# Plans or advice, please



## chemistbert (Mar 4, 2004)

I am intending on building a KTBH on Friday and am in bad need of the critical dimensions. I am going to make the TBs 19" long to fit into my Langs but how thick should they be? How many should I have for my hive? So in other words, please, please, please, please, help me out. Thank you for imparting your wisdom on a newbe(e).


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## txbeeguy (Jan 9, 2003)

Do a search (here, at BeeSource) for the term, "top bar" in the Top Bar Hive forum and for my name (txbeeguy) and you'll see a topic about a new TBH completed. That has the dimensions of my latest hive completed and a discussion from others, as well. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, feel free to check out my TBH photos as well: http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/txbeeguy


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Admitedly, I'm not sure what the RIGHT dimensions are, but afer a total collapse of the combs in my last one I decided that a standard deep Lang was not the right ones. This one I have 15" bars and sloped sides. It is two 1 x 12s for sides and a 1 x 6 for the bottom I nailed through the 1 x 6 into the sides and then bend the nails to slope the sides. It ends up with a 15" bar that goes to the outside of the sides (meaning the inside measurement is 13 1/2") The depth is whatever a 1 x 12 at a 22 1/2 degree angle ends up but it's about 9" or so. It's 4" wide at the bottom. It's 48 3/4" long. (three Lang boxes long)

My theory on this one is that my bars were too long and the sides needed to be sloped to keep the comb from collapsing

That's what I did.

I am also doing one that is a 3 box long medium Lanstroth hive (6 5/8" deep) with top bars instead of frames. I figure if it doesn't work as a top bar hive, I'll just put frames in it. But the comb is less deep than my last TBH and I'm hoping that alone is enough to make it work. This is on the theory that less weight for the amount of attachment will help with the comb collapse.

I guess you'll have to decide what you want to do.


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## chemistbert (Mar 4, 2004)

Well this past weekend I put together a crowder style TBH. I made it so it has a screened bottom so it's not exactly the same but what the heck isn't that what all the top bar stuff about.







Thanks to everyone.


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