bar and they were quite happy with that.

James

And I thought it was only me sticking bits of wax together, I usually melt weld, doesn't always work.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Outside the UK, I'm not even sure how common grooved frames are

they're not - the only place you may find a groove is in the top bar to keep the foundation straight, for affixing a starter strip or to use as a starter for foundationless