newbie mistake

[fullframe45]

Just tried my hand at making a national brood box from some scrap wood .
Downloaded the plans and set to work and half way through i measured and found that the internal size is 415mmx410mm just too small to take the frames .
A Do they make frames that would fit
B Do i trim standard frames to fit (would be a bit tight) or
C Throw it away and put it down to learning curve.
I can see where i went wrong and it is my mistake not the national plans.

 

[Adam Bee]

Just tried my hand at making a national brood box from some scrap wood .
Downloaded the plans and set to work and half way through i measured and found that the internal size is 415mmx410mm just too small to take the frames .
A Do they make frames that would fit
B Do i trim standard frames to fit (would be a bit tight) or
C Throw it away and put it down to learning curve.
I can see where i went wrong and it is my mistake not the national plans.

What I discovered when I made an eke was that both internal and external dimensions count. I’d (luckily) measured in a way that preserved the internal dimensions. My eke is ugly and sticks out a bit, but functional. What this leads to is that the thickness of the wood is just as important at the length of the cut. It was a real facepalm moment for me.

If your box is correct on the x & z, but too shallow on the y (the depth, up & down), you can build a eke (spacer) to make it “deeper”, but if the width is wrong, bin it.

 

[Murox]

OOPS! (you won't be only one) - Do not recommend trimming the standard frames even though they have big lugs, they won't fit anything else properly and you will need to address the bee space around the side bars. Probably its easiest to just use it for something else, nice box with a bottom and lid ?

 

[Lancs Lad]

Full frame we've all done it, the Joy's of diy. Bin it and start again.

 

[Adam Bee]

Sorry, I forgot to say why!

Your frames are more important than your boxes.

Your boxes need to stack successfully, but your frames need to be interchangeable! So: you can fix your box to be adequate but ugly, but you should not modify your frames to fit a bad box.

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Also: for the same reasons, the internal dimensions are more important than the external. Internal dimensions needs to work with the frames for the bees to work around them (bee space) and the external dimensions just needs to stack on your floor and fit in your roof, both of which have some free play.

 

[enrico]

Keep the box, it will fit round a rapid feeder as an eke. If the outside dimensions are right it will be perfect. Internal and external measurements are very important as bees spaces on the inside are critical as you will find with experience!
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[fullframe45]

Thanks for all your help and at sharp notice .I forgot about the timber thickness and used a slightly thicker fillet than i had first wanted.Back to the drawing board and i now know not to tamper with the frames. Thank you.

 

[mjt68]

Keep it as a bait hive in the season and feeder eke in the autumn

 

[Millet]

Am i missing something here chaps .. the box is too small but wood is very versatile and can be manipulated in many ways with the right gear..

Take the box apart and glue and screw a little shim on the end of each board and then work on the other end of the board to get the measurements perfect...

 

[fullframe45]

Thanks millet might do that as nothing has been glued only screwed .Ill see how it goes.

 

[enrico]

In my beekeeping life I have tried to make hives and even redesign hives, I eventually realised that nothing is easier than buying a flat pack. Seconds are even more precious, someone else has done all the thinking and most of the work and that has saved me so many man hours over the years. I loved my home made hives for a while but in the end.....well I just can't be bothered. A bit like trying to make candles......don't !
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