What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[user 20297]

Very well made ... mind you, the cost of fence posts these days is eye-watering !

Here's my single hive stands ... Made of standard CLS from Wickes at £3.75 for 2.4m.. Used to be five lengths for £6 ! And pallet wood. They were costing me about £5 each to make. Coated with sadolin ...the oldest one is 9 years old now and still going strong. Never had one topple over. No joints or tenons - just glued and screwed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/albums/72157644503927472

Going even more low-tech, I didn't even use glue. I'm using concrete blocks for stability before I even add the weight of the hive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Fixed

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/albums/72157644503927472

Ah yes. I recognise that. You sent me one. Still going as a temporary stand. The permanent ones are driven into the ground.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Too damp outside today so spending a hour or so knocking up some foundationless frames for my bait hives.

 

[JamezF]

Too damp outside today so spending a hour or so knocking up some foundationless frames for my bait hives.

But they've all got foundation in!

I'm just finishing off some similar ones myself, as it happens. Last ten to go and then I think I should be sorted for this year unless I come into loads more colonies I note with interest that you have retained the bottom end of the bamboo skewers using staples rather than glue.

Now the weather is warm enough for the glue to set properly I have been doing a few brood box repairs that I had to put off when it was cold.

James

 

[Swarm]

Finished the floors and made up frames until the wax ran out. Considering getting more WRC and making a few eight frame boxes for an experiment.

 

[Erichalfbee]

And have you seen the price of wax!!
I’m going to avail myself of some of Murray’s pre waxed frames when the current stock run out. I sheet of wax is about the same price as a wired wax frame.

 

[JamezF]

And have you seen the price of wax!!
I’m going to avail myself of some of Murray’s pre waxed frames when the current stock run out. I sheet of wax is about the same price as a wired wax frame.

Building my own foundation press is slowly rising in priority...

James

 

[JamezF]

A bit more repair work on brood boxes today. Whilst they are cedar, they're very old and dried out on the outside so I'm tempted to give them a coat or two of oil before they go back into use.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

And have you seen the price of wax!!
I’m going to avail myself of some of Murray’s pre waxed frames when the current stock run out. I sheet of wax is about the same price as a wired wax frame.

I could do with 50-100 for demarees etc but don’t know if it’s worth bothering Murray for that quantity.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ask?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Ask?

Yeah, I will do when I get a feel for the exact number.

 

[JamezF]

More repair/rejuvenation work, mostly to try to make sure I have sufficient brood boxes to meet my requirements (plus spares, ideally), but I'm getting towards the end of what's left now.

Amongst a job lot of kit I was given years back from someone who had given up I have a couple of commercial broods and a couple of national broods that have no bee space under the frame lugs. Not sure I fancy using those. There are some with no bee space over the frame lugs in the box below, too. Tempting as it might be to try to take them apart and correct the issues it's probably a lot less pain to just buy some new boxes in the sales. Perhaps I could rig something up to cut a proper rebate with the router and clean up the ends with a chisel, but even then it seems like a lot of faff.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Add a bee space eke on the top and put in metal runners.

 

[JamezF]

Add a bee space eke on the top and put in metal runners.

Good point. That should work as long as I remember not to try to use them as the top box in a double brood.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

Made up 4 brood boxes and frames to fill them. Also made another bait hive up.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Good point. That should work as long as I remember not to try to use them as the top box in a double brood.

James

It's what I do to make my old style Abelo top space. They are 14x12 though so never going to need double brood

 

[richardh]

A bit more repair work on brood boxes today. Whilst they are cedar, they're very old and dried out on the outside so I'm tempted to give them a coat or two of oil before they go back into use.

James

Tried bees wax / linseed oil mix?

 

[JamezF]

Tried bees wax / linseed oil mix?

Sounds like furniture polish I've not tried it, but I'm not short of beeswax to give it a go.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Posted on FB.

 

[Newbeeneil]

RP shows one of those in one of his talks

Much better just to drill and nail from top and bottom of the joint.