Total stupid question

[merylvingien]

I know, i know, but having never seen a hive in the flesh before how do the sections of a hive lock together? Or dont they, do the sections just sit on top of each other and hope for the best?

Reason for asking is i have downloaded the plans to build a hive from a link on here but the plans dont show how the sections slot together. I am 90% through making my first one (a few slight errors) and this has just occured to me.

The plans i am using are these ones: http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/10-frame-langstroth-barry-birkey/

 

[GingerNut]

Gravity holds them together

You are correct, they just sit on top of each other.

Yours Roy

 

[MJBee]

Plus the bees very quickly seal the joint between the boxes with their version of wood glue called propalis. Mike

 

[GingerNut]

Plus the bees very quickly seal the joint between the boxes with their version of wood glue called propalis. Mike

Which is why you need a 'hive tool'

Yours Roy

 

[merylvingien]

Thanks fellas, when i have finished i will post a piccy for you too all laugh at

 

[merylvingien]

Just the lid to do now and some finishing off, but there you go my first bee hive

 

[grizzly]

Nice hive, looks a goodun, dont forget to put some holes in your crown board though.

 

[London-N1]

which type of wood did you use?

 

[hedgerow pete]

very impressive mate

 

[merylvingien]

Thanks fellas, the timber is just softwood as i have a large supply, not as good as cedar i know, but for the first few i will persist with what i have till i master it.

Another dopy question: the crownboard? Does it have to be 1/4" thick? Or can i make the crownboard 1/2" thick and then the lid 1/2" thick as well.
There is a good reason for asking, as i have planks of 1 1/2" thick timber which i am resawing to just over 3/4" when the saw cut has been taken into consideration plus a bit for thicknessing, i have a 3/4" board and then a 1/2" when planed. Just seems a shame to plane off all this access material when maybe i could use these 1/2" boards for good use.

 

[Onge]

Bloody hell !! you made that yourself, thats impressive.

Nice work.

 

[Brosville]

that's proper that is! A breathing material, ideally suited to hivemaking, and craftsmanship too......!

 

[hedgerow pete]

the reason we say use 8mm ply for the crowm board is .
we are cheap skates and 8mm is cheaper than 12mm
we dont have 18mm timber to plane up to make crown boards
12mm ply has a habbit of twisting where as 8mm does its to thin realy to do this but it will sometimes and lastly we use 8mm ply as a cover and use the off cuts to make the stand off to lift it up 8mm from the frames

 

[merylvingien]

Righto, i was thinking that maybe a thinner material was used to regulate heat.

Thanks again chaps, i will post a few more snaps up when i have got a bit further with them, i am actually making two now

 

[hedgerow pete]

i am sorry to say this but you should have been told at the begining



two is not enough!!!

 

[oliver90owner]

merylvingien,

material was used to regulate heat.

If you can keep the heat from escaping by conduction or convection, the bees will generally look after their hive temperature providing there is enough ventilation.

Brood nest (middle 30s), outside is rarely ever that hot. So if they can change the air to keep it cool, they will and/or use latent heat of evaporation of water brought into the hive as nectar and water.

The roof will get very hot in direct sun but the air space in between roof and crownboard will be an insulant (and probably well ventilated to the outside) as well as the materials of the hive.

Think of where they would be naturally - one hole into a tree, a cavity for the comb and they cope fine.

Open mesh floors are ideal ventiation, as well as their other well-documented attributes.

Regards, RAB

 

[Baggyone]

Nice looking hive. Is that a Langstroth?

Could make a nice sideline in them as they look great.

 

[steve1958]

Yes, an excellant Hive.
I built a spare super - However mine is held together by about 500g of nails and a tub of glue

 

[Poly Hive]

Good job,

Just one comment and that is PLEASE do not cut a hole in your bonny crown board. Instead put a nice thick chunk of insulation on it.

PH

 

[merylvingien]

The second generation of this project has upgrades I have made a jig that runs across the saw bench at an angle to cut nice hand holds in the sides, i will take some more photos tommorow in the day light and post them up.

It is a Langstroth type, it was the only detailed plans i could find on the net. I was going to originally make a commercial type, but i dont think there is much difference twix the two, just slightly different dimensions.