nuc construction

[rje66]

Am going to build a few nucs from marine ply, so a few questions.
The thickness I can get is 18mm, is this to thin?(hope to over winter).
Do I hunt about for 25 mm?
is marine ply ott or will wpb suffice, but want these to last. A supplier mentioned that the wpb available here is from China and the glues may not be up to our weather,!!!.
Any other advice welcome.
Ta

 

[user 6228]

make them from Recticel

 

[Tom Bick]

Most years I overwinter a couple of nucs in 12mm ply nucs and not lost one yet. I give them top insulation that is cut to include a big block of fondant and think that's important and like to position them so they get some winter sun. The winters I get are probably not as damp as yours so that has to be a consideration. The key is to have the nuc strong going into the winter and they generally come out strong and if a bit weak then reduce the box with an insulated dummy board or two.

 

[protheroe]

I seal all cut edges with weatherproof pva.they should last year's doing this.

 

[oliver90owner]

My comment would be to suggest 25mm ply to make nucs is a waste of money and effort - might just as well buy a polynuc for about the same cost?

Nucs can survive 'reasonably happily' in 6mm ply boxes. Six frames, mind, with good top insulation. But they must be better in better insulated boxes, paricularly if only 5 frame deeps. I've only had one winter loss in a polynuc - and that was a really tiny colony that should have been united. My polynucs areall 6 frame 14x12 (jumbo Langstroth modified for National frames). They are probably at the expensive end of the current polynuc spectrum but suit the purpose for me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

my nucs overwinter perfectly well on 10 or 12mm ply - with a slab of 50mm Kingspan over the crownboard. I prefer to use 6 frame nucs for no other reason than they can get more stores in.

 

[rje66]

Thanks for replying, will go with 18 mm. I'm old school and love timber and part of the appeal of bee keeping is making the hives etc.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm old school as well - dad was a carpenter, worked with him often - plywood isn't timber

 

[Finman]

.
Nuc is easy to do, when you split normal poly box with table saw. Then make a missing wall from polystyrene insulation board. Box is very warm for bees.
Use polyurethane glue in polys. A little bit water mist on surface and the glue hardens.

 

[itma]

Am going to build a few nucs from marine ply, so a few questions.
The thickness I can get is 18mm, is this to thin?(hope to over winter).
Do I hunt about for 25 mm?
is marine ply ott or will wpb suffice, but want these to last. A supplier mentioned that the wpb available here is from China and the glues may not be up to our weather,!!!.
Any other advice welcome.
Ta

I see that you have Commercial hives.
They are a nice simple-to-construct box.

Since there is only one 16x10 polynuc that I know of, (from Thorne), it isn't cheap and I've not actually handled one, I'm thinking that DIY from plywood doesn't seem all that bad an idea - when you want a Commercial nuc!

Ply is heavy! 18mm marine ply will provide plenty of structural strength.
Expect to have to paint it at least once a year!

Something you can easily do is to make a (5-sided) 'bonnet' to slip over the bee-box, simply to provide additional (winter) insulation.
Foil-covered foam insulation board (like Derek's Recticel, or Kingspan, Celotex, etc ...) can be dowelled (with cocktail sticks or bamboo skewers), glued AND taped to give simple strong(ish) weatherproof joints.

The only ventilation you need is a mesh floor, ideally slightly screened from the wind - but you do need a little airspace under the hive.
Remember to make an entrance that can be simply mouse-guarded!

 

[The Drone Ranger]

A marburg box or a taranov board.
Some stands, crown boards,floors.
A nuc with a wide entrance with sliding reducers for collecting swarms.
All projects for ply but when you can buy a poly nuc for £30 I would put ply nucs low on the list

 

[rje66]

I'm old school as well - dad was a carpenter, worked with him often - plywood isn't timber

Probably wasn't invented then!!!

 

[REDWOOD]

Mine are 18 mm ply and overwinter fine although they are heavy, might try making some kingspan nucs next year, time permitting.

 

[Finman]

Probably wasn't invented then!!!

Interesting issue, WHEN?

My dad was carpenter and born 1920.

Here is a story how UPM opened its first remarkable ply wood factory 1912 in Finland.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=487472

Wikipedia:

History[edit]

In 1797 Samuel Bentham applied for patents covering several machines to produce veneers. In his patent applications, he described the concept of laminating several layers of veneer with glue to form a thicker piece – the first description of what we now call plywood.[1] Samuel Bentham was a British naval engineer with many shipbuilding inventions to his credit

 

[itma]

...
All projects for ply but when you can buy a poly nuc for £30 I would put ply nucs low on the list

Begging your pardon, but WHERE can one buy a poly COMMERCIAL nuc for £30?

 

[The Drone Ranger]

apologies £31.50 Paynes Nuc is not Commercial size
I stand corrected and will butt out
I have made quite few nucs from ply but they are prone to warp and very heavy

 

[pargyle]

One of my nucs is home made from pallet wood ... two layers with a 15mm polystyrene core between them, frame made from 15mm sawn timber. I glued the planks edge on edge and then filled the nail holes and any crevices with P38 body filler before painting it.

It's stood outside for nearly three years now and has housed several starter colonies. Cost more for the paint than the hive.

It's quite heavy though.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/13932176896/in/album-72157644189061495/

 

[dn170221]

make them from Recticel

Sounds interesting.
Do you have any plans (I did search)

 

[Cussword]

Sounds interesting.
Do you have any plans (I did search)

I'd be interested in seeing them too please.

 

[REDWOOD]

You're doing something wrong if you are paying for paint, get down to your local recycle centre, there are always a few cans of garden shades with enough in the bottom to paint a hive