# Solid bottom board plans available?



## Jim_in_PA (May 17, 2016)

While the bottom boards I recently built are not the style you describe, I've been putting PVC material around the bottom edges so that no wood product is sitting directly on the ground/stone/blocks. (3/4" x 3/4" PVC drilled and screwed with #7 trim head screws) Exterior rated plywood is a good idea, too, prior to paint. Same exterior rated material for your tops will make them last longer.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Yup that is what I did. No plans. Just cut up some scrap pine for the outside and ran it through the table saw to give me a 3/4" groove. The rest is easy. I actually based it all on a screened bottom board that a bear stopped through leaving the frame intact but, alas, screenless. If I were to do,it again, I wouldn't hesitate to use short lengths of scrap pine instead of the plywood for the bottom. I'm always stacking relatively short pieces of pine. It would be better than using them as kindling. BTW, I always paint so the whole thing gets primed and painted before it gets used. Not everyone does but around here, a bottom board gets a fair amount of debris and moisture abuse.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

I use shiplap for the slats.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Scrap is the direction I'll be looking in. I'm thinks no pallets now. I'm no longer into great looking hive components. I'm actually not into painting either. I am waiting for my wax supply to build a little more before I boil some wood and I'll probably just build extra bottoms and tops to boil when the time comes and swap out with the "new" (to me) bottoms.


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

I build mine like this
Place 3 each 5/4 deck boards side by side - 20.5 inches long
Place a 1X4X16 1/4 long on each end and nail together - run through table saw as this is a little wide about 1/4 1/2 inch
Flip it over - cut 1 piece 3/8 X 3/4 wide of treated X 16 1/4 cut 2 each 19 inches long - brad nail - drill some pilot holes to avoid splitting when you nail it on the box
Will last you 10 years plus


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

challenger said:


> I'd like input on what folks are using for material as well as what things I may need to avoid. What material is best?


I pick up old cedar fence pickets that are being discarded. (I avoid using old treated pine pickets.) These are 5½" x ⅝" x 6'. I run these through a planer, but you really don't need to. I use these as slats in the bottom board. I run them from side to side (shortways). I make the two sides and the end of the bottom board out of nominal 1" (actual ¾") x 2½" cedar pieces that I dado to slide the cedar picket slats into. 

I use old cedar fence pickets in a similar manner to make outer hive covers. I also use them to make tops and bottoms for swarm traps. I have also made a couple of nucs completely out of the pickets. I like cedar, and I am kind of a fan of recycling the fence pickets where I can.


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## Davacoles (Jun 30, 2013)

Here is a simple plan - . Use 3/4" plywood for the bottom, it works the best and the dimensions are easy. Buy one piece of plywood and use scrap 2"x4"s and you'll have bottom boards for about $2.00 each (including glue and nails/screws). These plans are for 8 frame hives.

1. Cut your plywood to 12 ¼”x22”. Use a guide, clamp 2x4 as a guide, or use radial arm saw with a helper and a guide for long cuts. 
2. Cut two pieces of 2”x4” wood to 22”
3. >> Determine the thickness of your plywood. I like using ¾” and use this for these directions.
4. Set your table saw for 1 ½” depth and ¾” width from edge of wood. Run both pieces through.
5. Set your table saw for ¾” and 1 ½” from the edge of wood. Run both pieces through. 
a. This will give you two pieces (rails) with a 1 ½”cut out and a ¾” rail top the hive body will rest on. 
6. Place wood glue along the rails and place plywood on top (verify square, but should just line up)
7. Use nails or wood screws to secure the plywood in place. I use wood screws because I have tons of them lying around from projects, but typically drill pilot holes first.
8. Add rear rail. This is a 12¼”x¾”x¾” piece of wood. I have these as scraps from various projects. Rip a piece if you do not have any. Secure with glue and wood nails (small) OR just set with 2 nails in case you want to remove it at some point.
9. Add entrance reducer, which is the same as the rear rail, but with a 3/8” entrance cut to the width(s) you desire.

Picture below shows finished product. Ignore the back rail, dropped in a scrap piece slightly too small...


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I just cut a piece of flat plywood the same demensions as the outside of the box, then staple 3/4 in scrap onto 3 side. Couldn't be easier, if you want a landing board, cut it a few inches long, but i've never needed one.


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## Chadf (Mar 23, 2016)

8 frame 
2.5" sides 3/4" material 22" length
One side has 3/4" opening, the other is 1" with a 3/4" groove between for the 3/4" board to fit snug. 3/8" depth of the groove!
All same length 

5 frame
? Off head? - pull a quick tape-
22" long with 2.5" side boards
8 1/2" W x 22" L x 3/4" H
1" and 3/4" openings as detailed above with the 3/4" board that is also 22". 
Use 3/4" & 1" rip from scrap to close up back of bottom board where rear of brood box sits.


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## Arlo (Sep 16, 2009)

I use this design they were very simple to build and the directions are easy to follow. I used both ply and 3/4 pine, and of course scraps I had laying around.

http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Screened-Bottom-Board_20110324.pdf


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## Green Tractor (Mar 31, 2016)

challenger said:


> Scrap is the direction I'll be looking in. I'm thinks no pallets now. I'm no longer into great looking hive components. I'm actually not into painting either. I am waiting for my wax supply to build a little more before I boil some wood and I'll probably just build extra bottoms and tops to boil when the time comes and swap out with the "new" (to me) bottoms.


A lot of pallets are treated with fungicide, biocide and water repellents. I wouldn't hesitate using one to stack hives, but not sure I'd use the wood reclaimed from one for anything touching the interior. I once worked for a guy who would deconstruct pallets reclaimed from a local shipyard - some of them made with some serious teak - but he had to stop. Noticed all kinds of funky stuff and then found out most of it is treated. I didn't get into it much because I was just helping, and glad I didn't. I know a lot of US-made pallets are just wood with no treatment, so if you know your source maybe you'll do fine. We get a lot of marine wood around here. YMMV.


As for solid boards, I made a few just using 2x3s that I planed down to 1.25" thick x 2" and then used some 1/4" ply for the bottoms. The side rails were 2" high so the ply bottom is raised. The michaganbees.com website is great for plans, but a lot of them seem to be by someone who loves woodworking as much as bees. That's cool because I love both. However, when I was building out six hives a few months back the thicker boards (those 2x3s above) allowed me to avoid dados and other joinery, in favor of just glue+screw butt joints. Much faster to construct, and they are plenty strong. Mine are on concrete block.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Pallets that pass the US border, either in or out, by law must be treated to prevent pests in the wood from hitching a ride along with the goods being shipped.

However, that treatment can be either "heat treatment" of the wood, or a chemical treatment. If a "heat treatment" method is used, then the wood gets marked with a "HT" grade stamp. From what I see, most pallets, even pallets just for domestic use, get heat treatment. Virtually all the pallets I come across in my area are marked as "HT". I have no issues reusing/recycling wood marked with a HT grade stamp.

For example ...








photo credit


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## Green Tractor (Mar 31, 2016)

Rader, thanks for that detail. I've seen that stamp on US pallets like the ones I have in my yard. I've reused oak pallet wood from the US. Most of the pallets coming off the freighters in Baltimore and Long Beach, CA had no stamps at all. Maybe today, but not the ones we worked with a few years ago.

I've seen waxy substances (when marine) or chemical treatments from overseas. Especially the ones from south asia. I've seen green crystals - probably copper/arsenic solutions and smelled petro products on newer pallets. The treatments are not visible on most of the pallet, just a few areas where they obviously over-applied something. I've worked over in those parts of the world, and proper kiln-treatment of wood is probably a lot more work than just spraying or soaking. As for safety regs - I've seen industrial centers where they were spraying muriatic acid and loading trucks in flip-flops and no masks. And chain-smoking while unloading diesel. They just don't care, from what I can tell.

So maybe "Made in USA" is the way to go here, eh?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

US Customs enforces the pallet treatment regulations for import/export pallets. And they require that pallets be marked as to what approved treatment method was used:
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...or-wood-packaging-material-(wpm)-into-the-u.s.

Foreign pallets must meet US standards or Customs doesn't allow the goods into the US. And as the Customs page notes, the marking standards are set by a USA lumber industry standards group, here:
http://www.alsc.org/greenbook collection/WPM_Enforcement_Regulations.pdf

I don't see that it matters where the pallet originated, as long as it meets Heat Treatment standards, the wood is suitable for reuse. For my purposes, standard multi-use pallets have too many nails to be worth taking apart for reuse. I find that 'one-time use' wooden specialized shipping frames are easier to utilize. 

Also, the domestic lumber industry now uses HT grading standards for kiln dried 'construction' wood. It used to be that 2x4s 2x6s etc were marked with "KD" (Kiln Dried), but that has now shifted to "HT".


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## dtrooster (Apr 4, 2016)

Davacoles :thumbsup:


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Excellent info on the pallet wood. Thanks for that! 
So then, plywood? I thought exterior grade plywood was high $? Maybe it need not be exterior grade?


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## Nabber86 (Apr 15, 2009)

Wait. I am confused. You are converting hives to top entrances and you need bottom boards? What are you using for bottom boards now?


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I used the plans from here.
http://beesource.com/build-it-yourself/

If I didn't have plywood I cut tounge and groove and fit the slots.
Hope this helps.
gww


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## JoshuaW (Feb 2, 2015)

I buy AdvanTech from Lowes or Ace. I have them cut it to 22" long for me, then I cut it to width on the table saw. I add strips of 3/4"x3/4" for rails and call it "done". I get 12 pieces: good for 6 hives. Less than 4.00 each total. The AdvanTech doesn't warp, either (okay, I've had _one_ warp on me). Plywood is too unpredictable to me, some warp like crazy and some don't. I do paint when I have time...


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

JoshuaW said:


> I buy AdvanTech from Lowes or Ace. I have them cut it to 22" long for me, then I cut it to width on the table saw. I add strips of 3/4"x3/4" for rails and call it "done". I get 12 pieces: good for 6 hives. Less than 4.00 each total. The AdvanTech doesn't warp, either (okay, I've had _one_ warp on me). Plywood is too unpredictable to me, some warp like crazy and some don't. I do paint when I have time...


I started using Advantech 2 years ago and it sure is easy, fast and cheap to work with. I tried a cheaper/off brand too and it doesn't work as well. One down side that I have noticed is that it doesn't hold paint well. I guess it's the water proofing causing the paint to turn loose.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Nabber86 said:


> Wait. I am confused. You are converting hives to top entrances and you need bottom boards? What are you using for bottom boards now?


Currently I am using my original bottom boards that have a screen bottom and landing board. I blocked off the entrance with a piece of 3/4" X 3/4" wood.



gww said:


> I used the plans from here.
> http://beesource.com/build-it-yourself/
> 
> If I didn't have plywood I cut tounge and groove and fit the slots.
> ...


Are you talking about the plans for the slatted bottom?



JoshuaW said:


> I buy AdvanTech from Lowes or Ace. I have them cut it to 22" long for me, then I cut it to width on the table saw. I add strips of 3/4"x3/4" for rails and call it "done". I get 12 pieces: good for 6 hives. Less than 4.00 each total. The AdvanTech doesn't warp, either (okay, I've had _one_ warp on me). Plywood is too unpredictable to me, some warp like crazy and some don't. I do paint when I have time...


Thanks. What thickness are you using? I just priced this stuff and the 5/8" is $48.00 but the 3/4 is way more??


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

challenger said:


> I just priced this stuff and the 5/8" is $48.00 but the 3/4 is way more??


I just looked online and the 23/32 (3/4) is $24.38 here. If you do have a Lowe's, get them to cut it to the exact dimensions that you want. It only costs 50 cents per cut and saves a whole lot of time and hassle. Their saw is very precise as long as the person reading the tape measure is competent. I checked behind the guy doing mine. First cut is free and it only takes 4 more cuts to have the pieces cut to the final size. Well worth an extra $2 IMO


Here's a link to the Advantech at our local store: www.lowes.com/pd_85795-1169-S-16596PC_0__?productId=50126556&Ntt=

Here's the link


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## JoshuaW (Feb 2, 2015)

23.49 at the Kernersville, NC Lowes according to the website. Brad Bee gave the right product link. Any 48.00 piece of plywood better be able to slide a screen in and out by itself!!

I wonder if an oil-based paint would hold better? I figure I can repaint in a few years if I need to; but most of mine aren't painted because I haven't made time. I'm not even cutting the tops to 20" anymore: everything is 22". But I use them like migratory lids with no inner cover.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

In my experience, any oil based paint...especially if it's backed by an oil based primer....will last a lot longer. I wish they made oil based like they did years ago. It was so much better. On my 200+ year old windows I make my own solution by adding linseed oil. Too much to talk about here but my house is a lot bigger and more weather stressed than my hives and I use a lot of oil based paint there. If I do use latex, it's ONLY for the top coat.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

challanger
In answer to your question in reply #22, the hive plans on the beesource link also includes the bottom board. I did make a slatted rack that I haven't used yet though.
gww


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If you want to paint Advantech, the manufacturer FAQ says ...



> AdvanTech panels can be left natural, stained, varnished or [HIGHLIGHT]painted with oil or epoxy based paints or oil based primer and latex paint.[/HIGHLIGHT] Water seal is not recommended. AdvanTech panels are not recommended for exterior siding or other applications that are permanently exposed to the weather.
> 
> http://myhuberwood.com/main.aspx?pagename=faqs&faqCategoryId=101


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

I had the price wrong. I got two sheets yesterday and had them cut 20". This gave 4 at 20 and a 16. I'll cut the 20" 4X at 16" and the 16" 2X at 20". This will yield 18 pieces per sheet. The 16" will be a little shy but I had a long talk with the bees and they said it's OK.  
I plan on cutting holes for top feeding and using 2" plugs when no feeder is on. The plugs are from 5 gallon paint lids & = free$. 
I'm contemplating dipping the exterior surface in copper naphthenate but am wondering if it's overkill or otherwise I'll advised??? I have done this with a lot of hives & nucs and it keeps them from rotting. I put one face in a 1/2" deep pan and let it soak as I build another so it goes deep. I flip to get four sides only on the outside surfaces.


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## dlbrightjr (Dec 8, 2015)

challenger said:


> I had the price wrong. I got two sheets yesterday and had them cut 20". This gave 4 at 20 and a 16. I'll cut the 20" 4X at 16" and the 16" 2X at 20". This will yield 18 pieces per sheet. The 16" will be a little shy but I had a long talk with the bees and they said it's OK.
> I plan on cutting holes for top feeding and using 2" plugs when no feeder is on. The plugs are from 5 gallon paint lids & = free$.
> I'm contemplating dipping the exterior surface in copper naphthenate but am wondering if it's overkill or otherwise I'll advised??? I have done this with a lot of hives & nucs and it keeps them from rotting. I put one face in a 1/2" deep pan and let it soak as I build another so it goes deep. I flip to get four sides only on the outside surfaces.


How wide was that board?


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