New Brood Boxes

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East Yorks New Bee

House Bee
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
268
Reaction score
0
Location
Bridlington, East Yorkshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
Just finished some more brood boxes. Also got permission from a local stately home to put a couple of hives in a secluded area of the grounds. Went to meet the estate manager and he showed me the area the lord of the manor and him had thought would be suitable for a couple of hives. it happens to be a triangle of land 700ft x 700ft. Dont know how big they thought the hives were going to be :ack2:
 
Dave,

Obvious they wouldn't make it as Thorne 'firsts' - 'cos the've got knots in 'em! Apart from that they look pretty good to me. Perfectly adequate - and it looks like you plugged the screw counterbores rather than filled? A good job well done.

I am going to ask, picky I know (some will say), but did you groove the sides for the end walls? If you did, I reckon the butt joints on the end bars are perfectly adequate for a good useful life (and if you didn't it may not make a jot of difference because the rest may fail before the joints anyway, or they may outlast you).

I am a belt and braces person so I would have (perhaps) made the end bars slightly wider to acommodate two long screws (of smaller section) at each end of the bars. I could then locate the screws slightly on the tosh so they cannot be pulled out easily (as a single one might, in umpteen years time)

Please take this as constructive criticism, if you feel I am criticising your work. But I am, in no way, doing that. I reckon they will last well and you have done a great job that you should be proud of. They will, of course, be as good as a Thorne first at about 1/4(?) of the cost - depending on your source of materials.

Compared to a designer plastic hive around 500 quid.......no, there is no comparison needed. One colony housed, versus however many you could make up for that outlay and in a natural material, repairable, etc etc etc makes yours a veritable winner.

You clearly have a low cost table saw (that is cf a Wadkin or other expensive item), a stubby plane, screwdriver and a measuring stick. I would imagine that may be all you needed, apart from a bit of abrasive paper. What other tools did you use? This is simply to demonstrate how little you need or how much you might use.

I use a planer/thicknesser, radial saw, bench saw (simlar to yours), router, belt sander, orbital sander, drill, pillar drill, screwdriver. To be frank, the bees could not care a jot and the finished product is no better, no worse than yours, for all those power tools that might, or might not be, the first 'to hand' for the job.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Regards, RAB
 
East Yorks, where did you get the wood from in the width you have?
 
I think they are biscuit jointed,the planer/thicknesser in the pic gives it away.
 
Omg I want your workshop :drool5:
 
I am going to ask, picky I know (some will say), but did you groove the sides for the end walls?

5mm rebates

I am a belt and braces person so I would have (perhaps) made the end bars slightly wider to acommodate two long screws (of smaller section) at each end of the bars. I could then locate the screws slightly on the tosh so they cannot be pulled out easily

The end bars are held by dowelled joints not screws

You clearly have a low cost table saw

The saw was free, it was being thrown out and all it needed was new carbon brushes

What other tools did you use? This is simply to demonstrate how little you need or how much you might use.

Table saw, Planer/Thicknesser, Router table, Sliding mitre saw, biscuit jointer, Drill, Tape Measure, Screwdriver, waterproof wood glue and Sash cramps.



East Yorks, where did you get the wood from in the width you have?

I get my timber from a local timber merchant, but the widest I can get at a reasonable price is 220mm, just not wide enough for brood box sides, so I join pieces with biscuit joints.

I think they are biscuit jointed,the planer/thicknesser in the pic gives it away.

Correct Mark

Great looking boxes EYNB.........yes and great workshop too.

Oh and while we're at it, well done for the new apiary opportunity, sounds like there's space for a bit of expansion too:cheers2:

Frisbee

Thanks Frisbee :grouphug:

Is that a grey Beehaus Nuc on the workbench

Now you have given me an idea now, I can get a few old computers, strip out the insides and fit some frames and sell as baby beehaus's or beehaus nuc's
 
I think you have done a great job mate despite others being picky:cheers2:
 
Your shed looks like mine :), no, I don't know how I'm able to work in there but do:).
You would have been a star a few years ago when radio 4's 'womans hour' was piloting a program to be entitled "Shed culture" (what men get up to in their sheds)
:cheers2:.

John Wilkinson
 
Brood box size

Hello East Yorks New Bee,
I have been thinking about starting beekeeping for a long time. Then a couple of weeks ago, I was given a quantity of 6x1 (3/4 finish) enough to make a hive or maybe two. Searching online for the past week for more information, I found some dimensions for a National hive, which were 18 1/8 x 18 1/8 external size. And says that this box will take a 17 inch frame. But when I draw this out on paper I find that a 17 inch frame would be too long to fit inside.
So when I came across the photo of the new brood boxes that you made, I thought there is a man that knows what he is doing, and would perhaps pass on to me the dimensions.
Would be very grateful for any help you could give.
Many thanks

Bert
East Sussex
 

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