Build Your Own: Insulated Top Cover

Admittedly, I haven't built this one yet. However I did design it. This is a telescoping top cover with the addition of 1.5 inches of rigid foam insulation. Its total R-Value is about R-8.75. Normal top covers have an insulation value of less than 1.

Materials

Pine (at least 3 3/4" wide, and 81 1/8" long)
Ext Plywood 3/4" - 22 1/2" by 18 7/8"
Plywood 1/4" - 22 1/4" by 17 7/8"

Like all project I am going to assume you are using our favourite barn board. So get that table saw out, and rip a strip off 3 3/4"

Discard the larger piece. Now create the recess which holds the insulation.

Now cut that strip into our required parts. You will need:

• (2) 18 7/8"
• (2) 21 1/2

Next take the 18 7/8" pieces, and we are going to add a rabbet joint to each end.

That finished, it is time to assemble the basic frame using whatever fasteners you choose (nails, staples, screws, glue).

Next place the piece of 1/4" plywood (22 1/4" by 17 7/8") in the recessed area. Although it is not necessary to fasten it, I would recommend it.

Place the rigid insulation in the recess. Once again, not necessary to fasten it, but using some adhesive could be beneficial.

Fasten the plywood top, and you are away to the races. You may wish to wrap the hive in aluminum flashing for weather protection. That is a different tutorial however.

Build Your Own: Entrance Reducer

Correction: Proper length for entrance reducer is 14 1/2"

Nothing goes to waste in a beekeepers workshop! Entrance reducers can be made from commonly destined for the wood pile. This one features two different entrance, one at 1" and another at 3" depending on your needs (or the bees for that matter).

One tip, is it can be useful to taper by the top and the back side (relative to the picture). Sometimes you will find the reducer just does not want to fit (moisture in wood equals expansion). This can alleviate that problem. All it takes is a hand planer, even your hive tool or pocket knife can take off just a bit.

 Just 1/16" to 1/8" can be just enough to create problem free entrance reducers. I just did the end for demonstration.

Build Your Own: Combination Bottom Board

Many supply stores now carry what is called the Combination Bottom Board. They charge an exorbitant amount of money for them, they are typically combining the idea behind a screened and a solid bottom board. They also usually feature one set of rails with various grooves cut out of them. This can make them very weak. Using the plans from both tutorials Screened Bottom Board, and Solid Bottom Board we can come up with a much better, cheaper, and more useful solution (lets not reinvent the wheel).

First take your screened and solid bottom boards.

 Now put them in reverse directions, and make sure both 3/8" entrances are facing each other.

Solid Bottom Board 3/8" up
Screened Bottom Board 3/8" down

Put them on top of one another.

This leaves you with a gap of 3/4". This is exactly the space that an entrance reducer will fit into. So lets take a spare entrance reducer, and using tacks/glue/tape (whatever really) attach a mite board to it. Anything of the right size will work, cover it in vaseline or your choice of "make the mites stick the board" solution. Put the sticky board / entrance reducer into the gap. I place the entrance opening up to allow ventilation, but it is your choice.

Now we have a fancy combination bottom board without the heavy bill for one. In addition we have extra bottom boards at the apiary, a way to do mite counts, and a spare entrance reducer all in one hive. Cheers!

Build Your Own: 5 Frame Nuc

This tutorial will base itself on everything else. If you have not currently read the 10 Frame Hive Body or the Solid Bottom Board please do so. I will not be going into how to cut out the frame rest, etc so be comfortable with the previous material. You will have the option of either using 3/4" plywood for the bottom board or 7/8" Pine. I prefer the exterior ply floor, as this project uses up 7' 7 7/8" of pine board. This means
you should get 22 Nuc Boxes out of 13 twelve foot boards, a sheet of plywood, with scrap leftover.

Cost (22 Nucs):
Rough Pine x13@$1.15 (1x12x7/8) = $179.40
Exterior Plywood 1@$36.52 = $36.52

Total: $215.92
/per Nuc $9.81

The material for this is our favorite barn board 1x12x1. Plane one side down to 7/8, or buy it in 7/8s (depends on your source whether or not its 7/8" or 1")

This cut list is pretty complicated, so pay close attention. Click on the images to enlarge. (Correction, Top is 20 1/8" sorry for the confusion)

Note: Dark brown denotes scrap.

Begin by cutting your board to 79 7/8" (or 80"). Setup your fence to 9 1/2" and rip the lumber. Now you have a large piece which contains the majority of the components, and a strip that contains the handles for the top, and rails for the bottom board. Despite the plan showing 2" handles for the top cover, leaving them at 2 7/8" is fine. Cut them out of your strip.

Next, depending on whether you use 3/4" Exterior Ply for your bottom board, or 7/8" Pine you want to rip the remaining strip of wood to:

Plywood 3/4" - 1 7/8"
Pine 7/8" - 2"

Continue cutting all the components out.You should end up with

Hive Body
Front/Back - 9 1/2" x 9 5/8" x 7/8" (2)
Side - 19 1/8" x 9 5/8" x 7/8 (2)

Top Cover
Top - 20 1/8" x 9 1/2" x 7/8"
Handle - 9 1/2" x 2" x 7/8" (2) (or 9 1/2" x 2 3/8" x 7/8" if you dont rip them down, I wouldn't bother ripping them.)

Bottom Board
Side Rails - 22" x 1 7/8" x 7/8" (2) (or 22" x 2" x 7/8 if you use pine for the floor)
Back Rail - 8 1/2" x 1 7/8" x 7/8"
Floor - 21 1/2" x 8 1/2" x 3/4" (same dimensions if using 7/8" pine)

Top Cover

Simply assemble the handles to the top using screws, nails, staples, and/or glue.

Bottom Board

 

The side rails, and back rail will have to be grooved to accept the floor. This is covered in the previous tutorial on Solid Bottom Boards. If you elect to go with a 7/8 pine board for the floor your overall height will be 2", and the groove thickness increased to 7/8" with the 3/4" and 3/8" remaining the same.

Next rabbets are made in the side rails. Make sure to line them up and mark the tops as they are non reversible (in the tutorial I believe I rabbeted the back rails, feel free to follow either way, less mess ups doing the back rail).

Insert the floor, and assemble using your choice of fasteners.

Nuc Hive Body

Pretty straight forward, use the instructions in the tutorial on 10 Frame Deep to rabbet out the front and back pieces to receive the sides, and add the frame rest, as well as the handles. After that is completed Assemble.

Build Your Own: Shoulderless Frame

My first year, I bought six single deeps. Each had nine frames. However something was weird about those frames, they were not self spacing frames like I was commonly used to. I thought I got ripped off. However I came to think about it over the years and learned to love shoulderless frames. Sure, its a little more work to space them out but they do have many benefits.

 They are quite easy to build, unlike the fancy milled store bought ones; and they can be made from scrap. Used in a honey super, they are extremely easy to uncap. They would great in nine frame, ten frame, and even eleven frame configuration. Many Michael Bush followers testify to small cell, 1 1/4" comb spacing in the brood box. Consequently they spend a great deal of time cutting down perfectly good frames. This way you can space them as you would like, and you arent making equipment unusable if you switch back to common 1 3/8s spacing. They are also OLD SCHOOL, so if you want to be a hardcore beekeeper, you have to keep it old school!

There are many possible cut list for this project that are more efficient, I showed the easiest one. I will elaborate on that later.

Step One

 

 You will require a strip of wood of 1" thickness (7/8" will also work fine, just make minor adjustments on the bottom bar), 35 1/2" long, and 1 1/4" wide. Set the fence on the table saw to 3/4" and rip the board down into 3/4" and 3/8" strips.

It is much more efficient if you have a piece 1 3/4" wide stock wood, this way you can rip an additional 3/8" strip which will equal one frame every 19".Just add another 1/8" inch saw cut, and another 3/8" strip of wood in addition to the picture.

If you are running many of these off however just keep running off 3/4" and 3/8" strips.

Step Two- Sizing it all up

Cut the various lengths from your strips of wood.

Top Bar - 19"
End Bar - 8 3/4" (2)* 
Bottom Bar - 17 3/4"

*5 7/8" for Mediums, 5" for Shallows

Set the fence to 7/8" and run your bottom bar through, this will take off 1/8"

Step Three - Top Bar

 Begin by cutting out the part of the frame that sits on the frame rest using a table saw, or router to the proper dimensions. Cut the one inch part first, as we will need a blade depth of 3/8" for the next step (save time).

 Set the fence of your table saw to 7/16" if you want to be perfect. Otherwise set it to 1/2 inch. Adjust the blade depth to 3/8" (if it is not already there).

Step Four - Bottom Bar

Adjust the depth of the saw blade to 1/4" and the fence to 3/8". Run the bottom bar through creating the slot for foundation.

Step Five - End Bars

Despite the easy cut, be careful cutting out the bottom of the end bars. 1/16" does not leave a great deal of room for failure. The cut above is a depth of 3/8". If you are having problems keeping tight tolerances consider reducing the width of the bottom bar to 3/4". This will leave you with 1/8" on either side.

Step Six - Assemble

 

 

 

 

Build Your Own: Honeydrunks Queen Castle

This has been an idea I have been toying with for some time. After watching Michael Palmers dual nuc setup I was inspired to... well think about new ways to go about things. One thing I didnt like about Palmers setup was the need for little mini four frame nucs. They are a little to small to use as a nuc on its own (unless you manage intensively like Palmer, and it was just another piece of non standard equipment. So I got thinking. Many people opt for three compartment by three frame queen castles: offers a little more room for them to grow and not swarm if you are a little late, uses a standard hive body (for the most part). I still was not sold. I do however use six frame in addition to five frame nucs. So my quest was to make a queen castle, that could be converted into a double nuc, and six frame nuc bodies could be added for overwintering or letting them grow out. Step into Honeydrunks Queen Castle. Lots of math in this baby. Beespace respected as much as possible but concessions were made.

Typical Queen Castle, 1/4 inch dividers, and a 1" divider in the centre.

Close up of dividers

Inner Covers in place

Top Cover added, uses same top cover for 6 frame Nuc

Six frame Nuc added on top.

Showing half Queen Castle configuration, and half Double Nuc with one deep six frame Nuc body.

Build Your Own: Solid Bottom Board

This one is a little trickier than the Screened Bottom Board. It is reversible featuring both a 3/4" entrance as well as a 3/8" entrance. For this project you need a piece of pine at least 59 5/8", or similar scrap at a width of 1 7/8". In addition it uses 3/4" exterior plywood. Using all new material and my personal favorite 7/8 rough pine, you can save a great deal of money on bottom boards. To give you an idea.

Makes 12
Exterior Plywood 3/4" - $36.52 (Home Depot)
Rough Pine 1'x12'x1" -$13.80 (Home Hardware)

Not including tax we can make 12 solid bottom boards for $50.34, or $4.20 a piece.

Step One

Begin by making your rails. The stock dimension of lumber we are using is 1 7/8" by 7/8" thickness. We will begin by creating the dado (or groove) which will secure the plywood floor. The is best done using a dado blade on a table saw, or a router. If you lack either of these simply make multiple passes with your table saw until you achieve our 3/8" by 3/4" groove (might want to clean it up with a chisel.

Step Two

Now simply cut the rails to the required length using a chop saw.

Step Three

Now its time to rabbet the back rail. By doing this it creates a much stronger joint and overall bottom board. They do have to carry quite a bit of weight. Take the shorter piece of rail 16 5/8" and using the same method as you created the groove for the rails, rabbet out 7/8" on each side.

Step Four

Next job is to cut the plywood. No matter which way you cut it you will get 12 bottom boards out of a 4x8 sheet. Dont over think it. It is helpful to have a friend around to help with the cutting/moving as the first cuts will be awkward by yourself (no worries the cut edge is hidden anyway). Begin by ripping the plywood to the dimensions above.

Step Five

Assembly is rather straight forward. Glue and nail.

Build Your Own: Screened Bottom Board

This is a really simple project you can make out of scrap. It is constructed from 1/2" Pine on the bottom, and 7/8" rails on the top. The side currently up can be used as your 3/4" "winter entrance", and can be reversed to reveal a 1/2" entrance. The screen is 1/8" hardware cloth you can purchase at most hardware/building stores. I have found that it is not usually kept in stock so you may have to get them to order it in for you.

Simply cut the hardware cloth 16 5/8 x 22 (cut it a little short so it doesn't stick out of the edges and catch on your clothes). I would start with the 3" front piece and staple the screen to that. Then add the 7/8" rails and back piece. Continue sandwiching it together until finished. With the exception of the hardware cloth, you could make these for free out of scrap from other projects.

Used in conjunction with a solid bottom board you can make the Combination Bottom Board located here: Combination Bottom Board

You can also download the SketchUp model here: Download

Build Your Own: 10 Frame Hive Body

Most Canadian beekeeping equipment is in 7/8th pine. This can create problems for us northern beekeepers as we spent time converting existing 3/4 dimensions. These plans are off existing equipment I received from a few different retailers. Consequently, I write down my plans on scrap paper and lose it; therefore I have decided to digitize it for myself and others. Download the Sketchup model: Here

The most economical way to build your own boxes is to purchase 1x12 rough pine. If you purchase it from Home Depot, it will come at an actual 1 inch, therefore you will have to plane one side to 7/8ths. Most of the 1x12 from Home Hardware however comes already jointed one side, and planed to 7/8ths. Currently it is $1.15 a foot, and is sold in 12 foot lengths. Using these plans you should get 2 Deeps out of one 12 foot length @$13.80 (or $6.90 a box).

This method uses rabbit joints and are rather easily accomplished with a table saw, or router.
Click Images to Enlarge.

Keep in mind the sawblade will remove 1/8th on each cut.

Step One 

Start by ripping down the 1x12 to 9 5/8ths. (keep the scrap for other hive projects.)

Step Two 

The next step is to cut our various pieces. This most easily accomplished with a compound sliding mitre saw, however just about any saw will work.

Step Three 

Put the side pieces (19 1/8") away for now. The next part is the most complicated step of the whole project, creating our frame rest and rabbet joints to the box. I would recommend using either a dado blade on a table saw, or a router table. For the sake of simplicity however lets assume you are using a table saw with a regular blade. Set the blade depth to 3/8". Set your fence to 3/4", and double check with a tape measure to ensure that the distance from the fence to the outermost teeth on the saw are at 7/8". If you set the fence to 7/8" your cut will be 1" due to the 1/8" thickness of the saw blade.

Now using our front and back pieces (16 5/8") run both ends through.You should end up with this:

Step Four 

Sandwich the two pieces together to the cuts are facing each other.  Adjust the fence so that 1/2" and confirm that the outside of the saw blade is at 5/8".This cut is very important.

Step Five 

Set your saw blade depth to 7/8" and your fence to 1/4 (confirm the outside edge of the blade is 3/8"). Run the ends off. Repeat setting the blade depth to 5/8". You will end up with this:

 

Step Six

Your box is basically done. The only thing left is handles. There are multiple styles of handles are are there ways to do it. Because of that reason I am going to leave handles out of this tutorial, as a quick internet search will yield you results. I did however mark the location on the main plan. Once you have handles completed all that is left is to assemble. Enjoy.

Combination Bottom Board – Build Your Own (Out of Shit You Already Have!)

Those components look really familiar.

When I first started beekeeping I saw these really fancy screened bottom boards with a fancy drawer underneath for monitoring mites. They were expensive, they still are expensive. I am going to show you a quick easy way to make your own: cheaper, and a shitload more useful.

Take a screened bottom board, and point the ¾ inch entrance up. Place a solid bottom board underneath it with the 3/8 inch entrance up pointing in the opposite direction. Then simply take an entrance reducer and tack your mite monitoring sheet to it (in my case an old target).

Now you have a combination bottom board, a spare bottom board if you need it, and an entrance reducer all tucked into one hive. All made with what you probably had laying around anyway. Cheers.