Swienty Poly Nationals - design change

[YorkshireBees]

Oddly enough, what I like about the newer version of the Paynes roof (apart from the welcome increased thickness) is the bigger vertical overlap, wrapping more over the top of the box, without much increase in the amount of overhang out to (all four of) the sides.
The increased wrapover better shields a proper framed (see-through!) coverboard.


Do Swienty/CWJ expect the roof to also act as the coverboard?

oops, should have re-read your reply before answering!

doh!

 

[jezd]

I can't quite square that with the photo of the new roof on the hive. Strap cutouts I can see, but it looks as though the back and sides are equally overlapping the box.

I'd be pleased to see some more photos, including of the underside of the roof.
Maybe the details would show better after painting some colour other than white?

The roof in the image is not seated properly, these new roofs are the identical sizeof brood/super box in terms of width and depth and when sat on the super or brood box there is a small rounded edge that to match the box below.

Will take a few more pics.

JD

 

[fiftyjon]

Do Swienty/CWJ expect the roof to also act as the coverboard?

I wonder whether the idea is to use thin plastic sheet. I have a few of the older style poly hives from CWJ which I used wooden crownboards previously but may try plastic sheet this year.

 

[itma]

I wonder whether the idea is to use thin plastic sheet. I have a few of the older style poly hives from CWJ which I used wooden crownboards previously but may try plastic sheet this year.

I had thought the idea with the old one was NOT to use any coverboard?
And that has me puzzling over overlaps and lips, 'cos I keep thinking "prop!"

 

[Alabamaeee]

Plastic sheet is used by many of our continental friends on their poly hives. I may try it this year but not sure where to source sheet that is tough enough and not too flimsy.

Having seen both of the Swienty roofs I prefer the old style and will simply notch them to accommodate the strap.

 

[fiftyjon]

Having seen both of the Swienty roofs I prefer the old style and will simply notch them to accommodate the strap.

Once you have strapped them a few times you get a notch.

 

[Swarm]

There is no recess on the bottom of these boxes so I'm wondering what are peoples' experiences of working these hives? I can imagine a few dead bees on closing.
The rails add bee space but it looks like the box design was overlooked a bit.
Are you guys running these TBS or BBS?

It's a better sized unit than the paynes, which is quite bulky when it comes to moving hives and the material is stronger.

 

[Alabamaeee]

I've have two small mods planned for mine so far...

Gluing a little piece of wood to the underside of the Varroa tray as its just too shiny to grab when trying to get it out of the floor.

Second, using a full size mouse guard from T's to blank off the entrance in Autumn. I do not like the idea of a nice little ramp where those "Meeces" could rest when chewing the entrance.

Plan to search out some 6 mm polycarbonate and make up crown boards with a feeders hatch for winter feeding of fondant.

I like the design very much and have to say the poly is tougher than some of the other competitors offerings.

Only criticism is that Floor mesh seems a little on the small side though, would like to have seen the actual mesh hole diameters a touch bigger.

 

[clv101]

Are people using any glue when assembling the Swienty hive?
Anyone know if the complete 14x12 hives from CWJ are the new design now?

 

[Swarm]

Are people using any glue when assembling the Swienty hive?
Anyone know if the complete 14x12 hives from CWJ are the new design now?

All new design.

They don't require glue.

 

[Alabamaeee]

AFAIK they are still selling the old roof. As swarm says, no glue required because the dovetails are an excellent fit.

 

[alanf]

...They don't require glue.

As the Swienty chap said at Stoneleigh, he doesn't use glue but when he paints them he gets that into the joints and the paint acts as a seal and glue for the joints. Ordinary water based house paint, he said; I took that to be what's sold as "masonry" paint here.

 

[newportbuzz]

There is no recess on the bottom of these boxes so I'm wondering what are peoples' experiences of working these hives? I can imagine a few dead bees on closing.
The rails add bee space but it looks like the box design was overlooked a bit.
Are you guys running these TBS or BBS?

It's a better sized unit than the paynes, which is quite bulky when it comes to moving hives and the material is stronger.

i defiantly get bees crushed between the the front and back surfaces. not so much on the sides. i smoke heavily when closing up to try and combat this i also place boxes down on diagonal and rotate to reduce pinching surfaces but you make a nice scissor action doing this aswell.
i use one sized box tho which means a stack of brood boxes . the problem might not be so bad if using supers etc.

 

[Swarm]

What about the frames, do you start lifting those below due to propolis?

Alanf,
I use ordinary emulsion.

 

[Bates]

We just use these boxes for brood boxes, rest is wooden roofs, floors supers etc. Find that because of the new pin point frame rest designs all the frames stick to the crownboards on the single boxes and they aren't too happy about it when we have to crack them all off! The 1 missing frame is also causing issues as the National design is small enough as it is. Bit uncertain on these boxes if to buy more or not, I think the only real test is in the winter.

 

[Alabamaeee]

First new Swienty 14x12 BB deployed today as a solution to changing a hive over from a Commercial BB.

Did not notice until I put it on that there is a big gap between the side wall and Hoffman frame lugs which allows them to overlap if one is pushed fully left and the adjacent frame fully right - see attached

I estimate it is about 8 mm, so will require a thin strip each side to ensure the bee space is maintained between the side wall and the side of the frames.

Bit disappointed that they have not seen this when they produced the prototype. Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[theeggman]

Plastic sheet is used by many of our continental friends on their poly hives. I may try it this year but not sure where to source sheet that is tough enough and not too flimsy.

Having seen both of the Swienty roofs I prefer the old style and will simply notch them to accommodate the strap.

Just for info.
The clear coversheet supplied with the P's hive is 'Bayer Vivak' 0.8 mm thick.
On the P's hive it sits on the top bars and gets well prop'd down and is nearly impossible to remove or clean.

Tim

 

[Alabamaeee]

My bees must be less of the proppy kind of strain

They do propolise the paynes sheets but not so that they are too difficult to remove.

I'm going to replace them with thick polcarbonate sheet later.

 

[newportbuzz]

What about the frames, do you start lifting those below due to propolis?

Alanf,
I use ordinary emulsion.

nope be space between boxes is fine. its just the wide meeting faces that causes hassle

 

[Swarm]

With the runners in? I slotted the runners in place then noticed the flush all round bottom edge of the box. Sitting that on top of the first box there is no bee space at all, the wide 45mm side wall sits on top of the frame lugs. Not an issue if the runners are pulled out and hive converted to TBS.