Multipurpose Board

[BMH]

Need to buy/make circa 50 multipurpose boards.

I need the following:

50 x rhombus clearer boards

50 x standard crown boards

50 x ekes for feeding fondant

Im sure I have seen people make a single board that can be used for all three purposes and filled with insulation when not in use.

Anyone have a link to the plans or shed any light?

Can think of an easy way of combining the ekes for fondant and the crownboard but not sure on how to integrate the rhombus clearers without messing around each time they go on..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just fix the rhombus escapes on with map pins when needed - easy enough to remove and store when not needed

 

[Anduril]

As JBM, eke attached one side of crownboard, gives enough space with rhombus escape attached; for fondant or celotex. Other side wooden strips with one bee space.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Can think of an easy way of combining the ekes for fondant and the crownboard but not sure on how to integrate the rhombus clearers without messing around each time they go on..

Multi purpose is useful to a point, ours have a shallow rim one side and deeper the other, 2" center hole which is used for feeding, can also be used with a section of queen excluder, a mesh or covered, they also have a small cut out on one side for an entrance.

Find when it comes to clearer boards it's easier to have separate boards just for doing that job.

 

[Millet]

Need to buy/make circa 50 multipurpose boards.

I need the following:

50 x rhombus clearer boards

50 x standard crown boards

50 x ekes for feeding fondant

Im sure I have seen people make a single board that can be used for all three purposes and filled with insulation when not in use.

Anyone have a link to the plans or shed any light?

Can think of an easy way of combining the ekes for fondant and the crownboard but not sure on how to integrate the rhombus clearers without messing around each time they go on..

Page 1921..

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21943&page=193

 

[Anduril]

These are the crown boards commercial beekeeper Peter Guthrie uses https://youtu.be/aJQGj8vCQRg

 

[BMH]

I ended giving up on trying to source a multipurpose board and have bought poly feeders and made up my first test crown board.

Later in the season I'll make clearing boards that will be used solely for clearing bees.

Got a new table saw and have been having a play and that has somewhat influenced my decision.

I needed a crown board with a rim as I run my Swienty on BBS and didn't want to give up all the wood framed wire queen excluders.

I already had the wood and cut it down on the table saw.

Worked out at 35p a board and they are surprisingly solid. 2mm poly sheeting doesn't sag at all ( was thinking I'd need to support it somehow).

Just bashed this one together as a practise and to test the sag and I'm happy with it. Will tidy them up for the actual boards.

Needed 50 crownboards normally around a tenner each.

I will have made 50 of these and bought a £450 saw and still have change!

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[fatshark]

My Correx split boards have all deformed when in use. They bow if they're used for a long period - usually with the bees building brace comb over the top bars of the lower box. Mine are 4mm Correx, but look very like your pic. They might be OK as crown boards ... but I'd be wanting to test them before knocking up 50.

I know that ITLD uses 6mm Correx on his split boards. I've built one with two sheets of 4mm at right angles to each other in the hope of improving rigidity.

 

[Hivemaker.]

They would be stronger, more rigid, if you overlapped the corners.

 

[BMH]

Hmmm.

What's a split board? (EDIT, I realise what you mean now. A horizontal split as opposed to vertical)

I have some nucs that have a correx sheet to separate the two compartments and they are pretty useless as once they are crushed they just deform

I used 2 x 2mm sheets so 4mm in total.

Nice idea about running them perpendicular for additional strength.

I thought they would definitely bow but they do seem very solid. It's almost as if they are in tension.

Fair point though, probably need to test them before I make up 50 but I'll need them before I have a chance to test them! ah well, at least if I make them up and they are rubbish I haven't lost much. Should have just gone with 9mm play but the saw hurt my bank balance after it's taken a battering all winter!

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[BMH]

They would be stronger, more rigid, if you overlapped the corners.

Yes, I plan to overlap the corners. Makes the cut list easier as well as every piece of batten is identical. This was a rush job to test the poly flex.

Good spot... cheers...

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