# Plywood boxes ?



## tony350i (Jul 29, 2005)

d.asly all my hives are made from 3/4 shutter ply and other than some one giving you hives it has to be the cheapest way to expand.


http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/tony350i/frames/100_0070.jpg

i have about 20 boxes with bees and are all on omf.
for every brood box i make, i make three supers, i teat the ply with a insect friendly wood preserver all the joints are straight butt joints and are glued with a water proof glue and fixed with 40mm staples fired from a braid nail-er.

Myself i cant see anything wrong with them. 

Regards Tony


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Does anyone cut boxes out of plywood ?

Sure.

>What kind of plywood... interior, exterior, marine, or structural ?

Scrap.  But it's exterior.

>What grade... A, B, C, or D ?

Whatever it is. But D will work.

>Paint or dip?

I've done both. Dip is nice if you have a tank. Paint will do if you don't.

>How do the boxes fare?

They warp less than pine. They weigh more than pine. When I was building them buying plywood would have cost more than pine. They delaminate more than pine. 

All in all, they lasted ok. All in all, I prefer pine, or better yet, cypress.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

I have had very good luck using plywood for my supers, I can get six deeps and three mediums out of a 4X8 sheet. I just bought some for $18. I have had some in continuous use for six years and are still weathering very well. As for the grade as long as you prime and paint with a exterior latex I don’t think it matters. 
So far the only downside is a deep plywood box is three pounds heavier.


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

I would have thought the formaldehydes and other toxic compounds in adhesives would be tough on bees. I'm glad those of you using plywood are getting some duration- I'd have figured they would deteriorate and have a short lifespan. I'll stick to pine and use joints to minimize end grain exposure.


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

I think it depends on your environment too. I live in Orlando and though I have not made any hives out of plywood I have used it to make tops.

My experience is not too good. The end grain of the wood seems to allow the moisture in between the laminations and they quickly start to come apart. I have used edge banding as a way to stop the water intrusion but it is very labor intensive to install the edge banding so I'm still looking for a better alternative.


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I build all my bottom boards and covers using plywood and hot dip them in rosin/paraffin...Huge cost savings and the verdict is out on longevity, but I suspect they'll last as long as pine.


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

Troy,

Are you using a vinyl edge banding material or something else? I'm curious how that's working out.


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## LtlWilli (Mar 11, 2008)

How about sealing the edges with a couple of coats of TiteBond that's been finger-pressed into any gaps?


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## Troy (Feb 9, 2006)

I edge banded the tops with a 3/4 x 3/4 stick of cypress. I figure the cypress is somewhat rot resistant and the 3/4 x 3/4 was just convenient.

If it works out, I might experiment with making the edge bands thinner say 3/4 x 1/4 or maybe a bit thicker at 3/16

In the end it is just too much labor to do this. It took me about 2.5 hrs to make 4 tops a couple weeks ago when I was in the wood shop. My time is worth to much to me to burn it this way. I've got to find a solution that is a time saver and still reasonably priced.

If I could find a way to make a dozen covers in an hour or something it would be much different.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

I use plywood for the covers. I have a bad habit of painting them inside and out. I would use it for the boxes, but they would be too heavy for me to manipulate for long.


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## Benton2569 (Feb 26, 2007)

I built a few nuc boxes out of plywood and they are holding up fine. Unfortunately it was a high grade of interior plywood that was given to me - I hated to use it but it was free and has held up nicely.


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## Alex Cantacuzene (May 29, 2003)

*Plywood boxes*

Hi, well I just am a bit excited about my adventure with building some plywood boxes. A neighbor gave me a bunch of 3/4" old plywood as he was cleaning his garage. My fear is that exposed plywood ends will let it become delaminated. So, I just tried to use 45 deg Locking Miter Router Bit and used the JIG IT adjustment gauge. I am amazed at the accuracy of the first joint. Pulled it dry together with a couple of pipe clamps and as long as the center line of the pipe is over the center line of the edge it pulls directly into a 90 deg. The set-up of the router table is a bit tricky and finger boards are a must. Also, on the next cuts I will score the side of the router bit with a utility knife about 3/4" back to keep it from ripping the grain any more. Anyway it seems to work but it seems to be something for the dedicated hobbyist only. Take care and have fun


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## Swobee (May 18, 2007)

Has anyone tried MDO exterior sheet material for hives? I don't have a local source yet, but can special order it in. Wanted to hear a quality testamony before making the investment.


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## Dundrave (Jun 1, 2008)

*off-gassing*

You guys have any worries about plywood in wet or hot environments off-gassing due to the glues?

Just curious if the honey absorbs it or if the bees can stand it.

I know I avoided using it in my house due to the fumes that it off-gasses with radiant heat.


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

Since a beehive isn’t air tight and I would assume the glue will eventually cure, I would say the answer to Dandrave questions would be No and No. I would be really curious, as to what gasses and concentration of gas is given off by plywood?


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## Alex Cantacuzene (May 29, 2003)

Well I did get two deeps and one medium out of that scrap plywood. They look good. The use of the Mitr Lok router bit did produce a good joint. As a matter of fact, I think it is the best joint for wooden box corners, period. Of course, it is labor intensive and you have to be a wood working fanatic as it is a tricky operation. So....it is not for large production, it can scare the propolis out of you and so on, but the amazing thing is that the joints pull together with no endgrain exposed and square. Since the plywood was very old I also doubt that there will be any fumes. Anyway, I learned something.......Take care and have fun


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

*1/2 in vs 3/4 in*

Anyone made boxes from 1/2 inch plywood? It would be lighter and cheaper. The only thing I would wonder about is the insulation properties....anyone done this with any success?


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

I've made Nucs with 1/2" plywood sides. So far, they are working just fine and provide a little more interior space - easier to add a sixth frame in some.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Like Joseph, I've only used them for the sides, not the ends. I've also only used them when I had free scraps.


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## okb (Apr 16, 2007)

I’ve got some mating nucs with 7/16 OSB sides but 3/4 ends. Had bees in them for a year now and see no gas mask in use as of yet, but will continue to stand visual for that.


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

I just made 25 deep boxes from four sheets of 3/4 plywood I picked up at McCoy's on a "scratch and dent" sale for $10.00 per sheet. I used a Rabbet-Lock joint with TBIII glue and 1-3/8" crown staples to assemble them. They seem quite sturdy, I will give them a good coat of exterior latex before putting them into service. I will report back as to their durability in our hot, humid SE Texas climate.


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## bentonbee (Jan 31, 2007)

tony350i said:


> d.asly all my hives are made from 3/4 shutter ply and other than some one giving you hives it has to be the cheapest way to expand.
> 
> 
> http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h319/tony350i/frames/100_0070.jpg
> ...


I love the design of your hives Tony! Great job! A very simple easy to use design.
How long is the inside between the ends?
Pastor Mike in Iowa


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