What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[Michael Palmer]

I've been modifying some standard open mesh floors (wood) into under-floor entrance floors which have about a third of the floor mesh (the rest solid). .

Remembering the screened bottom from 1900 that we saw in the castle gardens, along with the bee boles. Can't remember the name of the castle. Nothing new under the sun.

 

[pargyle]

Remembering the screened bottom from 1900 that we saw in the castle gardens, along with the bee boles. Can't remember the name of the castle. Nothing new under the sun.

Trouble is any good idea in beekeeping inevitably takes at least 100 years to catch on and then some clown will find a single instance where it didn't work and the good idea gets consigned to history !

 

[Swarm]

The problem when lifting 3m of worktop, is to make sure you are dead centre.
At least you know what you did but you should get some initial physiotherapy, just to make sure there is no displacement.
Madasafish is spot on, we should all start the day with a session of gentle stretching.
My physio told me that nerves repair at a rate of something like 2mm per day.

 

[Walrus]

Remembering the screened bottom from 1900 that we saw in the castle gardens, along with the bee boles. Can't remember the name of the castle. Nothing new under the sun.

Hi Mike! It was Dromoland Castle in County Clare. Yes, that old hive had a patch of mesh floor about 4 inches square as I recall

 

[pargyle]

The problem when lifting 3m of worktop, is to make sure you are dead centre.
At least you know what you did but you should get some initial physiotherapy, just to make sure there is no displacement.
Madasafish is spot on, we should all start the day with a session of gentle stretching.
My physio told me that nerves repair at a rate of something like 2mm per day.

Yes I did get some physio ... they reckoned it was a muscle strain or a pinched nerve.. no obvious displacement.. was still agony.. putting my socks on was almost impossible... I was moving the worktop from one side of the kitchen to the other and intended sliding it but ran out of room so tried to lift it not quite in the middle ... won't do that again. I knew I'd done some damage immediately but the real pain really started the following day.

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes I did get some physio ... they reckoned it was a muscle strain or a pinched nerve.. no obvious displacement.. was still agony.. putting my socks on was almost impossible... I was moving the worktop from one side of the kitchen to the other and intended sliding it but ran out of room so tried to lift it not quite in the middle ... won't do that again. I knew I'd done some damage immediately but the real pain really started the following day.

What you want is one of these.... magic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51cevYhfdms

I think I may get RSI... 100 feeder ekes made ( for the next 60 English feeders from BeeEquip... promised for next week!) 100 to go!
Chop saw elbow and router finger cutter ear.... Huge Axford industrial dust extractor working overtime!!

Chons da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi Mike! It was Dromoland Castle in County Clare. Yes, that old hive had a patch of mesh floor about 4 inches square as I recall

So it wasn't Mobus who invented them then!!

 

[Newbeeneil]

Spent this morning putting together a brood box for a long hive that was going to be a winter project. Being stuck in the shed due to the rain I decided to start it.
It's made of 2 x 12mm cedar with 50mm PIR between. It's exactly twice the size of a national brood box so you could put supers on it if required.
Now just got to sort out the underfloor entrances and roof!

 

[Murox]

Spent this morning putting together a brood box for a long hive that was going to be a winter project. Being stuck in the shed due to the rain I decided to start it.
It's made of 2 x 12mm cedar with 50mm PIR between. It's exactly twice the size of a national brood box so you could put supers on it if required.
Now just got to sort out the underfloor entrances and roof!

You may want to think about how you will clean out the floor area occasionally.

 

[Newbeeneil]

You may want to think about how you will clean out the floor area occasionally.

It will have a separate floor with an underfloor entrance. With a helping hand the brood box should be removable if required.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You may want to think about how you will clean out the floor area occasionally.

Don’t the bees do that?

 

[Murox]

Not always. It also matters where you place the entrance(s) in a long hive too. If its a faithful replication of trad. hive with underfloor entrance then probably not an issue at all. I am just curious as to how it will be managed.ie as a long hive? as a more trad. model with supers? as a combination of ideas?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Not always. It also matters where you place the entrance(s) in a long hive too. If its a faithful replication of trad. hive with underfloor entrance then probably not an issue at all. I am just curious as to how it will be managed.ie as a long hive? as a more trad. model with supers? as a combination of ideas?

I was going to manage it as a standard hive but longer just to play with. I was anticipating having the entrance at the end so effectively set up as the warm way.
I'm not looking at using it as a honey producing hive but more of an experiment to see how the bees handle it.
I'm going to make the UFE with deep "skirts" to reduce the effect of wind on the OMF and incorporate at least 50mm of PIR in the roof.
As I said it was going to be a winter project but I'm now tempted to finish it quickly and see how a colony overwinters in it.

 

[Murox]

I was going to manage it as a standard hive but longer just to play with. I was anticipating having the entrance at the end so effectively set up as the warm way.
I'm not looking at using it as a honey producing hive but more of an experiment to see how the bees handle it.
I'm going to make the UFE with deep "skirts" to reduce the effect of wind on the OMF and incorporate at least 50mm of PIR in the roof.
As I said it was going to be a winter project but I'm now tempted to finish it quickly and see how a colony overwinters in it.

I see. I think your bees will be very comfortable. The issue of wind - I made a similar insulated wooden hive (different frame size) and I made a "draw" or "floor" that could be removed under the OMF out of core board - I often leave it in, but I do live in a different climate to you and its made to still allow ventilation. Entrance at one end - should be fine but what sort of entrance, can it be easily reduced etc. Some long hives have an entrance at both ends to allow various options including using it as two hives with a division board.
I admire your carpentry skills, nice work so far. Good luck.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I see. I think your bees will be very comfortable. The issue of wind - I made a similar insulated wooden hive (different frame size) and I made a "draw" or "floor" that could be removed under the OMF out of core board - I often leave it in, but I do live in a different climate to you and its made to still allow ventilation. Entrance at one end - should be fine but what sort of entrance, can it be easily reduced etc. Some long hives have an entrance at both ends to allow various options including using it as two hives with a division board.
I admire your carpentry skills, nice work so far. Good luck.

I'm going to make an entrance at each end as per my normal floors in the pictures. It will have the facility of putting in a correx varroa board below the OMF which could be left in if I was worried about draughts.


I think I'm going put in a temporary divider to over winter two colonies, one strong and one weak dummied down to about 6 frames.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not always. It also matters where you place the entrance(s) in a long hive too. If its a faithful replication of trad. hive with underfloor entrance then probably not an issue at all. I am just curious as to how it will be managed.ie as a long hive? as a more trad. model with supers? as a combination of ideas?

I was going to manage it as a standard hive but longer just to play with. I was anticipating having the entrance at the end so effectively set up as the warm way.
I'm not looking at using it as a honey producing hive but more of an experiment to see how the bees handle it.
I'm going to make the UFE with deep "skirts" to reduce the effect of wind on the OMF and incorporate at least 50mm of PIR in the roof.
As I said it was going to be a winter project but I'm now tempted to finish it quickly and see how a colony overwinters in it.

I'm going to make an entrance at each end as per my normal floors in the pictures. It will have the facility of putting in a correx varroa board below the OMF which could be left in if I was worried about draughts.


I think I'm going put in a temporary divider to over winter two colonies, one strong and one weak dummied down to about 6 frames.

What you are describing is basically a Dartington hive but using national deeps instead of jumbos, which IMHO is a better format for this type of hive. The Dartington is 3 feet long so could take two supers side by side before stacking upwards.
In fact, I saw a National deep long hive of this kind on sale at this spring's tradex

 

[Newbeeneil]

This hive has been designed to take 2 supers side by side.

 

[Murox]

I'm going to make an entrance at each end as per my normal floors in the pictures. It will have the facility of putting in a correx varroa board below the OMF which could be left in if I was worried about draughts.

I think I'm going put in a temporary divider to over winter two colonies, one strong and one weak dummied down to about 6 frames.

Long hives are often managed with a moveable divider in order to accommodate expansion and contraction of the colony - use some insulation on the cold side of the divider board.
JMB is correct of course about the Dartington type hive concept. Nothing new in beekeeping really, is there?

 

[madasafish]

Long hives are often managed with a moveable divider in order to accommodate expansion and contraction of the colony - use some insulation on the cold side of the divider board.
JMB is correct of course about the Dartington type hive concept. Nothing new in beekeeping really, is there?

Ask Pargyle.. he runs long nationals..

 

[AdrianH]

National side rail

Started saw list for super.
Dave Cushman plans show lower edge rebate for bottom rail. This is also present on the flat pack I am copying.
What is this rebate for? I don't see its function as essential and it is a little extra work.