Marine plywood.

[APIFAN]

Has anyone made a hive from 20mm marine plywood, i was thinking of making a langstroth???

 

[BBG]

Has anyone made a hive from 20mm marine plywood, i was thinking of making a langstroth???

Someone on here has - can't find them though - try a search.

We built a boat using 12mm

Some of the rubbish that's been used to house these creatures, I would say marine ply would be welcome to them.

Found it - Winker has made one:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12270&highlight=marine+ply

 

[APIFAN]

Thanks for that link BBG,looks like i'd better get that 8x4 sheet out then and get sawing.

 

[RoofTops]

Has anyone made a hive from 20mm marine plywood, i was thinking of making a langstroth???

I have to ask you why you want to do this? Depending on the quality of the ply an 8 by 4 sheet of 20mm is going to weigh something like 30Kgs, plus or minus a bit - real top quality stuff will weigh 40Kgs. If you have a rough terrain forklift to move the hive about then fine, otherwise I suggest you look at thinner ply or a different materiel altogether. Cost will also be high - unless of course you have a free source of the wood, in which case start doing the arm strengthening exercises.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Agree...ply is heavy stuff.

I have some and don't like them.

 

[alynewbee]

I agree - I have a ply 14 x 12 and it is way too heavy for me to move about on my own.

Going to see if I can get cedar at the sale at the weekend.

 

[bluesman]

hi i bought a ply wood hive this year its been fine -put it in a sheltered area from the driving rain in the winter to stop damp and lengthen the life of the hive.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Bought 3 cheap 'reserve' 14 x12 ply brood boxes, mistake. The roof in ply are better however with that extra weight a bonus. Ply sounds great in theory but in practice....doesn't quite live upto to expectations.

 

[czar1960]

I was working on a building site a few years ago and the builder threw in the skip 4 sheets of marine ply because they were not allowed to take it back to their yard, so i dived in and took it and have made 3 brood 6 supers roofs in fact everything one could need, but yes they are very heavy when full, but when its free it gives you more strength to lift them!!

 

[darren64]

I have 2 brood boxes made from marine ply,marine ply is a lot heavier than normal ply.

 

[Winker]

aye it weighs more, but its also stronger against wood peckers, cost less than a £5 to make a BB. I can get about 2 BB and 6 supers from a sheet of ply total cost £25.

I use the 18mm. Supers are heavy when full made of ply or made from cedar. My national BB weigh about 30kg right now full of stores and bees.

Untreated it will last 10+ years, not to bad for a £5, there's not much a £5 will buy these days never mind last 10 years of solid use.