Ply or osb board

[Tdod]

Hi
Been making and will be on going as trying to get better prepared for future needs I have poly hives and I make some ply hives read somewhere but can not find it now that people make hives out of osb board instead of ply.

not sure if it lasts as long as ply what do you think has anybody got any experience of a hive made from osb??
many thanks

 

[ichbinpaul]

It will never be a favorite choice! the main problem is the large pores in between the layered fibers which can hold water in large enough quantities to cause swelling and destroy the bonding agent holding them together, this will happen through absorbtion alone
but it will happen in hours rather than days if frozen.

Its labor intensive However I overcame this problem on my stepsons outside aviary by simple smothering with "High hiding" latex paint intended for interior flat walls, this paint is bulky Not rubbery!! it fills the fiber gaps quickly, I payed special attention to edges where they meet each other and painted all over three times except for the interior sides
so thet any moisture that enteres the fibers can naturally pass through the material and out! I did not even go over it all with exterior paint untill the second year!

the result is No rot or blisters except for one spot where a hinge screw for the door hinge allowed ingress of water! Oh and its been standing 6 years.

Go for it if you love painting.

 

[oliver90owner]

Try this recent thread.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24748

 

[justme]

Hi
Been making and will be on going as trying to get better prepared for future needs I have poly hives and I make some ply hives read somewhere but can not find it now that people make hives out of osb board instead of ply.

not sure if it lasts as long as ply what do you think has anybody got any experience of a hive made from osb??
many thanks

Sorry for being thick, what is OSB please? They are the hive boxes I use and dont know it as an abrev for anything else.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sorry for being thick, what is OSB please?

Oriented strand board.

 

[oliver90owner]

Read the other thread? All explained there.

 

[Tdf]

Sorry for being thick, what is OSB please? They are the hive boxes I use and dont know it as an abrev for anything else.

they are a box in between national deep and super or else a box made out of OSB

 

[Skyhook]

Sorry for being thick, what is OSB please? They are the hive boxes I use and dont know it as an abrev for anything else.

Oxford Sandy and Black- it's a breed of pig. Makes very poor hives.




PS I'm bored this afternoon- can you tell?

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Don't be daft.

It stands for the Order of Saint Benedict.

They take bees in, on full- or half-board basis.



Dusty

 

[Bates]

We have a batch of nucs made from OSB still going well after 3 years. They are treated and painted and seem to have lasted, some better than our Ply boxes. Although not the greatest to look at they are functional and do the job well for a fraction of the price.

 

[nickhugill]

OSB nuc boxes

Hello,
I’ve made some 2, 3 & 6 frame nucs out of OSB (Sterling board) and they’ve proved very good. I painted them with Dulux Weathershield (outside only) which waterproofs them but is still breathable. As long as the roofs good and they’re off the ground they last for a good while. I believe the porosity of the inside is minimal and actually helps with any condensation.
I originally made them as a stop gap as I couldn’t afford to buy cedar hives in the number I wanted but they proving very good. OSB is as cheap as chips, and you can make a good number of nucs out of an 8’x4’ sheet.

 

[simonforeman]

Thinking of making some nucs out of OSB.... you guys that have made them, can you post a cutting list of point me to a thread on here please.

 

[oliver90owner]

Won’t it be very similar or the same as for other materials?

 

[blackcloud]

Reviving this one
If you decide to use OSB or Sterling board as it is colloquially known,it would be good to get the right grade (printed on the surface)
Whichever you choose the edges will need sealing.

OSB/1 - General purpose boards and boards for interior fitments (including furniture) for use in dry conditions.

OSB/2 - Load-bearing boards for use in dry conditions.

OSB/3 - Load-bearing boards for use in humid conditions

OSB/4 - Heavy-duty load-bearing boards for use in humid conditions.

Note that the word 'Outdoor' is not used.
That said, I had a large offcut behind a shed for 20 years and once the swollen "weetabix" edges were trimmed off it was in fairly good nick and was put to good use.

 

[madasafish]

OSB is VERY heavy..
Tried a couple of small nucs.
Never again.