# TBH cut out



## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

I cut out my TBH today. It is 16 1/4 inches across the top and 4 1/8 inches across the bottom. Height is 10 3/4 inches. The over all length is 39 3/4 inches. It hold 14 1 1/4 inch bars and 14 1 1/2 inch bars. I used 3 new 3/4 inch boards 11 1/4 wide and 12 feet long. I was short some bars so I ripped short pieces of 2Xs. Total cost without paint 26 dollars. Total time that it took to cut 4 hours. Taking pictures in the morning and putting them together. I have not decided wether I will cut a saw kerf or attach a triangular piece to the bottom to make a ridge. Will udate soon.


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## Oxankle (Jan 8, 2004)

Hillbilly:

I am too cheap to buy TWO pieces of 1 x l2. I cut all the end pieces of scrap 2 x 8 and the top bars of any short 2x scrap I can gather. Total cost about $12 per hive not counting the screws I used to put it togehter. Neighbor to who I have given a few quarts of honey in the past gave me a gallon of barn paint that would have frozen before he used it, so my hives are cheep, cheep, cheep. 

I believe yours is the narrowest bottom design we have yet. I'll be interested in the pictures. 
Ox


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

I built a couple of standard boxes out of 2X material and decided I will make frames from what I have. The weater is breaking and many more houses are being framed so the 2X lumber should start coming in soon just not soon enough. I have alot of 3 to 4 foot pieces of pressure treated lumber. Going to make some hive stands and legs for TBHs from them. My paint is lowe's miss colored paints $5 a gallon. BTW I repainted my pink supers. I am going to one job site today and hope to find some plywood large enough to make the top outer cover for the TBH. If not I have some OSB(chip board) in the shed.


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

You guys are having so much fun I'm going to have to knock the ice off my table saw and get busy myself.

Looking forward to the pics.

Happy tbhing
topbarguy



[This message has been edited by topbarguy (edited March 19, 2004).]


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

Well I didn't end up making my first TBHs to my own design specs, mostly due to cost and convenience.

My hives ended up being. Inside dimensions. 16" across, 9" tall. 6" bottom. They are 48" long and hold qty 37 32-33mm topbars about 90 liters if I recall correctly. I'd have to do the math again. that's about the volume of 3 deeps.

I made mine with 2 1x12s for the sides, and a 1x6 for the bottom. (Yeah I know its not a full 6 inches across). I still aimed for as close to a perfect catenary shaped trapazoid as I could with this shape, and the slope ended up being 22.5 degrees.

I mostly compromised my own specs due to cost and convenience, it took me a long time to make 4 hives because I have so little free time, and keeping the costs down since I was using new lumber, not scraps. The point was to get myself some bees again, I can always refine my methods and hives as time goes on and as I can afford the lumber to make the hives the way I truly want, and not compromised designs. I truly couldn't even afford to do it this year, but I put my foot down and made it happen.

Total cost per hive was $25 + Bees

4 hives = about $100
4 packages of bees = $288 including shipping

Grand Total $388 < my wife is having a fit about this.

------------------
Scot Mc Pherson
"Linux is a Journey, not a Guided Tour" ~ Me
"Do or not do, there is no try" ~ Master Yoda
BeeSourceFAQ: http://linuxfromscratch.org/~scot/beewiki/

[This message has been edited by Scot Mc Pherson (edited March 21, 2004).]


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## Oxankle (Jan 8, 2004)

Scott:

Been there, done that. Go pat your wife on the bottom and let her blow $400 on whatever she wants even if you have to go in hock to do it. Then get busy and sell $400 worth of comb honey to the retired yankees in Fl. and GIVE HER PART OF THE MONEY. 

Make her a partner in the deal. Next thing you know she will be wondering if you should not build a few more hives and when do you think you can do some splits. 

My wife was a bit skeptical too, though money was never a problem. She did not come around until I started putting quarts of honey on the table for her relatives to scarf down on biscuits. Next thing you know she was helping me extract. Never made a practice of selling honey, but she still supports my beekeeping as a worthwhile endeavor.


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

My 2 TBHs cost $24 with me having the OSB board and aluminum to cover it. I did need a few more TBs which where ripped from 2Xs. I took pics just need help putting the site together(wife has done a personal page before and is busy). My inside measurement is about 13 1/2 inches. My bottom is about 3 inches. I like the way the boxes turned out but I made to mistakes. First I made the bottom board to short. I meant to leave it out for a landing board. The other is I left to much over hang for the TBs. My next set of hives will be a bit wider with a wider bottom.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>My inside measurement is about 13 1/2 inches.

Mine is about the same at the top.

>My bottom is about 3 inches.

My sides are nailed from the bottom into the sides and the bottom is a 1 x 6, so I guess it's four inches.

>I like the way the boxes turned out but I made to mistakes. First I made the bottom board to short. I meant to leave it out for a landing board. The other is I left to much over hang for the TBs. My next set of hives will be a bit wider with a wider bottom.

My LAST set were wider and deeper but I ended up almost the size yours are now. I think you have some good dimensions.


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi

I was going to knock the ice off the table saw but it's been almost summer like for two weeks with high temps in the 60's to high 70's. No need to remove the ice.

I have modified my last tbh. Topbar length has been reduced by two inches. This reduces the slope from 22.5 degrees off vertical to 19 degrees. 

Topbar thickness was increased to 1" with no cuts exceeding 1/8" deep. I found that some of earlier topbars were amazingly weak and would deform with the 1/4" grove cut in them for the vertical reinforcement. No vertical reinforcements.

I have abandoned the starter strips and will use a wooden spline that extends 1/8". The edge of the spline will be rubbed with beeswax.

The end entrance holes have been plugged. Two 3/8" x 12" slots have been cut on one side with a slot near each end. One of the slots will be plugged under normal conditions.

I have cut the end pieces flush with the sides. A spacer bar will be screwed to each end. This will allow me to easily modify the hive for different types of topbars.

Regards
topbarguy


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

"The end entrance holes have been plugged. Two 3/8" x 12" slots have been cut on one side with a slot near each end. One of the slots will be plugged under normal conditions."

What is your thinking here? 
I wonder if you are going to use the plugged slot to access a bottom screened board?
It has still been pretty cold here, my packages are being delivered April 9th now instead of 1st because too cold and dreary.


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi David and Everyone,

I have posted some pictures of my tbh modifications at:
http://bwrangler.litarium.com/tanzanian-top-bar-hive/ 

The additional entrance which is normally plugged, allows me some flexibility in hive placement as well as hive utilization. I could run the hive a two queen operation or maybe even run a mating nuc on one end.

It could also provide additional ventilation if needed.

It was just easier to cut now and plug than it is with bees in the box.

Regards
topbarguy

[This message has been edited by topbarguy (edited June 25, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by topbarguy (edited August 07, 2004).]


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

top bar guy:

Nice workmanship. I like the gabled roof. Hope to post my pics soon. I think I will increase my entrances closer to what you have. my bees are supposed to come Friday, it was 22 degrees this a.m.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Finally got my pictures uploaded, hope you can see them. Today I also uploaded 3 packages into the 3 TBH's. Alsoposted some pictures of the feeders I made.
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dn4911/album?.dir=/3180


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi David,

I tried to access your photos but public access wasn't allowed. It must be turned off.

Regards
topbarguy


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

OK, first time for me working with the web page, I think I have made it accessible now, please let me know: http://photos.yahoo.com/dn4911


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi David,

Thanks for the pictures. That's a neat feeder.

Regards
topbarguy


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