Top Bar Hive Roof Construction ideas

[Der Alte Fritz]

Anyone have any good ideas for a sloping or curved roof for a TBH. Thought of using fencing wood on curved ply wood formers at the ends.

 

[Finman]

.
Make it from an aluminium plate. It is not too heavy. It is maintenance free.

It is easy to work and cut.

modells http://www.google.fi/images?client=...e=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=986&bih=528

 

[Finman]

ecological - ancient

 

[Finman]

That will be heavy but fits to style

 

[madasafish]

Take one pine bed headboard. Cut down the middle. Add triangles at each end. Join together.
Simples.

 

[Finman]

.
Models

http://www.gaiabees.com/Home/forum

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

.
Models

http://www.gaiabees.com/Home/forum

This is quite good - I liked the shingles style roofs and there was a Chandler TBH with a good wooden roof. But will see if I can get hold of some aluminium for the roof first.


cheers

 

[Brosville]

Any friendly local printer will probably have stacks of used aluminium printing plates - I've used them with great success!

 

[FenBee]

The roof covering is heavy duty self adhesive flat roofing felt, that I bought from our local recycling centre, Note the top bar in the apex of the roof, also acts as a pair of end handles to help lift the roof of the hive body.

 

[nosmoking]

Any friendly local printer will probably have stacks of used aluminium printing plates - I've used them with great success!

Hi Brosville. Hope you don't mind me asking. How do you rate the TBH? Is that an observation panel at the lower front? Are they easy to make? (I have the barefoot beekeeper site in my favourites so I know the plans are there) I am thinking of using this type as they look easy to manhandle. Thanks. Richard

 

[Brosville]

For what they're designed for, they're excellent! If you want an easy to use hive with no heavy lifting, and are happy to allow the bees to do it their own way (build their own comb etc), they work very well.
The bottom of mine hinge down - there's a "varroa floor" mesh above the bottoms, and you can put sticky paper between the two to do varroa counts. It is possible to add inspection windows, which is something I may do in later versions - this one is "bog standard" made from the free downloadable plans available.

 

[blackbrood]

I have to admit some of the TBH's do look very nice. I think I will be trying one when I can get round to building one. The images posted and and the images posted on the Gaiabee website are providing lots of inspiration

 

[tawny]

TBH Roofs

I am looking to get into bee keeping and am building a TBH, and am currently on a beginners course. For the roof on my hive I have used a estate agents for sale sign which I unscrewed from the post, used a sharp knife to cut through each end to open up the material and turn it up side down to leave a white surface. The rest of the hive has been made from used pallets.. Total cost about £10 for screws, glue, hinges. (I did invest in a circular saw..)
I am putting in a mesh floor using off cuts of mesh donated by my son from the engineering company he works at.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Hi tawny
Do you think the corrugated plastic roof will be suitable? Did the course tutors recommend this material?
EasyB

 

[tawny]

Re Corrugatred roofs

The course I am on were more concerned about the wood that I had been using and if it had been inpregnated with an insecticide.The roof is not corrugated, more of a sandwich of plastic material which has lent itself well to making a gabled top. I have connected this to the frame with screws through large washers to spread the load on the plastic. For the roof I have added an additional spar in the middle for support. I am now looking for some polystyrene for insulating the roof, or get a thin sheet to go over the top of the bars.
For info I also made the top bars from reclaimed pallets. All ripped down to 35mm then set my circular saw at 40 degrees to cut v shaped pieces of wood by cutting one piece and turning the wood around and cutting another. The result was 32 top bars (using 2 for boards and likely to take out a further two once I make a feeder.
Then I just need to find some bees!!

 

[tawny]

************ do show a corrugated roof..

 

[Easy Beesy]

Sounds like you know where you're going. Can you show pics to help those of us who are kack-handed?

EasyB

 

[nosmoking]

Sounds like you know where you're going. Can you show pics to help those of us who are kack-handed?

EasyB

** Good idea**

 

[tawny]

The plans I used were a free pdf download off of biobees website which has dot com domain name. I guess there are issues about having links. I hope to have the mesh floor in this weekend after which I will take some pics. Interestingly a few on the course this evening started to talk about TBH wanting to know more.. I am getting to grips with the theory, but the proof of the pudding will be once I get some bees!! I am going to try a lure first then if no joy look at getting a nuc. The issue will be getting a nuc for a TBH as they seem a lot less of them available, although I have seen options for tranferring from frames to TBH on some website.

 

[Hombre]

Going to try a lure first? Don't buy a lure from the suppliers, get yourself along to Holland & Barratts and buy yourself a small bottle of lemongrass oil for £5. It will last a lot longer and is very effective.