What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[Superlativesoul]

This one at least comes with a set of metric changewheels, but obviously the slides are still imperial. Also comes on an original Boxford cabinet, which I didn't initially know. Moving it suddenly became more complicated

James

You could fit a digital readout to the machine ,which will give output in metric and imperial ,sure you.could find a cheap one to buy ,I'm presuming you do not have one already .
John

 

[Newbeeneil]

Not exactly. I don't take any account of dummy boards. My template has marks for the centres of the slats at 38mm intervals. So far no brace comb under the slats (in about 20 hives for a few years now.)

I set mine up using a 11 frame castellation to match the brood box spacing.

 

[Garry R]

Made an eke for my grandson ready to pop on the fondant which will be part of his Christmas present. He's just 9 and has been pretty attentive to the bees since he got them in his bait hive. It's been fun and helping him do his inspections using Whatsapp has been instructive - beekeeping in the modern world. Reckon it's my highlight of the year, What's yours?

 

[philat98]

I am building a new dadant hive from a self assembly kit. When complete it just needs painting. It is made from soft pine and cost £70. Frames are not included.

 

[drex]

I do not paint any of my wooden hives, instead I use clear, breathable, wood preserver.

 

[ericbeaumont]

needs painting. It is made from soft pine and cost £70.

Yes, you will need to preserve it and prevent damp ingress but paint won't do the job. A nest produces moisture, some of which wicks through timber (which breathes) to bubble and lift the paint.

Pine is not ideal: a heavy timber with poor thermal efficiency.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes - It makes you wonder how bees survive for all these years before the prophets of doom came along

 

[philat98]

Yes, you will need to preserve it and prevent damp ingress but paint won't do the job. A nest produces moisture, some of which wicks through timber (which breathes) to bubble and lift the paint.

Pine is not ideal: a heavy timber with poor thermal efficiency.

I bought 3 similar hives 12 years ago. The only problem with them has been the cover boards disintergrating. I keep them protected from the sun and rain. I think they will all need replacing within 5 years.

 

[JamezF]

I still have most of the pine boxes that I bought about sixteen years ago for my first two colonies. They're ok, but most have required repairs along the way either because the boards have started to warp or the interlocking ends of the rails have begun to rot (which presumably won't be a problem with the Dadant).

James

 

[drex]

Using the clear wood preservation I mention above, my home built stuff using recycled soft wood, is still showing no signs of rot after 12 years. Except where feet have been in contact with bare earth, despite standing in creosote for a few days before assembly

 

[hemo]

I use garden shades paint for my wood hives and non have rotted in all the years I have had them.

 

[Garry R]

Barretine wood preserver is insect friendly has different colours and has a waxy feel to the finish and really sheds the water.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Barretine wood preserver is insect friendly has different colours and has a waxy feel to the finish and really sheds the water.

it's oil based, needs at least three coats to be really good though. Luckily I have an account with them and recently took delivery of a twenty five litre drum of it

 

[JamezF]

Bottled mead today, as well as cyser and a couple of melomels (plum and strawberry). Had a quick taste of the mead. It, err, definitely needs more time Initially it has quite a sweet hit which I wasn't really expecting. I wonder if the yeast ran out of nutrients. I guess I should have checked the final gravity, but I have been harrassed about the amount of space being taken up by demijohns After that there are some lovely complex honey flavours. The cyser and melomels don't have such a sweet flavour, but also still need more time I think.

Blackcurrant and raspberry melomels remain to be bottled, but I have run out of clean bottles for the moment (and I'm getting short of stoppers, too).

James

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Having finally remembered to buy a two tube epoxy resin mix kit on a card this week I repaired a broken polyhive box which I had dropped while removing to extract last summer. Fortunately it had broken mostly in a straight (well ok a bit jagged) line near a corner so a generous smear of the mixed resin across the broken faces and some pressure closed up the joint with a squeezed line of resin projecting. Stood it up on one side with a bag of tools sitting on top to maintain pressure and a few hours later the jobs a good 'un. Just a line visible if you look for it.

 

[Garry R]

Having finally remembered to buy a two tube epoxy resin mix kit on a card this week I repaired a broken polyhive box which I had dropped while removing to extract last summer. Fortunately it had broken mostly in a straight (well ok a bit jagged) line near a corner so a generous smear of the mixed resin across the broken faces and some pressure closed up the joint with a squeezed line of resin projecting. Stood it up on one side with a bag of tools sitting on top to maintain pressure and a few hours later the jobs a good 'un. Just a line visible if you look for it.

Good to hear that the epoxy did not interact with the polystyrene (maybe melting it due to solvent) as I have used gorilla in the past because of that fear. Which epoxy did you use?

 

[JamezF]

Good to hear that the epoxy did not interact with the polystyrene (maybe melting it due to solvent) as I have used gorilla in the past because of that fear. Which epoxy did you use?

I really like using Gorilla glue (or rather, a generic foaming polyurethane glue) for mending poly hives, because the foaming means it gets into all the gaps giving a much larger contact area.

James

 

[Garry R]

Yes the foaming and space filling aspect is what makes it the glue of choice for me and its "stickability" with so many materials. Not cheap but evry effective. It always surprises me how little yo need and the way it oozes out of the break line. But also easily trimmed away to leave a neat line.

 

[madasafish]

Made national roof from free pallet wood. Topped with s/steel bought thirds at a show. 50mm insulation (free 25mm x2)
Clear CB as well (new sheet s/h for £15 has done three CBs already)
Yes I am mean.
Time to start floor repairs.

 

[drex]

That's not mean, it's sensible. I am flabbergasted by the amount of good timber I see in skips. I got some good roof battens yesterday, having asked the roofers first, of course. It will build a good picket fence to keep the dog off my veg patch