What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[JamezF]

Well it sounds like I might be onto a good thing. After he offered the stuff he apparently had seventeen people contact him saying they'd like some, but I was the only one who actually turned up. Next time I go I'll take him a jar of honey.

I've made up a load more insulated dummies this evening, to the point where the insulation needs to go in. Tomorrow night I'm playing skittles with a friend who is a builder, so I'll see if he has any PIR waste he'd like to get rid of. The pieces of ply I have left are all big enough to get at least one 460x460mm piece out of so I'll cut some of those first and then see what's left.

James

 

[Antipodes]

Years ago I knew someone the same - he lined/fitted out vans for craftsmen etc. And was happy enough for me to hlp myself to anything in his 'waste' pile as he had to the council a waste disposal fee - he even offered to to put anything 18" square to one side to ensure It didn't get snatched up by other skip divers.

I reckon beekeepers are the best scroungers going around.

 

[judy12]

Today made tea-lights. But not much idea how much to charge - online they seem to range from £! to @.50 each.

 

[Anduril]

Today made tea-lights. But not much idea how much to charge - online they seem to range from £! to @.50 each.

How much does the wax weigh?
Aim for 75p to £1 per ounce of wax and add the cost of the parts.

 

[JamezF]

Used a free hour this afternoon to finish off as many insulated dummies as I could with the little scraps of PIR that I still had left over. I managed five, but that was all I could do. Then just as the Sun was setting I remembered that I'd put some bits of PIR elsewhere due to lack of space. Checked them over and found a piece that must be about 40% of a full board, so I'm back in the game again.

Tomorrow is forecast to be dry (at least during daylight hours) so with a bit of luck I can drag the table saw outside and cut some 460mm ply squares (there's not room to cut up bigger pieces of sheet in the workshop at the moment). I'll turn a few into demaree boards and clearer boards, but probably leave the rest as is so I can turn them into whatever is required if I end up short of something.

After that there'll probably be a bit of a break in building bee-related things as I have been given the task of making some storage for my daughter's reels of cotton thread. She has hundreds. Literally.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have been given the task of making some storage for my daughter's reels of cotton thread. She has hundreds. Literally.

could be worse
She could have piles

 

[JamezF]

could be worse
She could have piles

Though in that case I'm not sure she'd want them stored in an easily accessible arrangement on shelving.

Then again, given the alternative...

James

 

[JamezF]

Plans went a bit sideways today when a new wiper arm mechanism arrived for my daughter's car. It seemed sensible to get it all fitted immediately because who knows when we might next get a dry day? Could easily be March. 2027.

I did however find some time this afternoon to drag the table saw out of the workshop and turn most of what was left of the ply offcuts that I bought earlier in the week into a large pile of man glitter. In the process I did also produce twenty 460mm square "blanks", enough sides for another eleven insulated dummies and cut sufficient insulation to finish all the partially complete dummies that I have.

At that point bad light stopped play, but all I had left was one piece of ply about 4'x3'6" so there's space in the workshop again and plenty to keep me occupied when it's persisting down tomorrow (as the Met Office claim it will be). Now I just have to find something to do with lots of very small ply offcuts...

James

 

[Superlativesoul]

Plans went a bit sideways today when a new wiper arm mechanism arrived for my daughter's car. It seemed sensible to get it all fitted immediately because who knows when we might next get a dry day? Could easily be March. 2027.

I did however find some time this afternoon to drag the table saw out of the workshop and turn most of what was left of the ply offcuts that I bought earlier in the week into a large pile of man glitter. In the process I did also produce twenty 460mm square "blanks", enough sides for another eleven insulated dummies and cut sufficient insulation to finish all the partially complete dummies that I have.

At that point bad light stopped play, but all I had left was one piece of ply about 4'x3'6" so there's space in the workshop again and plenty to keep me occupied when it's persisting down tomorrow (as the Met Office claim it will be). Now I just have to find something to do with lots of very small ply offcuts...

James

You are a very busy man James .When do you find the time to relax.
John

 

[Garry R]

Plans went a bit sideways today when a new wiper arm mechanism arrived for my daughter's car. It seemed sensible to get it all fitted immediately because who knows when we might next get a dry day? Could easily be March. 2027.

I did however find some time this afternoon to drag the table saw out of the workshop and turn most of what was left of the ply offcuts that I bought earlier in the week into a large pile of man glitter. In the process I did also produce twenty 460mm square "blanks", enough sides for another eleven insulated dummies and cut sufficient insulation to finish all the partially complete dummies that I have.

At that point bad light stopped play, but all I had left was one piece of ply about 4'x3'6" so there's space in the workshop again and plenty to keep me occupied when it's persisting down tomorrow (as the Met Office claim it will be). Now I just have to find something to do with lots of very small ply offcuts...

James

Gosh March 2027 for a dry day. It goes to show that optimism is alive and well in Somerset. I've put it in the diary!! I walked across the field - or shoud I say lake a couple of days an there were 2" at least of lying water over the field now well waked over by sheep which are normally long gone but came back to eat the grass which has not really stopped growing, As you can imagine the field is mud everywhere but fortunately my little corner is a few inches higher than the rest + the hive stand height. Of course there is no passage for the car so getting fit carrying the kit but it improves the brain powe as well so you don't forget anything or it's about 400 yards to the car and back.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Gosh March 2027 for a dry day. It goes to show that optimism is alive and well in Somerset. I've put it in the diary!! I walked across the field - or shoud I say lake a couple of days an there were 2" at least of lying water over the field now well waked over by sheep which are normally long gone but came back to eat the grass which has not really stopped growing, As you can imagine the field is mud everywhere but fortunately my little corner is a few inches higher than the rest + the hive stand height. Of course there is no passage for the car so getting fit carrying the kit but it improves the brain powe as well so you don't forget anything or it's about 400 yards to the car and back.

I have a similar situation. I drive around the edge of a field to get to my hives and storage shed during the summer but at the moment its like a skating rink with an inch of clay slurry and water.
The farmer's contractor started harvesting the maize in the field but had to give up after about 30% as the tractor got so bogged down they had to get 2 bigger ones in to pull it out!
The walk is hard work through the slippery mire so remembering what is required is at each visit very important!!!!!

 

[JamezF]

Gosh March 2027 for a dry day. It goes to show that optimism is alive and well in Somerset.

It feels like that at the moment As I posted earlier I was playing skittles last night. It's an informal local farmers' league where everyone's pretty relaxed about the outcome as long as you get to socialise a bit, have a beer or three and don't lose on the beer hand. The number of them who were saying that they just can't do any of the work they'd planned was astonishing. One had rented out a few acres to a chap who was growing some new varieties of potato, but he's been completely unable to lift them and the sheer volume of rain has washed enough soil down the slope of the field that the fence at the bottom end is buried but for the tops of the posts.

James

 

[JamezF]

You are a very busy man James .When do you find the time to relax.

That was relaxing

Having given it some thought though I'm not sure I actually understand the concept of relaxing. I'm generally most content and least stressed when I'm occupied doing stuff. Having nothing to do, or not being able to do anything, really isn't healthy for me. When the evenings are dark such as they are now life is definitely more difficult, particularly as they've closed the local swimming pool for the next nine months.

James

 

[Superlativesoul]

I understand that I feel better when I'm busy as well ,Also helps my brain, keeping busy making parts for the hives .I benefit from it ,as will the bees hopefully in the spring ,I promised the wife I would redecorate the house this Winter ,but she has accepted the fact I will be in my man garage building Nucs ,frames ,stands supers ect.I will get around to it as promise is a promise .
As you mentioned the dark making it more difficult have you got a lamp for SAD ,my son suffers from it and it helps him .Keep on building James
John.

 

[Rob H]

I've been playing in FreeCAD, trying to come up with a design for a five-frame nuc made of PIR insulation board (mostly) so that two will fit on a standard national footprint and that will "stack" so I can run them as "five over five" if I want to. I think I'm pretty much there, though I may have to end up gluing 12.5mm PIR to 25mm if I can't find someone who can supply 40mm sheets.

James

Will be very interesting to see the final result as I've been mulling over making a few of these myself next year. The picture above from DEREKM is how I was envisaging the final product. Would you be willing to share your plans once completed. Cheers.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Having given it some thought though I'm not sure I actually understand the concept of relaxing. I'm generally most content and least stressed when I'm occupied doing stuff. Having nothing to do, or not being able to do anything, really isn't healthy for me. When the evenings are dark such as they are now life is definitely more difficult

Exactly Stan. He's been driving me nuts. Man flu for a week

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm not sure I actually understand the concept of relaxing. I'm generally most content and least stressed when I'm occupied doing stuff. Having nothing to do, or not being able to do anything, really isn't healthy for me.

I can sometimes spend time not doing much, or anything pretty worthwhile, but I find that if I spend a Saturday just twiddling my thumbs or trawling the internet or social media, I feel the day wasted. I obviously inherited at least some of my grandfather's strong work ethic.

 

[JamezF]

Will be very interesting to see the final result as I've been mulling over making a few of these myself next year. The picture above from DEREKM is how I was envisaging the final product. Would you be willing to share your plans once completed. Cheers.

Sure. I'm working on finishing some plans for new chicken houses at the moment and when that's done I'll order all the necessary timber from the local builders' merchant along with some insulation board of the right thickness and give it a go.

James

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Whatever floats your boat. I'm just cynical about having to ask how to dispose of a bleach solution and expecting guidance from an NBU leaflet.

Any damage depends on the amount of dilution, I guess. ('The solution to pollution is dilution')

 

[Wilco]

Dropped a box of jars. Haven't dared open it yet!