What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[Wilco]

I got chatting to some beeks at the apiary recently and we were discussing why a lot of beekeepers don't make their own equipment and decided that it was probably due to the fact most don't have the right tools to saw and size the timber.
I decided to try and make a nuc from timber in sizes available at Wickes, a decent hand saw, glue hammer and nails.
This is what I came up with at a cost of just over £20.
View attachment 31456
I assumed you could get a friend with a drill to make the entrance hole and find a bit of plastic to waterproof the lid. I used some old yacht varnish to protect it against the elements.

View attachment 31457
View attachment 31458

If really desperate to keep costs down, you could even make your own entrance disc from a plastic lid or metal base from something like a pringles can.

 

[Newbeeneil]

If really desperate to keep costs down, you could even make your own entrance disc from a plastic lid or metal base from something like a pringles can.

6 for £1.64 on eBay hardly worth the work!

 

[Wilco]

Cut floors, sides and ends for five five frame nucs using WRC odds and sods. Just need to cut the handles and rout a groove for the ends before assembly.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Cut floors, sides and ends for five five frame nucs using WRC odds and sods. Just need to cut the handles and rout a groove for the ends before assembly.

Let's have a pic when they are finished

 

[JamezF]

Remembered I had some 9mm ply offcuts hanging about, so I grabbed a pile of DN4 top bars recovered from frames that were deemed "beyond re-use" after wax extraction and made ten dummy boards with the ply glued and nailed to the top bars. All the top bar lugs underwent a "snap test" beforehand. Anything that creaked louder than me was deemed a failure and got sawn into small bits to use to start the pizza oven this evening (my son requested home-made pizza for his last dinner before returning to uni tomorrow).

Also repaired another couple of dummy boards that I inherited from somewhere or other and have been sitting in my pile of stuff to fix for quite some time. The main boards were actually made from solid timber, back in the days when people could actually afford to buy such stuff.

Sadly my supply of free scrap timber seems to have dried up over the last couple of months. Looks like the workshop down the road where they make insanely expensive shepherds' huts has discovered that not many people can justify paying insane prices at the moment as they've not left any of their waste wood out for people to take away for some time. There is a factory (KDC/One, who appear to make beauty and skincare products for other people to rebrand) in Wellington that has huge numbers of pallets stacked up in their yard though. I keep wondering if I should try to find out who to talk to about whether they're non-returnable and if so would they like some help disposing of a few.

James

 

[E&MBees]

Remembered I had some 9mm ply offcuts hanging about, so I grabbed a pile of DN4 top bars recovered from frames that were deemed "beyond re-use" after wax extraction and made ten dummy boards with the ply glued and nailed to the top bars. All the top bar lugs underwent a "snap test" beforehand. Anything that creaked louder than me was deemed a failure and got sawn into small bits to use to start the pizza oven this evening (my son requested home-made pizza for his last dinner before returning to uni tomorrow).

Also repaired another couple of dummy boards that I inherited from somewhere or other and have been sitting in my pile of stuff to fix for quite some time. The main boards were actually made from solid timber, back in the days when people could actually afford to buy such stuff.

Sadly my supply of free scrap timber seems to have dried up over the last couple of months. Looks like the workshop down the road where they make insanely expensive shepherds' huts has discovered that not many people can justify paying insane prices at the moment as they've not left any of their waste wood out for people to take away for some time. There is a factory (KDC/One, who appear to make beauty and skincare products for other people to rebrand) in Wellington that has huge numbers of pallets stacked up in their yard though. I keep wondering if I should try to find out who to talk to about whether they're non-returnable and if so would they like some help disposing of a few.

James

Some garden centres have spares that they are happy to give away.

 

[JamezF]

Some garden centres have spares that they are happy to give away.

Aha! I go past a small garden centre on the way into Taunton for swim coaching, so I can stop off and ask. Thank you for the suggestion.

James

 

[rampino]

I gave my newly made 14x12 brood box another coat of shed paint, but then found that the frames didn’t quite fit.
Oops!

 

[Wilco]

I gave my newly made 14x12 brood box another coat of shed paint, but then found that the frames didn’t quite fit.
Oops!View attachment 31585

I've had similar depending on the plans used. If it's just screwed together then you can take the rebate on the lip of the top handle for the frame lugs to a width of 15mm. Many plans say 12-13mm wide which I find means they dont fit. The sides can just be passed along a table taw blade with the riving knife removed to make it that 2mm wider each side.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Taking anything I own in Abelo yellow and swapping it out for other kit so I can paint it leaf green. The first round of kit was done last week. Gave the first coat to several roofs and a floor this evening.

I do like the yellow but it's too bright for out apiaries I think.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Taking anything I own in Abelo yellow and swapping it out for other kit so I can paint it leaf green. The first round of kit was done last week. Gave the first coat to several roofs and a floor this evening.

I do like the yellow but it's too bright for out apiaries I think.

All my Abelo polyhives are green. It's not quite as dark a shade as I would like but it's somewhat easier to hide than garish alternatives. My old wooden gear was either dark green or brown so it didn't draw unwanted attention.
Damien did observe once that the yellow and blue parts could resemble a minion and were quite popular with school apiaries.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I gave my newly made 14x12 brood box another coat of shed paint, but then found that the frames didn’t quite fit.
Oops!View attachment 31585

Been there! Did exactly the same to a nuc box...... ggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Wilco]

Nuc boxes nearing completion. Just entrance discs and Danish Oil to go. Apparently I need more clamps to do more assembly at once! Went for the continental approach to National handles (no tongue and groove).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

finished a load of racking in the shed to store a few hundred made up frames in readiness for foundation and use.
made up a load of new frames

 

[Erichalfbee]

A triumph of hope over expectation

 

[rampino]

I've had similar depending on the plans used. If it's just screwed together then you can take the rebate on the lip of the top handle for the frame lugs to a width of 15mm. Many plans say 12-13mm wide which I find means they dont fit. The sides can just be passed along a table taw blade with the riving knife removed to make it that 2mm wider each side.

I ran my router along the inside of the rebate and took off a couple of millimetres!

 

[rampino]

Nuc boxes nearing completion. Just entrance discs and Danish Oil to go. Apparently I need more clamps to do more assembly at once! Went for the continental approach to National handles (no tongue and groove).

Nice work Wilco. Is the wood anything special? It looks good oiled, I’m into shed paint.

 

[Wilco]

Nice work Wilco. Is the wood anything special? It looks good oiled, I’m into shed paint.

It's western red cedar. Just odds and sods bits, the nice stuff is drying before I do anything with it!

 

[pargyle]

Cleaned and sterilised three Paynes poly nucs i bought at the bee auction last week then I cut the feeders out added some 14 x 12 converters and turned them into 8 frame nucs or mini hives if you prefer to call them that.

They still need a bit of fettling and a coat of paint but three 'new' hives for less than the cost of one new one.

I have some UPVC trim left over from another job and I think I might cut a bit out of the frame landings and glue some of the strips in place for the frames to sit on. The poly landings for the frame lugs are something I don't like.

They looked a bit manky when I got them home but Cilit Bang and hot washing soda with a bit of elbow grease and they are perfectly serviceable. Nearly got enough kit now if they all decide to swarm - which they probably will !

 

[Wilco]

Made and deployed some QC protectors. Bit oversized and looks like I'm too late as the first cell seems to have emerged overnight but have put them on on the off chance mass murder hasn't occurred and I'll get a few spare queens: