What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[Antipodes]

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All I don't need now is a swarm to try it out - with any luck having bought one I'll be devoid of swarms this year !!!

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It will be like taking your net with you fishing. Never catch one. Forget your net and you are in for luck....

 

[understanding_bees]

What did I do in the workshop? I have just assembled forty honey frames, after having bought a box which contains components for 100 frames. I had helped a friend for a couple of days, and he asked me if there was any tool that I did not have, but would like to have, for my workshop. After thinking a bit, I said I would quite like to get a nail gun, for assembling honey frames, but as far as I had understood they are rather more expensive than I had planned to buy, and more expensive than he should want to buy for me.

I did a search on the Internet, to find more details on battery powered nail guns. I do not have a suitable air compressor for an air-powered nail gun. I found a special promotion for a UNIMAC brand nail gun - or actually two different UNIMAC brad nail guns, for 18gauge and for 16gauge brad nails. The price was attractive enough for my friend to offer to buy one for me. I chose the 16gauge nail gun, and it was delivered just a few days ago.
I had found a video review:
for this nail gun which I think gives a fair representation of its features and capabilities.

I have seen quite a lot of feedback comments about this nail gun - all the way from "rubbish" to "excellent". For anyone contemplating purchase of any nail gun, I think the most important consideration should be to find a tool which is appropriate for the job, which has sufficient power to drive in the nails which are required for the job. When it comes to assembling honey frames, thin 18gauge nails may be suitable, but in my opinion I would rather use slightly thicker (and stronger) 16gauge nails. Honey frames made from wood are usually made from a softwood such as pine, and a brad nail gun will easily drive these 16gauge nails into place. My impression is that people who have been dis-satisfied with this nail gun, or who have had lots of jammed nails, have been attempting to use the nail gun on inappropriate material or hard wood. I have found my nail gun to be excellent for the purpose of assembling honey frames.

 

[Newbeeneil]

This is from last year.
As I expand my operation, I can see that I am doomed!!! The rest of my life will involve ever more amounts of frames to build.
I may yet be ordering twenty more hives soon. I cannot see my partner getting involved in a 'romantic weekend' of frame making. It will be down to me Never mind aye.....better than working for a living?

I find that after being married for over forty years a "romantic weekend" is me making frames in the bee shed and SWMBO doing her ancestry research on her laptop. Much less chance of conflict!

 

[Jimmy]

Too cold and damp for inspections yesterday so went to B&Q to get some plywood to make up some split boards for when I can inspect next week.
No stock aside (Brexit? Suez canal blockage?, covid19? combination of all 3?), there was a sign by the cutting machine about a maximum of 4 cuts per customer so that's no longer possible.
Also cost - the plywood sheet (~£24, enough for 10 boards) and the stripwood cost (~£6 per board) - are there cheaper options?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Too cold and damp for inspections yesterday so went to B&Q to get some plywood to make up some split boards for when I can inspect next week.
No stock aside (Brexit? Suez canal blockage?, covid19? combination of all 3?), there was a sign by the cutting machine about a maximum of 4 cuts per customer so that's no longer possible.

I think it depends on your B&Q the one I occasionally use doesn't have a cut limit (within reason I suppose) although I have noticed a marked increase in the price of timber in general (B&Q and my local building material supplier where I get most of my timber from) I bought some 12mm OSB after the first lockdown and it was (IIRC) £19.00 a sheet, last week I paid £21.00 for a sheet of 9mm and the 12mm is £24.00

 

[Jimmy]

I think it depends on your B&Q the one I occasionally use doesn't have a cut limit (within reason I suppose) although I have noticed a marked increase in the price of timber in general (B&Q and my local building material supplier where I get most of my timber from) I bought some 12mm OSB after the first lockdown and it was (IIRC) £19.00 a sheet, last week I paid £21.00 for a sheet of 9mm and the 12mm is £24.00

I looked at Jewson for a cheaper price thinking that B&Q may be charging a premium but no luck. Plywood from my local independent building suppliers has delaminated very quickly so I want to avoid them.
It's probably cheaper to get some of the budget crownboards in the winter sales and adapt them.

 

[frankenstine]

timber in general seem to have gone up about 25%. TBH B&Q seem comparable compared to builder merchant walk in prices, last year i was paying 11.40 a sheet for 11mm osb3. at the moment best price I can get is £15.20 but insufficient availability. if i actually want it it's more like £17 a sheet

 

[Apiarisnt]

Timber prices have gone up across the world. Production slumped at the beginning of the pandemic and dealers destocked in anticipation of a collapse in demand. Instead, lots of people got into DIY when forced to stay at home, and with the raising of the lockdown people are forking out on building and building extensions with the money they have not been able to spend for the last year. Things are even worse in the US:



...and I almost never buy timber from B&Q - I have found most local builders merchants to be cheaper and better quality.


I have been thinking about using Ecoply or Stokbord for hive roofs. Arguably cheaper, longer lasting and, as made from recycled plastic, then environmentally a 'good thing'. Does anyone have any experience of them?

 

[frankenstine]

Stokbord in theory its fantastic stuff in practice its a bit rubbish, on the plus sides it doesn't seem to degrade much, it's tough and i mean very tough its also very wear resistant. however it warps and sags like crazy for me as a material it's just not stable enough that way for most applications.

Eco ply is not something i've used as of yet, might actually buy a couple of sheets to play with see what it's like on price and usefulness

 

[Wilco]

Timber prices have gone up across the world. Production slumped at the beginning of the pandemic and dealers destocked in anticipation of a collapse in demand. Instead, lots of people got into DIY when forced to stay at home, and with the raising of the lockdown people are forking out on building and building extensions with the money they have not been able to spend for the last year. Things are even worse in the US:

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...and I almost never buy timber from B&Q - I have found most local builders merchants to be cheaper and better quality.


I have been thinking about using Ecoply or Stokbord for hive roofs. Arguably cheaper, longer lasting and, as made from recycled plastic, then environmentally a 'good thing'. Does anyone have any experience of them?

So we can have futile dreams of a price crash after the pandemic when everyone's ramped up supply but demand drops?

 

[Wilco]

This year I've started to use a staple gun for putting frames together, with a dab of glue to hold the side bars more firmly to the top bar... what could possibly go wrong. ;p

https://www.toolstation.com/stanley-heavy-duty-staple-gun/p52027

 

[Erichalfbee]

This year I've started to use a staple gun for putting frames together, with a dab of glue to hold the side bars more firmly to the top bar... what could possibly go wrong. ;p

https://www.toolstation.com/stanley-heavy-duty-staple-gun/p52027

I have just decommissioned a few 14 x12 frames after a few years use. To my horror six of them have no nails in the top bar!

 

[Newbeeneil]

This year I've started to use a staple gun for putting frames together, with a dab of glue to hold the side bars more firmly to the top bar... what could possibly go wrong. ;p

https://www.toolstation.com/stanley-heavy-duty-staple-gun/p52027

I find I need nails/staples of 20mm to secure frames so the max length of 14mm may not be sufficient.

 

[elainemary]

My friendly local joiner made up some Demaree boards with top entrance to work on my WBCs. Just add a large eke and it can work as a Bailey board too. Picked up a stack of old smith hive queen excluders from an auction for £1 couple of years ago, thought they might be useful at some point.
Will hide the cost in a window job he’s doing for us

 

[Wilco]

I find I need nails/staples of 20mm to secure frames so the max length of 14mm may not be sufficient.

Good to know, thank you. Might take a second look at the ones not yet deployed... I'll post back with an update later in the season if the others succeed or fail.

 

[Wilco]

I have just decommissioned a few 14 x12 frames after a few years use. To my horror six of them have no nails in the top bar!

I was given some abandoned National kit last year. When going through cleaning it all, some of the brood frames were the same. They were very heavily propolised so didn't emerge intact!

 

[BigAshW]

Today I'll be mostly salvaging timber from these. Have an apiaries worth of floors, crown boards and roofs to build.

 

[madasafish]

I find I need nails/staples of 20mm to secure frames so the max length of 14mm may not be sufficient.

Lidl's expensive (£20) staple gun drives 15mm to 30mm staples. Very effectively.
Mine is now 4 years old and working perfectly (so far)

 

[BigAshW]

Three pallets done so far. A decent amount of timber salvaged.

 

[user 819]

My wife chops them up for firewood BigAsh.