What did you do in the 'workshop' today

[JamezF]

Picked up another trailer load of ply yesterday -- mostly 5.5mm, but perhaps a sheet's worth of 9mm too. I was offered a load of offcuts of 12mm bonded with some sort of plastic covering, but I couldn't immediately see a use for it.

The same chap also has loads of sawdust available, which would be useful for composting. As it's probably mostly from ply however I am wary about the urea formaldehyde used in the glue. But it turns out that urea formaldehyde is also a very common form of slow-release fertiliser. More research required.

James

 

[user 819]

Veyr fortunate to be able to have access to cheap or free plywood.

 

[JamezF]

Veyr fortunate to be able to have access to cheap or free plywood.

Indeed so. Now I just need to find one that has lots of perspex offcuts that they'd like to get rid of

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

Put the new controller on my Konigin extractor. I think I had the record for returning the most controllers over the years and last year they replaced the old “all singing and dancin” unreliable one with a simple “forward/reverse + speed one which is all anyone ever wanted!
Unfortunately after fitting the new one it failed to start so I rang Derek the electrician at Thornes (He almost seems like a mate with all the conversations I’ve had with him over the last 4 years) who put me right on a couple of connections and all worked well.
I must say the Thornes service has always been excellent when ever I’ve had a problem or an item is not up to scratch.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Threw together a heap of 2seconds SN4s, and wired them up.

I know they're seconds, but the difference in quality/workmanship was huge between the two suppliers I'd used- really quite surprising.

I've bought thousands from Maisemores and I think I'd be exaggerating if I say I've rejected no more than a few dozen

 

[Fellstoflats]

I've bought thousands from Maisemores and I think I'd be exaggerating if I say I've rejected more than a few dozen

Maisemores are my usual choice, and similarly, I've never had an issue with them- machining and wood are always perfectly good for my needs.

I was given a batch from Thornes, and the machining is all over the place by comparison.

No real criticism, they're seconds after all. Just some seconds don't seem to be created equal.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Put the new controller on my Konigin extractor. I think I had the record for returning the most controllers over the years and last year they replaced the old “all singing and dancin” unreliable one with a simple “forward/reverse + speed one which is all anyone ever wanted!
Unfortunately after fitting the new one it failed to start so I rang Derek the electrician at Thornes (He almost seems like a mate with all the conversations I’ve had with him over the last 4 years) who put me right on a couple of connections and all worked well.
I must say the Thornes service has always been excellent when ever I’ve had a problem or an item is not up to scratch.

Good to hear that I'm not the only one who has had to get a replacement reconditioned controller (twice). Ian at Old Castle Farm Hives was sure the problem was me but after a long call while we went over things, he agreed the problem was the wiring in the controller and not the beekeeper's head.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Good to hear that I'm not the only one who has had to get a replacement reconditioned controller (twice). Ian at Old Castle Farm Hives was sure the problem was me but after a long call while we went over things, he agreed the problem was the wiring in the controller and not the beekeeper's head.

I think I sent back the original type 6 times in 3 years and we still didn’t find out the real cause. I’m told this new one I’d much better but when I came to install it I wired it to the wrong terminals but Derek put me right.

 

[Ely]

I've been building langstroth boxes. They are 10 frame boxes but seem to have extra space that is more than a beespace? I'll need to make some dummy boards now.

 

[Swarm]

I've been building langstroth boxes. They are 10 frame boxes but seem to have extra space that is more than a beespace? I'll need to make some dummy boards now.
View attachment 39409

Just centralise them, same gap each side.

 

[jkellum]

Yep center them up and your good.

 

[Ely]

I did have a look to see what it looked like with frames in centre. It looked a little more than a beespace on each side but I'll definitely try it out

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I did have a look to see what it looked like with frames in centre. It looked a little more than a beespace on each side but I'll definitely try it out

I've used dummy boards in Langs. Definitely not a good idea. Very soon they become too tight.

 

[madasafish]

I've used dummy boards in Langs. Definitely not a good idea. Very soon they become too tight.

I trim propolis /wax off uprights and seem to manage just to use dummies..(11mm ply)

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I trim propolis /wax off uprights and seem to manage just to use dummies..(11mm ply)

Yes, it can be done, but compared to what they do in Nationals, the available space in Langs is much less - so for me, spacing the frames is the better option.

 

[Vanterrier]

A bit of corrective surgery... I had ordered a poly crown board from Thornes and when it arrived I discovered I had ordered a Langstroth instead of National, duh!
Return postage was prohibitive and with no plans to revisit Thornes anytime soon I got out my tools.
I found a strip of wood the right thickness in my offcuts bin, cut it to length and width and glued/pinned it to one side.
I now have a usable 18"x17.3/4" poly cb for half an hours work.
Simples
K

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I've been building langstroth boxes. They are 10 frame boxes but seem to have extra space that is more than a beespace? I'll need to make some dummy boards now.
View attachment 39409

Interesting mixture of side bar orientation there.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Interesting mixture of side bar orientation there.

Well spotted - the devil is in the detail

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Well spotted - the devil is in the detail

I've had the occasional batch of frames contain a reversed bar or two. suggests the end slots are made on a hand fed machine and someone lost concentration. I also noticed the unusual (at least to me) vertical nailing through the top bars. I was taught to nail through the side bars into the top bar so the nails were in shear, making the top and side bars unlikely to separate if the bees attached the side bars to the hive walls. Bottom bars on the other hand nailed vertically so those joints could be separated for renewal of foundation (if that's your practice)

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Picked up another trailer load of ply yesterday -- mostly 5.5mm, but perhaps a sheet's worth of 9mm too. I was offered a load of offcuts of 12mm bonded with some sort of plastic covering, but I couldn't immediately see a use for it.

The same chap also has loads of sawdust available, which would be useful for composting. As it's probably mostly from ply however I am wary about the urea formaldehyde used in the glue. But it turns out that urea formaldehyde is also a very common form of slow-release fertiliser. More research required.

James

As the son of a market gardener we used both urea and formaldehyde (separately). Formaldehyde to sterilize materials, pots, glasshouses etc in winter between crop seasons, Urea as a growth promoter. A farmer neighbour called one day and encountered dad applying urea to the lawn. Asked what it was for he was told it would encourage growth. That provoked the comment "so you have to cut the lawn more often? Good God, I wouldn't MAKE work like that!"