Polycarbonate feeder base

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patl

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Hi,

I have to hand some 5mm Polycarbonate and I'm planning on making a couple of ashforth feeders before the end of the season. Is there any reason why I shouldn't use a sheet of polycarbonate , suitably mastic-ed, as the base for a feeder?

Thanks,
Pat.
 
Hi,

I have to hand some 5mm Polycarbonate and I'm planning on making a couple of ashforth feeders before the end of the season. Is there any reason why I shouldn't use a sheet of polycarbonate , suitably mastic-ed, as the base for a feeder?

Thanks,
Pat.

5mm is pretty rigid - I have Crown boards that I make out of it that easily support a 2 litre rapid feeder so, it will work for the purpose you suggest. I use CA glue to join PC together as it creates a nice strong rigid joint so you might consider using this for the joints and then putting a fillet of silicon mastic inside the joint to ensure it is syrup tight,

Good luck ... some photos when you've done please ?
 
Hi,

I have to hand some 5mm Polycarbonate and I'm planning on making a couple of ashforth feeders before the end of the season. Is there any reason why I shouldn't use a sheet of polycarbonate , suitably mastic-ed, as the base for a feeder?

Thanks,
Pat.

Many years ago I came across a guy who made a perspex box using (he said) ether as a solvent to fuse the joints. I wonder if it's still available to the public?
 
Personally, I wouldn't. At 5mm it may tend to sag eventually and may crack if treated roughly. But your choice. It must be rebated into the sides as it is only the bottom of the feeder, not the base on which it stands - unless you intend to add battens below the floor. Any fixings through the sheet may propagate cracks, so careful drilling would be required. Presuming here that you are running bottom bee space.

Ply is strong and gives rigidity if one needs to empty a fullish feeder (it happens, sooner or later!). Also has a similar coeff. of expansion as the frame, so no shrinkage/expansion problems.
 
So ... re-reading this thread ... Are you intending just using the polycarbonate for the bottom of the feeder and not for the sides as well ? If so, then I'm with RAB above .. I would not, ideally, mix the two materials.

However, if you are going to experiment then I would suggest gluing and screwing the polycarb sheet to a timber frame under the feeder (and you can drill polycarbonate easily - drill on a slow speed and let the drill cut and not melt the PC and then countersink the holes for any screws). Then use the frame under the feeder floor as the anchor point for the plywood sides .. you will probably need to reinforce the corners with some stripwood on the inside and I would suggest bedding all the joints with some silicon mastic .. but it would be a whole lot easier making it all from plywood !!

And use the polycarbonate for some crown boards if it's big enough !
 
.. but it would be a whole lot easier making it all from plywood !!

And use the polycarbonate for some crown boards if it's big enough !

:yeahthat:

Waste of polycarbonate for the base of a feeder. However it is good to have a see-through cover over the feeder's bee-access (extending almost to the bottom of the tank), so you can judge the level of interest, and a see-through cover over the tank(s) allows you to judge the level of syrup while keeping bees out.
 
Ok, I guess I've been convinced. I've already made more than enough crown boards and I have some 2mm to cover the feeder, so I'll wait and see what use for it appears in time.
On a related note, what space do you have between the baffles, I assume 1 bee space, but figured I'd better check. Sadly the Dave cushman pages don't cover that.
 

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