# Building my KTBH



## Daddy'sBees (Jul 1, 2010)

Awesome! I hope you got some pictures for posterity and perhaps for us also.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

That does sound like your having fun and anything to get the kids from in front of the TV is a step in the right direction! Good for you! 
A friend of mine built a hive and made the cuts with a jigsaw also and had the same "sizable" gaps. He mixed some of the sawdust with Tightbond II and filled the gaps. It worked out well for him. I think that would be a better alternative than silcone would in my opinion.
Good luck, have fun and keep us posted.

Mike


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## BaB (Nov 17, 2010)

Take pictures, I'd love to see what a real carpenters work looks like. It's a shame more people don't get the kids away from the TV and doing things. Good Luck.
My KTBH
http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i373/MRTMEA/


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## Merlinspop (Nov 4, 2010)

BaB said:


> Take pictures, I'd love to see what a real carpenters work looks like. It's a shame more people don't get the kids away from the TV and doing things. Good Luck.
> My KTBH
> http://s1090.photobucket.com/albums/i373/MRTMEA/


Oh, I've seen the pics of yours! Yours is the Taj Mahal compared to my refrigerator box. Heck, even if I tried my best to make it perfect, it'd still be a one-room cabin in comparison. I'll try to post a few pics of the work in progress and the finished product. 

Bruce


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Do 3-4 3/4" to 7/8" holes toward one end so that you can close them with corks. Works great for us!

Matt


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## Merlinspop (Nov 4, 2010)

Cacklewack said:


> Do 3-4 3/4" to 7/8" holes toward one end so that you can close them with corks. Works great for us!
> 
> Matt


Thanks. I was thinking about 7/8" because of the size of wine corks. Gives me an excuse to drink more wine (do you think they prefer red or white?)!

I agree with Michael Bush's thoughts on top entrances, so I'll put the holes up high. But because it's a solid bottom design, what about the thought of putting one or two additional holes down at the level of the bottom board so the housekeeper bees can more easily clean house? It'd be closed off during the colder months.

B


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

I wouldn't bother filling the gaps with silicone or sawdust and glue. I'd leave them. The bees will either use the gaps for ventilation holes, or they will close them up with propolis.

I built a Michael Bush TBH. When I put the bars in I had a gap at one end, and I used that as an entrance. The bees used it just fine.

I did prop my lid up with a few 1/4 inch shims. This allowed me to put the lid on without crushing thousands of bees, or having to try to brush them aside. Also, before I started using the shims, the bees started propolizing the bar by the entrance to the lid. The shims also kept the bees from attaching the bars to the lid.

If I had it to do over again, the one thing I would change is to make all of my bars 1 1/4. I made some 1 1/4, and some 1 1/2 as suggested. That works fine at first, but as soon as I removed some honey and tried to replace bars, it became a pain trying to keep the narrow bars together, etc. It would be simpler to run all the bars narrow.


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## Merlinspop (Nov 4, 2010)

Countryboy said:


> If I had it to do over again, the one thing I would change is to make all of my bars 1 1/4. I made some 1 1/4, and some 1 1/2 as suggested. That works fine at first, but as soon as I removed some honey and tried to replace bars, it became a pain trying to keep the narrow bars together, etc. It would be simpler to run all the bars narrow.


Thanks for your suggestions. Would you then use 1/4 spacers between bars with honey for the bigger comb? I think we'll get started on the bars on Sunday. 

B


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

Merlinspop said:


> Would you then use 1/4 spacers between bars with honey for the bigger comb? I think we'll get started on the bars on Sunday.
> 
> B


That is what I do now and will continue to do so.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I put no holes in mine. Just push the front bar back 1/4" to 3/4" inches to make a gap.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_Would you then use 1/4 spacers between bars with honey for the bigger comb? I think we'll get started on the bars on Sunday._ 

No. I would use 1 1/4 combs for everything. While bees will draw honey storage combs wider when given the space, they don't have a problem storing honey in 1 1/4 combs. I would make sure the bees had a good comb guide to follow, and space every bar at 1 1/4.

I used a 1/2 inch deep wood triangle as a comb guide, and the only comb the bees made funky was on the bar closest to the entrance. Every other comb followed the guide perfect.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

Countryboy said:


> No. I would use 1 1/4 combs for everything. While bees will draw honey storage combs wider when given the space, they don't have a problem storing honey in 1 1/4 combs. I would make sure the bees had a good comb guide to follow, and space every bar at 1 1/4.


My experience is different. 1 1/4 was great for the brood but within 2 bars of storage my bees were building too wide of comb to stay on the bars and would have just continued getting worse. Every time I opened the hive I had to tear comb apart because of this. It did work but was very messy. When I started using 1/4 spacers between storage bars I had way less difficulty.

That being said, I don't doubt a bit that different beeks have different experiences. If we all had the same experience there wouldn't be much to talk about would there?

Mike


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I also had the problem that they built the comb thicker regardless of my guides and soon were spanning two bars. That's why I went to the 1 1/2" for honey. I had the same issue when using all 1 1/2" in the other direction. They would cheat the brood comb smaller until it was spanning two.


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## Marsh (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi,
Your Top Bar Hives look great as do the feeders. How do you hinge youir covers? Also, what are the dimensions of the Top Bar Feeder with the glass and screen? Do you have plans you could send me?
Thanks,
Marshall


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## Pink Cow (Feb 23, 2010)

Michael Bush said:


> I also had the problem that they built the comb thicker regardless of my guides and soon were spanning two bars....


We did too. We use a router to form guides 1/8" wide and 1/4" tall on bars of 1 3/8" and they worked beautifully for the brood. But after just two bars of honey, they made a big mess. We'll definitely use spacers in an attempt to avoid this next year.


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## mackelby (Dec 5, 2010)

Love to see how the spacer bar works, any pics out there??


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

mackelby said:


> Love to see how the spacer bar works, any pics out there??


I don't have any pics. My spacers are just a strip of 1/4" wood the same length as the top bars. This strip is placed between the bars when the bees start building honey storage combs. For me there was no confusion when that was. The combs started getting much fatter and within 2 bars they were starting to bridge the bars. 

Mike


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