# nails



## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

I am in the process of building ten new hives. this is the first time I have done it from scratch with out a kit. I bought all the lumber and have the bodies put together, Can someone give me the exact size and type of nails I need for the frames? Thanks


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

An 1-1/4", 17 or 18 gauge nail is recommened for both top and bottom bar assembly. If you can get them cement coated, all the better.

I haven't been able to find them locally in bulk so I order them from Dadant.

-Barry


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

Thanks for the help. I have saved about $200 on building ten hives. 
Phillip


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## joelz (Dec 16, 2001)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rainesridgefarm:
*Thanks for the help. I have saved about $200 on building ten hives. 
Phillip*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i hope you have rabbited the corners on your hives or your savings arent justified i cannot buy lumber as cheap as i can buy hives ready for assembly from western or even dadants, joel johnson


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## Bobbee (Dec 20, 2001)

I use decking screws and an electric drill to build 98% of my bee equipment. Works great. I also built my honey house this way too.

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BobBee


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

I have drilled and used deck screws on them and they turned out great. I built a total of ten new hives two bodies deep with tops and bottoms for a grand total of $32 each including frames and foundation. It took two days for everything.


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## joelz (Dec 16, 2001)

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rainesridgefarm:
*I have drilled and used deck screws on them and they turned out great. I built a total of ten new hives two bodies deep with tops and bottoms for a grand total of $32 each including frames and foundation. It took two days for everything. *<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

wow thats $3.20 per hive where do you buy your lumber, you should be in the wooden ware bussiness, with the cost of a complete hive around $50.00 you can make a wonderful profit, isnt it fun to dream?


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

It said $32 EACH not for all TEN.


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## cider (May 22, 2002)

An air compressor crown stapler works great for nailing frames together if you glue the frames first and let it set a few hours there is minimal wood splitting.I use 1/4" x 1" staples.


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## bic (Nov 3, 2002)

Cide,
bee very careful using 1" staples, even with glue. I did this using hot glue over the 1: staples shot with my air nailer and the weight of the honey caused some of the frams to self destruct! The bees were smart enough to make the best of my mistake and it worked out all right but from now on, I will use the 1-1/4 staples!


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## fat/beeman (Aug 23, 2002)

hello all
I know you all like to save money=got one up on you here.
I own a woodmizer saw mill and cut and finish all my own hives for pennys per hive I try to find another fellow beekeeper to help me saw the wood thats giveing away for free =dry it plane it cut it into bee hives the cost is pennys .
wish someone was close to me to help and share the free wood.
Don


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## Hook (Jun 2, 2002)

Has anybody condidered using 3/4 in exterior plywood? I see it costs about 15 bucks a sheet. I think you could get 5 deeps out of one, but have not done the actual figuring yet. I recently put 3 together from scrap, sealed them up, and made frames to go along with it. If I get a few seasons out of them, maybe it is worth its while. 

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Dale Richards
Dal-Col Apiaries
Drums, PA


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have made them out of scrap 3/4" plywood. If you have to buy it, I think the solid wood is cheaper and lasts longer. I usually buy long pieces of #3 pine and work around the knots. 3/4" ply is cheaper than #1 pine for sure. The plywood did ok. It was certainly worth doing since I got the plywood for free. Scap 3/4" ply also makes nice lids. You can just throw a piece on that overhangs a little on all sides and throw some bricks or a block on top and you have a lid. I especially liked sink cutouts that had formica on partical board for lids. The formica lasts almost forever.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Acutally this is a subject that hasn't come up a lot. How to build hives from scraps. Any building site has a lot of scrap lumber that can be used creatively to build hives, bottom boards, and covers. If you have a table saw and are handy, maybe even frames. Almost all of the scraps at a building site are large enough to be useful in a hive. Plywood for bottom, tops, and boxes. Two bys for stands and the frame around the bottom boards. One bys for almost anything. Tar paper for covering tops. etc.


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

I have been using used wood from construction sites also. I brought a jar of honey to a forman at one site and he calls me when there is good wood for the taking.


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## Eich (Oct 25, 2002)

I enjoy your comments on building hives I wanting to build a few supers this winter. What kind of corners are you constructing? I want to build the rabbet corner but need a jig and dado blade. Thanks Darrell


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I'm lazy. I just do a butt joint with exterior wood glue and deck screw it together. They last about as well as the rabbets. If you do a butt joint and nail it, it won't last. I don't have a table saw, and it's too much work to do more rabbets than necessary, so I just cut them out with a skill saw. I cut the rabbet for the frame rest with the skill saw.


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## Hook (Jun 2, 2002)

I have made them with rabbet joints, and box joints, you know, the ones they call dovetailed joints. Anyway, I have a table saw with a dado set, and I made a box joint jig. The joints are perfect every time, but it requires more time to make the boxes. However, time and strength of the joint is a trade off that I choose. This is one of the reasons I was trying scrap 3/4 plywood. The joints are very strong, and easy to get the right dimensions from. 

If you have a table saw, get the dado set, it is well worth the cash, because you will constantly be using them. I build my nuc boxes with rabbet joints, because the never get as heavy as a deep brood box will.

Also, I make my own frames, and frame ends made from a 2x8 dadoed at both ends, and along the flat sides, then cut into 3x8 strips seem to be working out very well. I make 10 frames at a time. That way it does not seem so repititious<sp>. I made 7 deeps, 6 are ready to go with foundation already, and its only november!


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Dale Richards
Dal-Col Apiaries
Drums, PA


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## Eich (Oct 25, 2002)

Thanks, I need to get a dado and find a jig to use to make the rabbet joint. What jig do you use? Darrell


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## Hook (Jun 2, 2002)

A rabbet joint is really a notch cut the width of the board you are going to butt into it. The rabbet joints that brushy mountain uses are made with a shaper from looking at the picture in the catalog. Box joints are probably stronger than their rabbet joint though. The box joint jig is simple. I can take a picture of it and send it to you via email if you want. It is easy to make, and does a wonderful job. Either way, it is easier to do with a dado set.


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Dale Richards
Dal-Col Apiaries
Drums, PA


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## Jorge (Sep 24, 2002)

Here is a thought/question for those of you who build all yourselves:
What is wrong with using 1x10" boards to build the deep hive boxes? The only problem I can see would be the incompatibility with stuff you need to buy. But if someone is making boxes and frames, the only thing that one has to do is to make the frames also a tad less tall (3/8" to be exact since the specs for a deep call for 9-5/8" and a 1x10" board is 9-1/4"). Today I checked at Home Depot and #2 pine boards 1x10x10 run at $11, while the same #2 pine but 1x12x10 boards run at $16. In other words, one would be throwing away 5 bucks for every 10ft of lumber used to gain 3/8" in depth.
Please somebody tell me if the sligtly less tall deep hive would create a problem that I don't see. Otherwise, it seems to me that keeping deeps at 9-5/8" cn be thought of as just a scam buy the lumber industry to make us waste 1/3 of the dollars and a strip of almost 2" wide and 10ft long for every 10 feet of lumber that go into making deep hives.
Note: one still needs to buy the foundation, but scisors will take care of the 3/8" at the bottom and you can use the wax for something else.

Jorge


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>What is wrong with using 1x10" boards to build the deep hive boxes? The only problem I can see would be the incompatibility with stuff you need to buy. But if someone is making boxes and frames, the only thing that one has to do is to make the frames also a tad less tall (3/8" to be exact since the specs for a deep call for 9-5/8" and a 1x10" board is 9-1/4"). Today I checked at Home Depot and #2 pine boards 1x10x10 run at $11, while the same #2 pine but 1x12x10 boards run at $16. In other words, one would be throwing away 5 bucks for every 10ft of lumber used to gain 3/8" in depth.

The reason I don't is incompatibility with the frames. I'd have to make all my own frames or at least rework all of the sides pieces. I think the reason it comes out this way is because when Lanstroth came up with the diminsions a 1 x10 was 9 5/8". But, alas, now it is now only 9 1/4".

>Please somebody tell me if the sligtly less tall deep hive would create a problem that I don't see. Otherwise, it seems to me that keeping deeps at 9-5/8" cn be thought of as just a scam buy the lumber industry to make us waste 1/3 of the dollars and a strip of almost 2" wide and 10ft long for every 10 feet of lumber that go into making deep hives.

Not other than what you have mentioned and another size of box around. You have to cut the ends of each frame you buy and the bottom of each sheet of foundation you buy.

I have been tempted to do it, but have not done it.

If you have a table saw and tools to do it easily you could take a 2" x 2" and notch it to overlap the 1 x 10 on the bottom and cut the frame rabbet in the top and leave the 3/8" in the middle so it makes a handle and makes the frame rest. Of course you can't put a regular lid on it and will have to make your own.

I just use the piece I rip off of the 1 x 12s as the handle on my hives.


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## Eich (Oct 25, 2002)

Jorge, just add a 3/8" piece to the bottom of the box all the way around. I have some boxes that are getting rough on the edges and I just run them through the table saw and glue a piece on whatever I need. Works great. Darrell


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