point in right direction

[BERNIE]

as I am new to beekeeping could anyone suggest the best and reasonably priced on line supplier of foundation and frames?

 

[Queens59]

I am new too and have used Paynes a great deal, and National Bee Supplies, both have been reasonable with good products. Having read a high number of threads (!) many other use Kemble Bee Supplies - very happily, so plan to try them too.

 

[BKF Admin]

If you want the best then its Thornes for frames and KBS(Kemble) for foundation.

If ordering frames online from Thornes then you can get the foundation from them as well as its pretty good.

Buy the premier foundation from Thornes if you can as its not full of 3rd world recycled wax.

 

[Rosti]

If you are buying because of an immediate need and if some of the postings are to be believed concerning shabby delivery times then I would suggest the best supplier is the one who is in stock and commits to a reasonable lead time (unless you are buying ahead?).

I am also not sure that the bees share our views on what constitues good foundation. I have found that they draw and use what ever I plonk on there (and with postage considerations that tends to be Thornes std picked up from a very local stockist)!

 

[MuswellMetro]

as I am new to beekeeping could anyone suggest the best and reasonably priced on line supplier of foundation and frames?

where in the uk are you?

might be a local supplier near you

but then mine had run out of foundation yesterday

 

[BERNIE]

I am in surrey,been looking at thornes site for prices.20 14x12 hoffman frames,20x 5 7/8 hoffman frames for supers and foundation to go with this £107, I was hoping someone knew of somewhere cheaper to buy, for my new hobby.

 

[BERNIE]

thanks for the advice,on another point I have been looking through old posts in the plans and construction and you asked if anyone had any cad skills.I have been working on some plans for national hive.happy to forward them onto you for use by anyone.if you are interested.

 

[merylvingien]

thanks for the advice,on another point I have been looking through old posts in the plans and construction and you asked if anyone had any cad skills.I have been working on some plans for national hive.happy to forward them onto you for use by anyone.if you are interested.

Are you refering to a cnc router by any chance?

I doubt anyone on here is that well developed in thier woodworking shops, but i would be interested to know if anyone has a cnc router...
I have toyed with idea in the past for another business idea i had, but setup costs were too high.

 

[BERNIE]

auto cad is a computer drawing package.

 

[beeboybee]

hi bernie
welcome to the forum, i would love to see your cad drawing i can swap you for a Sketchup 3D of National Hive and 14x12 Nuc

 

[merylvingien]

I know, but it usually used in conjunction with some sort of cnc machine, beit lathe or milling machine or in the case of woodwork, a cnc router....

 

[BERNIE]

will finish them off tomorrow and forward them onto you.they will be in auto 2004 format.hopefully i can upload from this site.

 

[BERNIE]

yes you are right.bigger joinery shops run this way.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I am in surrey,been looking at thornes site for prices.20 14x12 hoffman frames,20x 5 7/8 hoffman frames for supers and foundation to go with this £107, I was hoping someone knew of somewhere cheaper to buy, for my new hobby.

thornes do a sept and new year sale, do you need them now?..why 20 hoffmans 14x12, have you two hives, your nuc comes with five frames abiet may be standards

also at the BBKA stonleigh event KBS did very good offers on fooundation and i bought 20 14x12 hoffmans for £25

why hoffams for supers?, use SN1 straight frames and wide spacers for honey and wide spacers stagggered for drawing wax, hoffmans are a pain to extract and you cannot vary the honey comb depth or drawing depth....you may need upto to 30 in the first year not 20 and 60 by the second year

try fragile plannet for cheep and cheerful pine or ply supers...they are only on the hive for a few weeks, why pay £hornes prices...anyway in £hornes sale in new year a flat pack super was £13.50 and frames about half price...quality in the brood box they live ther 24/7, but cheap in the super

 

[m100]

Buy the premier foundation from Thornes if you can as its not full of 3rd world recycled wax.

I would have thought that 3rd world wax would be a damn sight cleaner with regards to residual pesticides than local/euro/usa stuff. I know a local beek sent some (ordinary grade) back to Thornes that smelt 'funny' and was very dark - apparently sourced from Ethiopia.

Thornes are now consistently sizing foundation too wide. It wasn't as I suspected a year or two back just a bad batch as I've experienced it on lots of deliveries. It isn't the temperature either as its still too big after being kept in the fridge.

KBS gets my vote for the quality of their foundation, but their postal charges make it prohibitive to buy at anything other than Stoneleigh. Wish I'd known this year would be a bumper year as I'm running out of foundation for the second time in as many months.

 

[Friar Tuck]

Thornes are now consistently sizing foundation too wide. It wasn't as I suspected a year or two back just a bad batch as I've experienced it on lots of deliveries. It isn't the temperature either as its still too big after being kept in the fridge.

I always have to cut a slither from one side to get it to fit snug. No real bother tho

 

[Poly Hive]

What price postal charges when the swarm is on the wing...

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

With the KBS foundation being cheaper by a couple of quid per ten sheets in the first place, compared to Thornes,then if you order a certain amount getting another 20% knocked off the already cheaper price, i don't think the ten quid postage cost for around 500 sheets to be really over the top.

 

[wannaBkeeper]

Hi Bernie.

I would like to see your hive plans, would it be possible to convert them to a pdf or something that the majority of the forum could use.

Regards

Dave

 

[Hivemaker.]

500 sheets bs wired brood from Thornes....£437...free postage,and this at there two hundred sheet rate.
500 ......................................KBS.........£302....£10 postage.