# How do you build a fume board?



## Todd Zeiner (Jun 15, 2004)

I just finished building 5 fume boards. I ripped down some 3/4 stock to about 2" wide. Cut pieces to size of supers and nailed with crown stapler. Then cut up some old bath towels same size as the frame. I cut some 24" alum roof flashing to size to fit the outside dimentions of the frame. Use spray adhesive to glue the towel to the flashing. Make sure to pull the towel tight so it won't sag under the frame. Nail the flashing/towel to the frame with the 1/4 crown stapler and paint the whole thing flat black. 

Spray some Bee-quick on the towel and start harvisting honey.


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## Tia (Nov 19, 2003)

I purchased one and one was given to me, but I would imagine you could just take an old telescoping cover, glue a piece of flannel to the inside and paint the cover black, or for that matter, use an old inner cover or a board of the same dimensions attaching sheet metal (paint it black) on one side and flannel on the other.


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## Borgnik (Jul 9, 2005)

I think the key is to make the top thin enough (like Tzeiner's sheet metal or some thin waferboard of some kind) so that the heat of the sun can warm through it and accelerate the volatization of the chemical. I don't think the top is critical but the thinner/blacker you make it the faster the chemical will volatize and that may be good or bad depending on how fast you want the stuff to work.


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## 2hives (Apr 1, 2004)

I'm in NC, so I don't need a fume board that absorbs heat. Anyway, I took an old bee escape board (triangle-type), removed the pieces of wood that make the triangle, staple a piece of thin plywood (cover from one of my package bee containers) over the hole, staple a clean, used cotton dish cloth to the plywood. Done.
No metal involved, no painting flat black, etc. When I harvested my honey last week, I sprayed the Bee-quick on the cloth, went to work, cleared a stack of 6 medium supers in less than 15 minutes. Never had to reapply the Bee-quick. I could count on one hand the number of lingering bees on all 6 supers. This is a great product. Hope this helps.


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

Speaking as the manufacturer of Bee-Quick, I'd
like to point out that fume boards from all
vendors are very similar. All of them have a
metal surface that gets hot in direct contact
with a woven cloth that keeps the liquid from
dripping onto the frames, bees, and honey.

The idea here is to maximize heat transfer
and vaporize the liquid.

Mann Lake has a plastic-topped fume board, and
while I have been told it works fine, I will
wait until we attach a few hundred thermocouples
and actually test the performance versus the
traditional metal-topped versions. Call me
paranoid, but why buy plastic instead of
metal when the plastic is no cheaper?

So, while other designs and implementations
are possible, they may not work as well as
a "store-bought" version (or a faithful copy
thereof made at home) in some scenarios.


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## Hill's Hivery (Jan 7, 2005)

Thanks for the info all. I think I will still try and build some, but I might buy my first one for a prototype.


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## Beemaninsa (Jun 9, 2004)

I use an old shell (deep or shallow) and cut it to about 2 inch height. I complete the fume board like treiner does. Black paint makes a big difference. Mine seem to clear supers at least as fast as store bought. I use 3 to 5 boards at a time when pulling honey from an beeyard with an average size of 25.


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