Swienty Poly Nationals - design change

[Jimmy]

Looking at the Beecraft ad, it appears that the Swienty national design has changed, including what looks like a 14 x 12 size. Any mention of denrosa appears to have gone looking at the advert. Swienty's website doesn't provide any more details nor does their newsletter.
Anyone got one of the new boxes and has an opinion? I ordered some poly brood chambers last week from CWJ and they are the same as ones I got 2+ years ago.
I can't make it to Stoneleigh.

 

[Madge]

CWJ told me they have most of the new design boxes (and roofs and floors) except for the brood boxes. The new brood boxes will come, but they still have too many of the old design in stock.

 

[itma]

CWJ told me they have most of the new design boxes (and roofs and floors) except for the brood boxes. The new brood boxes will come, but they still have too many of the old design in stock.

Did they say anything about what has changed?
Still 460mm square, so 10-frame, with bottom beespace? (So fully interoperable with their previous versions and wood boxes?)
And for assembly rather than ready-moulded boxes?

Any idea of the 14x12 timescale?

 

[Tim1606]

Received a few from CWJ last week and have spent this afternoon painting them. The dovetails are better but the frame rest is just a piece of angled plastic but it is a slight improvement.

Still 10 frames and a dummy. Bottom bee space.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bottom bee space.

Pity!

 

[Madge]

Did they say anything about what has changed?

I think the main improvement will be a raised lug rest.
Kitta

 

[Tim1606]

I'm afraid there is no raised lug rest. Its just a flat piece of plastic, well i hope i have placed it in the right place.
I'll take a piccy on Thursday so you can see it in full.

 

[Madge]

Perhaps that's not yet the new version ...

 

[Alabamaeee]

If they are anything like the CWJ poly supers I have found them to be excellent quality and much tougher than some of the other poly offerings.

Just looking at their site I was disappointed to see that the poly roof has no cut outs to steady a lashing strap. Would have been simple to mould in a groove in the roof to hold the strap.

Or maybe that design is being replaced by a newer Swienty model?

 

[Red Bee]

Did they say anything about what has changed?
Still 460mm square, so 10-frame, with bottom beespace? (So fully interoperable with their previous versions and wood boxes?)
And for assembly rather than ready-moulded boxes?

Any idea of the 14x12 timescale?

The 14x12 BB is on the C Wynne website now.

 

[Alabamaeee]

Wonder if they will have a complete 14x12 hive as they do with the National? Buying the complete poly national is a little cheaper than ordering the same bits separately.

Also wonder if the new brood box is part of a new design for the complete hive or will they continue to produce the national to the existing design?

 

[Tim1606]

Wonder if they will have a complete 14x12 hive as they do with the National? Buying the complete poly national is a little cheaper than ordering the same bits separately.

Also wonder if the new brood box is part of a new design for the complete hive or will they continue to produce the national to the existing design?

I spoke to Haf at CWJ last year and the roof and floor have been redesigned. She said that the roof is shallower on the inside but i have not seen one yet but will do this weekend. I don't know anything about the floor changes.

 

[Madge]

... Or maybe that design is being replaced by a newer Swienty model?

Yes - as already mentioned.

 

[Madge]

...I don't know anything about the floor changes.

Varroa floor and sloping landing.

 

[Tim1606]

As promised here are some pics. Hope i have covered all the angles. I have painted mine. They are white for those that think you may get different colours.

 

[Tim1606]

I don't know if you can see it that well in the pictures, but the top edge is curved over so i had to mask off that part when i painted them.

 

[Alabamaeee]

Tim,

Thanks for the pictures. A few other things I am thinking about if perhaps you can shed some light on them...

Have you checked the entrance slot, as there appears to be no entrance block with the hive and I am wondering if it is a custom size or a normal block fits. Thinking about how to fit a mouse guard?

What type of cover board can you use?
I have the pains model and supplied flimsy sheet drops down onto the frames and is all but useless in the winter when feeding fondant. I ended up making new boards but they are then exposed at the sides as a normal national roof does not fit the pains BB so I plan to get some thicker polycarbonate sheet and make some cover boards.

How have you found the roof and floor, assuming you bought the poly ones?

I assume you didn't glue the BB together? If it's a good fit I think it would be better not to glue as it could then be taken apart again for major repairs.

Some beeks paint the top mating faces and runner area with polyurethane varnish to stop chewing and make that area more resistant to damage from hive tools. I have not done that on the pains but may do on the next poly I buy.

Not sure if I can post another forum link here so google "How to assemble your brand new Denrosa/Swienty Poly Hives" and you will find an article which describes using the varnish. Note the comments below the article that some PU varnish may attack the poly.

Thanks for sharing your impressions of the hive so far. I am leaning towards the CWJ design now for several reasons, not least because their poly on the supers I bought is very hard compared to pains.

 

[Tim1606]

The pictures only show the brood box.
I use wood national floors and roofs as the box is 460mm square.
I don't paint the mating surfaces as they would stick together. I've never had any problems with boxes sticking and the poly is pretty tuff. Just be careful with the hive tool.

 

[Alabamaeee]

Yes - as already mentioned.

Mmm... if you look on their site at the moment the only thing that looks like a new design is the 14X12 brood box. The rest look like the original style hive.

Or did you mean in your original post that they have the new BB and the rest of the old parts will be replaced when the old stock are sold?

 

[itma]

If they are anything like the CWJ poly supers I have found them to be excellent quality and much tougher than some of the other poly offerings.

Just looking at their site I was disappointed to see that the poly roof has no cut outs to steady a lashing strap. Would have been simple to mould in a groove in the roof to hold the strap.

Or maybe that design is being replaced by a newer Swienty model?

The new versions (with the fully-indented sides, and presumably the roof and floor) have been illustrated for a months now in Swienty's advertisements in Beecraft (and BBKA News?)

Maybe CWJ will have to bite the bullet and have a clearance sale on the old style?