Paint the hive or not?

[RogueDrone]

Once you paint you have to keep painting if you don't then you don't, less work more time for the important BK tasks.

 

[user 6228]

wood can double its thermal conductivity if its allowed to absorb water.
a good reason to paint or at aleast waterproof

 

[Marton]

wood can double its thermal conductivity if its allowed to absorb water.
a good reason to paint or at aleast waterproof

Isn't that why we use cedar? IIRC it doesn't absorb water.


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[Luka22]

I paint my lesser quality cedar hive parts with Cuprinol shades. and the good quality red cedar I lightly oil with boiled linseed oil which retains the deep natural red of the cedar and shows off the grain really well. It's all purely aesthetic as cedar doesn't really need treating in any way because it's retains its natural oils and lasts for years.

I have to join this conversation, since I am still not sure how to best paint the hives. Our hives are all cedar seconds from that big supplier we all know. I have used linseed oil with melted beeswax inside, because I love the colour it comes out with, but noticed that some have still turned a bit grey and some got black spots after the winter, like water went in.

What went wrong? Should/Could I use Cuprinol clear on top of the linseed oil to preserve it better? I don't like when they turn grey/silver and would like them to keep their colour, but how to do that best?

As far as I am aware, grey comes from a "sunburn", so you normally need paint with pigments inside to protect it from burning, clear paint got no pigments, so would that not mean that it will turn grey with just clear? Could the combination of linseed + clear solve this?

And how much Beeswax do I have to add to the Linseed? I suppose that the Beeswax is for waterproofing the Hive, which didn't seemed to have worked.

I hope someone got the experience with this, my Hives looked all great the first year, but after the first winter....

 

[madasafish]

I have to join this conversation, since I am still not sure how to best paint the hives. Our hives are all cedar seconds from that big supplier we all know. I have used linseed oil with melted beeswax inside, because I love the colour it comes out with, but noticed that some have still turned a bit grey and some got black spots after the winter, like water went in.

What went wrong? Should/Could I use Cuprinol clear on top of the linseed oil to preserve it better? I don't like when they turn grey/silver and would like them to keep their colour, but how to do that best?

As far as I am aware, grey comes from a "sunburn", so you normally need paint with pigments inside to protect it from burning, clear paint got no pigments, so would that not mean that it will turn grey with just clear? Could the combination of linseed + clear solve this?

And how much Beeswax do I have to add to the Linseed? I suppose that the Beeswax is for waterproofing the Hive, which didn't seemed to have worked.

I hope someone got the experience with this, my Hives looked all great the first year, but after the first winter....

I used linseed with beeswax for my pallet built TBHs. (Pallet wood is rubbish wood).. The beeswax and linseed washes out after a year. I now use more durable paints.. Cuprinol etc.. which wash out after three years or so...

If looks are one of your major criteria, use one of the range of 5 year woodstains from Ronseal etc. I used these on my Langs made from red something or other wood (can't recall offhand). Some very nice shades and 5? year life.. Three coats mind you so labour intensive. OK so far after two winters..

 

[Luka22]

I used linseed with beeswax for my pallet built TBHs. (Pallet wood is rubbish wood).. The beeswax and linseed washes out after a year. I now use more durable paints.. Cuprinol etc.. which wash out after three years or so...

If looks are one of your major criteria, use one of the range of 5 year woodstains from Ronseal etc. I used these on my Langs made from red something or other wood (can't recall offhand). Some very nice shades and 5? year life.. Three coats mind you so labour intensive. OK so far after two winters..

Oh, that sounds not good, because you are pretty much saying that the most natural and best looking, oil + beeswax would not work and the hive will turn grey and all option I have is wood stain which is again proper paint with the pigments. I have to admit that I never like stain, because it always looks artificial and you lose the natural look with the wood grains.

Is this really the only option? It would just be such a shame, to lose this nice looking view....

 

[Hivemaker.]

Is this really the only option?

No, you could dip them in hot wax.

 

[Luka22]

No, you could dip them in hot wax.

That sounds rather complicated and I would suppose you need lots of Beeswax, so maybe not the easiest. I was rather hoping some kind of oil...

 

[jonnybeegood]

Theres no point doing anything with the inside because hopefully youll flame it every year, i cant see the need to add wax to linseed oil when oil is waterproof anyway , youre just making more work.

 

[inthewoods]

i use Cuprinol Ducksback on mine .i dont do the inside ....

 

[user 6228]

Isn't that why we use cedar? IIRC it doesn't absorb water.


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I think it does
see http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr190/chapter_04.pdf

 

[RogueDrone]

when started Ronseal quick dry all externals no time now. so leave natural let nature take its course.

 

[Hivemaker.]

when started Ronseal quick dry all externals no time now.

.....?

 

[Alli]

I need to paint my hive as its just made of plain pine (its new).I seen water based paint on Thornes websight at £15 a tin.By the time I get undercoat and then top coat may be better of sending for this..info below....what yeas think guys


http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...=FiQuEsrYJPdBlAzBJQGwcg&bvm=bv.88198703,d.ZWU

 

[Jez100]

I painted them at the weekend with the ronseal 5 year. The first coat soaked in, the second went on nice quite watery paint though until you get onto second coat.

Look great might do the rest so all is same colour if I can boot the bees out for a while into another hive body

It dried so quick it was about an hour

Take care all

Jez

 

[rayz_x]

I used Liberon Finishing Oil as it is safe for toys. Not sure whether my reasoning was sound but I thought if kids can chew it then bees will be OK.
Ray