# best nuc boxes for the price



## Jon11 (Mar 29, 2011)

I made a few nuc boxes out of plywood this year, which is definitely cheaper than what you can buy, but it was a little more time and trouble than just getting a pre-cut box and nailing it together, and I'm not sure what I made will hold up as well. I'm just looking for opinions and information from other beekeepers; who do you think sells the best nuc boxes, including a bottom board and top, for the price?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

we went with these, then made our own tops and bottoms. the fit is excelent, they make them wide enough that you can put a queen cage between the frames without removing a frame, and you get handholds. couldn't buy the wood to make the box for the price of the nuc.

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/mm5/merc...de=mannlake&sType=1&Search=nuc+box#!WW-410/1/


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I use the same nuc boxes and the price is great.


> http://www.mannlakeltd.com/mm5/merch...box#!WW-410/1/


. I'm making my tops and bottoms out of Advanatech. Working well. I bought 50 of the BetterBee nucs and don't like them except for wintering. They are not holding up nearly as well as wood.


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

I don't know about "best for the price", but Brushy Mountain has a good selection of woodenware sized for nucs, including screened bottom boards, deep and medium boxes, a few different inner covers and tops, robber screens, an interesting looking "nuc wintering baord," etc.


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## rsjohnson2u (Apr 23, 2012)

One caution on buying nuc boxes. There doesn't seem to be a standard size, even in 5 frame nuc equipment, as there is with other standardized boxes. A Mann Lake 5 frame nuc doesn't fit perfectly on a Brushy Mountain screened bottom board. Someone's telecover may be too tight for someone else's box, etc. The Mann Lake boxes seem slightly larger than others (in width, as pointed out above), but are of nice quality, as is most of the stuff from the big suppliers. They just aren't quite as interchangeable as "regular" equipment.


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

The Mann Lake 5 frame nuc boxes are indeed a little larger than other manufacturer's (such as Western Bee) so that the tops are not interchangeable. I bought 30 of the Mann Lake boxes and simply made my own bottom boards and telescoping tops. Nuc boxes are well worth the investment. As stated, the extra room inside the Mann Lake nucs work well.


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## Jon11 (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks guys. What are you making your covers and bottoms out of?


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

I have a general question based on that Mann Lake box. Do people really carry boxes using handholds on the sides (not front and back)? I have a bunch of nuc's like that don't have handholds on the front and back. Maybe after 20-25 years I am just set in my way of doing things, but I always carry boxes using the front and back handholds. I always get irritated when I want to carry a nuc, but it only has handholds on the sides. I just pick it up from the bottom instead.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I put some scrap wood handles on the front and back when I'm putting them together. I almost never use the holds on the sides. Still, really like them and I always seem to have plenty of scrap around and a little glue and some crown staples make them very sturdy.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

Good idea. They are all in the bee yard right now, but that will be a good easy winter project.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

Jon11 said:


> Thanks guys. What are you making your covers and bottoms out of?


I'm with camero7, I use Advanatech for the tops and cover with flashing, have never leaked a bee yet.


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## tommysnare (Jan 30, 2013)

we are probably going to make a bunch of the coates design nucs this weekend. any one have experience with them ?


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

tommysnare said:


> we are probably going to make a bunch of the coates design nucs this weekend. any one have experience with them ?


You might read some of these threads :

http://www.beesource.com/search-res...ORID:11&ie=UTF-8&q=Coates+Nucs+made&sa=Search


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## rweakley (Jul 2, 2004)

tommysnare said:


> we are probably going to make a bunch of the coates design nucs this weekend. any one have experience with them ?


I LOVE the dcoates nucs. I build them for selling nucs in and for the price I think it's a much better deal than buying those lousy cardboard or plastic nucs and the customer is getting something they can use for years if they take care of it. When I build them I paint all of the edges that are exposed with titebond II glue and then everything gets a coat of exterior paint. I have some that are 3 or 4 years old (how ever long the plans have been on beesource) and are still in service and that's before I started painting the edges with the glue. 4X8 piece of 15/32" plywood $22 around here, makes 4 nucs. I then buy 1X1/2 that I use to make telescoping lids with (I don't like migratory), so each nuc might have 7-8$ depending on how much the glue,paint,and staples are. Now that's pretty hard to beat by ANY bee supply company especially if shipping is involved.


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## mcauth (May 21, 2013)

I made a couple of nucs last weekend - for now I'm building mediums, so I find myself modifying plans. I wanted to build some that were modular - i.e. boxes, with a separate bottom and covers. That way I could build up easily, etc. 

I bought a piece of 1x8x12' and for around 12 bucks if I recall and the nucs came out great. Also the scraps were used for the bottom board so it worked out well. Happy to share what I did if anyone is interested, it's actually a pretty simple design (but I did use a dado for my joints so a table saw is pretty much required). 

--Matt


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

beedeetee said:


> Do people really carry boxes using handholds on the sides (not front and back)? my way of doing things, but I always carry boxes using the front and back handholds. I always get irritated when I want to carry a nuc, but it only has handholds on the sides. I just pick it up from the bottom instead.


Yes, i carry some, and pick up some by the side hand holds. If your boxes don't have them, you can cut them very easily, safely, if you have a Skil Saw. The plans to make a very simple jig are in the Beesource Library as is the link to the video to show you how to cut them.









cchoganjr


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

mcauth said:


> I bought a piece of 1x8x12' and for around 12 bucks if I recall and the nucs came out great.
> --Matt


DIY in beekeeping is definitely the way to go for me too. Since you're in GA your lumber prices should be about the same as mine. You might want to check around at other lumber outlets. I'm buying 1x8x12's for $6.85 each. That's southern yellow pine, not spruce or "whiteboard." I wonder what the heck whiteboard is?

beedeetee, I cut handholds on the ends of mine. I NEVER use the side handles. 

One thing that speeds up nuc making for me is to cut the sides and back end 10" wide. Cut the front 9 5/8" and flush the top edge of each board when you put them together. Then you don't have to "make" a bottom board like a standard hive. Just rip a board to the width of the nuc and screw it to the bottom. You wind up with a 3/8" opening all the way across the front.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

If you know anyone in the home building trade industry you may be able to get small cut-off pieces of Advantec, which can be used for making nucs. Advantec is used for sub-flooring.

Here are a couple of photos of Advantec nucs that I made.

















cchoganjr


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## rsjohnson2u (Apr 23, 2012)

Cleo, how to you make YOUR box joints? There seem to be many ways, table saw, router, etc. Do you have a favorite jig?


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## Star Pastures (May 8, 2013)

I like Advantec also. It does not seem to swell like other plywoods. I have not tried making sides from them just tops and bottoms. I have Lowes precut the large sheets into 18 1/4 for bottoms and 21 for the top then I just have to handle shorter strips and cut to the width that I need at home.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

rsjohnson2u said:


> Cleo, how to you make YOUR box joints? There seem to be many ways, table saw, router, etc. Do you have a favorite jig?


I use an El Cheap O Sears Craftsman saw that I bought off Craigslist ($125.00) several years ago, and I make about 250 boxes, bottom boards, etc., each year. I use an Oshlun 8 inch stacked dado blade. I leave the dado set up on this saw. I have only had it off once in the past 10 years, and that was to sharpen the blades. I made a sled, using instructions I got from some book several years ago. Now days there are several good instructional videos and data on box joints on the internet.

I am attaching a photo of the sled that I use. It runs in the miter groove of the saw table.









cchoganjr


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## spudrocket (Feb 13, 2013)

I have extra pieces of hardiplank from my house, has anybody ever used that for making boxes?


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## Sour Kraut (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks for the Mann Lake link

Just ordered 5 of their Mill Run boxes; I can make simple bottoms and covers cheaper than buying them

And some frames, and an inner cover to get above $ 100 for free shipping


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

I think that the handholds in the sides of the mann lake boxes are probably there for the convenience of Mann Lake just having one style of "side" in stock. That way they can use them for regular 10 frame, 8 frame, and 5 frame boxes.


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Mr Quiney... This thread has really surprised me. Yesterday I was working a bunch of nucs, moving some, putting some in 10 frame equipment, and I noticed that I always picked the nucs up by the hand holds on the sides, never on the ends. Had never thought about it before this thread.

Guess it is just what a person likes, since several on here say they never pick them up by the side hand holds.

I make all of my own boxes and you are right, the sides are the same, regardless of the size of the box.

cchoganjr


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