Honey bees

[ponytug]

Cut 186 frame side bars today! They are all 3/8” wide… that’s a lot of ripping on the table sawView attachment 788259

How do you make those sidebars efficiently?

All the best, Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

How do you make those sidebars efficiently?

All the best, Peter

I use 2x4s. Cut into 15 9/16” lengths. Then I lay them flat and use a 1” dado blade to create the taper on both sides of the 2x4s. Then I rip them all 3”8 wide. Basically zero scrap!

 

[ponytug]

I use 2x4s. Cut into 15 9/16” lengths. Then I lay them flat and use a 1” dado blade to create the taper on both sides of the 2x4s. Then I rip them all 3”8 wide. Basically zero scrap!

Thanks! I was having trouble imagining how to make the taper in an expeditious manner.

Looks great!

All the best,

Peter

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Thanks! I was having trouble imagining how to make the taper in an expeditious manner.

Looks great!

All the best,

Peter

Some folks taper them individually on a router table, which is much more tedious

 

[Hoot Owl]

I use a jointer for the taper. Before cutting the ends out, I have a jig made to hold the 2x4 or 2x6 to cut the top & bottom bars notch using the dado blade.

 

[NorTracNY]

When we built our hives, I had the school shop teacher next door. He looked at the parts and said build everything yourselves but the frame parts. There are a lot of steps to make each one and the cost for the parts was very cheap at the time.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

When we built our hives, I had the school shop teacher next door. He looked at the parts and said build everything yourselves but the frame parts. There are a lot of steps to make each one and the cost for the parts was very cheap at the time.

Just the cost of the parts for a Layens frame, is about $5/each. I can build an entire frame for $1.20 with wire and grommets. Plus my time. But with 200 frames on the property, I saved about $800 for frames alone, plus $250 per hive x 12 hives.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I buy my frames. I use the smaller Langstroth hives. Frames are about $1.30 each unassembled and I use waxed plastic foundation about $1.50-$1.70 each. I added about 160 frames this year.

I can see wanting to build them yourself saving the money you are talking about and putting that new shop to good use!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Yes, assembled Layens frames are nearly $10 each

 

[Hoot Owl]

I save 2x4 ends from projects I do over the summer. Free wood is Free wood. I also get 1"x12" for around $1 a foot and save all of the the ripped down pieces for handles or frame tops and bottoms.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I plan on checking 60 hives and doing deep inspections on the strong ones.
I wanted to do some today but it stayed cold till around 2pm.