# Building Equipment



## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

Wanting to expand, the need to build my own equipment became evident.
I went down to the local Pawn Shop, and aquired a commercial 10" table saw, air Brad nailer, Router, Two Air Staplers(for different staple lengths), and a finish nailer. I also picked up an array of pipe and screw clamps, all at a fraction of their retail cost.

I picked all of this up for less than the price of the table saw, if I had purchased it new.

The pleasure that I get from making my own equipment is imeasureable. 

I have built Nuc's, Brood Boxes, Supers , Bottom Boards, and tops.

Anyone else doing this?


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

It is a good way to make progress with your operation in the winter. Adrian.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Yeah, I do,,,,,but I ain't much good at it, but I do enjoy it. My wife took all my power tools away from me because I was "butchering" the wood too fast
Seems it took two boards to get one. First one I learned what I was doing wrong, second one was the one that should fit.(notice I said should,,didn't always happen) Fortunately, I had access to an old baton board cabin for free wood source for most of the work. Too bad I don't heat with wood cause I have alot of scrap. I have an occasional fire in the back yard so I get to enjoy the wood that way as well. 
I have some pretty ugly hives that paint won't help so I keep them in the woods out of public view. I figure as long as I don't violate bee space, it's o.k. The bees haven't left yet 
enjoy!

Rick SoMd


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## standman (Mar 14, 2008)

I get a ton of joy from making my own woodenware, and I have built about everything except frames. It seems the most important thing, after getting your equipment, is finding a cheap source of wood. I visit job sites and get permission to raid their burn piles. I have also used a lot of "cull" lumber from the big box stores.
If shipping was not so expensive, I could buy some stuff about as cheap as I can make it. But with free or cheap lumber, and not figuring anything for my time, I have been able to add considerably to my equipment and expand my hobby. For a closet woodworker, it really enhances the beekeeping experience.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

I started building all my own woodenware except frames this year, as I am expanding in a big way over the next couple years. I get no.2 pine boards(very nice no.2) at a local family owned lumber yard much cheaper than the big stores. I can build anything for about 1/3 or less than any of the bee supply companies charge. I use rabbet joints instead of box joints, and use good galvanized spiral shank nails with plenty of Titebond 3 glue. The only thing I don't make is the aluminum tops for the outer covers. I buy a large coil of aluminum (2 ft.x 50ft.) and take it to a local sheet metal fabricator, and he bends them up to fit perfectly at a reasonable cost. 

It's a good feeling to step back and look at stacks and stacks of freshly painted parts and know that you did it yourself and saved a ton in the process.


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## mrspock (Feb 1, 2010)

Some local naysayers advised me against building my equipment, on the grounds that it was non-standard, and I wouldn't be able to sell it. Seems like an odd consideration for a few hives.

In any case, I built it, and am more than happy I did. I improved my shop skills, made better than I could buy, and feel pride when I look at my hives.


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## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

let the naysayers talk. They surely don't know what they're talking about. You can build your hives, and catch swarms, or do splits, and have all of the colonies that you want, for almost nothing.


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## MapMan (May 24, 2007)

Yep, there are going to be naysayers. But come the high snow and cold temps of winter, it is nice to be productive making the equipment in a warm shop. I make essentially all of my equipment, except frames. In fact, I just finished 50 more mediums a couple weeks ago - seems like the bees have been needing more supers this year. I'm planning on expanding next year again (the amount of hives, not so much my belly :no so I will need to get busy earlier this winter. I save a bundle of $ making my own equipment.

MM


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

With the exception of some frames I needed in a hurry, all my woodenware this year has been built in my expanding shop. Even hundreds of frames have been made. Not sure why the naysayers complain that homemade equipment has to be substandard or odd sizes. I took the plans from beesource and started from there. My bees seem at home in it and, though I'm not selling any of it, the naysayers needn't fear my having it in my hives.

Just made a pile of medium nuc boxes today to finish out my splits at the end of the month. Tomorrow I have to hunker down and start cranking out more frames for the late flow. If it weren't for the free wood I get and the tools I bought, I could never expand at the rate I plan.

I bought most of my equipment used. Table saw, radial arm and planer. I am ordering a new Grizzly bandsaw with riser block next week so I can start resawing 2x10 and 2x12 cutoffs into 3/4" boards for hive body sides. I've built everything so far from 3/4" Windsor One trim (Monterey pine) that I get from the scrap box at work. I'll need a lot more wood for next years increase so I'll be bringing home a few truckloads of cutoffs for this winter's project.

Wayne


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## DavidL (Aug 19, 2009)

This is my first year at beekeeping. I built all of my woodware including frames from plans from this site. I get my wood from a local sawmill 2 minutes from my house; charges around .50 a bdft for rough saw pine. For the metal cover, I used some round metal duct that I had laying around. Most of all I enjoy building the woodware.

http://sites.google.com/site/lunzmanbees/home


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## wolfpenfarm (Jan 13, 2009)

waynesgarden said:


> With the exception of some frames I needed in a Tomorrow I have to hunker down and start cranking out more frames for the late flow. If it weren't for the free wood I get and the tools I bought, I could never expand at the rate I plan.
> 
> I
> 
> Wayne


Be careful wayne, i am recovering from frame making. Got my hand caught in the dado blade. chewed up my index finger real good.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I've made just about all of my equipment up to this point - after buying a bunch of odds and ends including about 150 frames at a garrage sale. 

Since I ran out of my initial purchase of frames I've been making my own - and even thought they have quite a lot of fiddly little parts you can actually come out pretty good making them if you go about it right and make enough at one time.


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## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

I never thought of making my own frames. I would like to see how it is done.


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## Bens-Bees (Sep 18, 2008)

Yeah I'd be curious how the top bars are made, the rest seems easy.


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## pom51 (Jul 28, 2008)

I don't think anyone can make them fro .67each from BM.I have all the table saw and band saw router table and it works for me to buy them. I do however make all my hive and supers.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Yea I would like to see it also. Does someone have plans or a jig or how is it done?


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## wolfpenfarm (Jan 13, 2009)

pom51 said:


> I don't think anyone can make them fro .67each from BM.I have all the table saw and band saw router table and it works for me to buy them. I do however make all my hive and supers.


Oh you can make them for around .30 a frame. But i make them for zilch out of salvaged wood.


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## wolfpenfarm (Jan 13, 2009)

EastSideBuzz said:


> Yea I would like to see it also. Does someone have plans or a jig or how is it done?


there are some plans on the plans section here. No jig to do it, you have way too many cuts. the top bar you have to make about 14 cuts. the side pieces about 6 and bottoms 5 cuts. LOT of time involved on frames.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Not really all that much time. My top bars are made out of 2 simple to make parts glued together instead of one complex part. And the key is that you cut the profile into a wide piece - like a 2x6 2x8 or 2x10 - and then you rip that into 12 or more individual parts. Also you make enough parts for many frames at one time so that you only have to tune the set up once to produce parts for 200 or so frames. The more you make the less time you have in each one. 

Also a lot of the material can be short cut offs from a framing job that you can get for free.

If you have a job making good money with over time making even better then you probably shouldn't bother (of course in that case why are you fooling with bees anyway?) but if you have time and wood and tools it's a whole different thing. 

Or if you just like to make sawdust and say "I made this".


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

You can make your own stuff, but it will likely not be as solid as the regular off the shelf equipment -- finger joints are time consuming. There is also the issue of standardization. Many things do not fit or work correctly when attempting to interchange them. You lose a couple of hives/work this way and the extra time/cost is lost. If you have only a couple of hives, then have at it, no harm done. I have some hand made stuff in my yard and it is the bane of my existence.


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## manfre (Dec 12, 2008)

I make some of my own equipment, but realized it is more cost effective to use the time I would have spent cutting to take on more consulting hours and just purchase the unassembled equipment from brushy or miller. It's hard to compare an hour spent sitting at a desk in A/C to an hour outside in 80+ F cutting lumber. I do make some equipment in a pinch, like when I added 4 more hives than I expected. I also make all my own TBH equipment.


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## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

[
:no: I You can make a lot of equipment real fast. Just cut everything up and put it together. If you stick to the standard plans, The quality and severicability will be the same, and the equipment cost will be way down.

There is also a pride of acomplishment, that you can't put a price on.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

I love building my own equipment. Im a carpenter by trade and have the jig made for box joints and all. Bend my own metal for the tops. My main problem is lumber. I cant find pine locally for a price that make it feasible. Bought my last hive I needed. It hurtDave


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

wolfpenfarm said:


> Be careful wayne, i am recovering from frame making. Got my hand caught in the dado blade. chewed up my index finger real good.


Sorry to hear that. Hope you're mending quickly. 

I had to order another 100 frames today due to too many other responsibilities and not enough time in the shop. I find it best to stay away from powerful cutting tools after a long day on the real job.

I did build some boxes today since I have more queens coming next week for nucs. I timed how long it took me to cut the finger joints on medium boxes. About three and a half minutes to do all the cuts for one box. Since I like the way they look and they are very strong, I don't buy the idea that that they take too long to cut, al least not for me. A simple home made jig makes it easy. And having a radial arm saw in the shop set up for all the cross-cuts speeds things up too.

Nor do I buy the idea that home made equipment will likely be crap when compared to store-bought. Maybe some is. I've also tasted home made pie that made me want to gag. It has nothing to do with being home made and everything to do with the craftsmanship that goes into it. If you are competent with a table saw, don't let anyone try to make you believe you can't or shouldn't make your own equipment.

When making frames, I cut 2x12s to the length of the side bars I need. Then I make all the cuts for a biunch of sides at once. I cut the notch for the top and bottom board by setting up the 3/4" dado on the table saw and cutting a slot along the top and bottom of the board. I then use the dado to shape the curved taper in the sidebar edge by feeding the flat 2X12 repeatedly partially into the dado. (Clamp a stop on the table.) Then I finally use a rip blade to cut the final side bar out of the fully shaped and notched 2x12, like slicing baloney. I like to make a lot at one time so as to minimize the set-up time on the saw. Planning ahead and having a system means I may have to set the dado up once in the side bar process, especially when I can combine finger-jointing boxes while the saw is still set up.

The top bar also makes good use of the dado set to 3/4", changing it to 3/8" to cut the notch that the side bars to fit into. I use a fine sawblade to cut out the wedge. I don't angle up the ends that rests on the framerest nor to I bevel the edges in slightly since they seem to serve no noticible purpose for me.

The bottom bar is a simple rip and then cut the groove with the sawblade which has just the right kerf. I don't notch the ends as some manufacturers do but keep the bars a uniform 3/4". This lets me use the 3/4" dado set up on the side bars and not have to reset it for no real gain.

The trick to making frames efficiently is to plan ahead and make a lot at one session. And a boatload of frames can be made for free from construction cut-offs.

The biggest benefit to making my own equipment is that I can justify having all the tools I never would have gotten before. A new Grizzly bandsaw with riser block for re-sawing planks into 3/4" boards is next on the list and should be here next month. Can't wait!

Wayne


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## wolfpenfarm (Jan 13, 2009)

waynesgarden said:


> Sorry to hear that. Hope you're mending quickly.
> 
> utes to do all the cuts for one box. Since I like the way they look and they are very strong, I don't buy the idea that that they take too long to cut, al least not for me.


Well for me, it takes too long to cut out. I would do them maybe for myself now, but not in production. I will do it for a extra charge. But honestly i am starting to lean more towards my lock miter joint. It leaves no exposed end grain, tighter and when glued and nailed it ain't going to come apart. 




> Nor do I buy the idea that home made equipment will likely be crap when compared to store-bought.


Well i make all the hives i sell on old equipment. And it looks good. It is just as good as store bought. Now on my tin on my tops, it isn't rolled and tucked under, i don't have a shear or a brake to bend or cut it. just a pair of tin snips and my hands. LOL. 





> When making frames, I cut 2x12s to the length of the side bars I need. Then I and bottom of the board. I then use the dado to shape the curved taper in the sidebar edge by feeding the flat 2X12 repeatedly partially into the dado. (Clamp a stop on the table.)


 That is exactly how i got my hand in the blade. Dado caught a knot or something and kicked it and my hand got pulled into the side of the blade. 
Caught two fingers, chewed up my index through the top of the nail down to the bone, and just nicked my middle finger.


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## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

. 



That is exactly how i got my hand in the blade. Dado caught a knot or something and kicked it and my hand got pulled into the side of the blade. 
Caught two fingers, chewed up my index through the top of the nail down to the bone, and just nicked my middle finger.[/QUOTE]


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## baldwinbees (Mar 2, 2010)

I'm a carpenter by trade,have a nice shop&can make everything ,except frames, for pennies on the dollar.Free materials,got the standard joke now if it is big enough for a hive part it goes to the side.1 builder even jokes about the dumpster fees have gone down.Anyways,to me time&materials vs. buying frames....I'll buy them.The rest..16 1/4 is the same no matter how you measure.Make a stop block&if its 1/16 bigger or smaller then they all are so its all good.They are yours&you made them&tell them folks what you spent your money saved on.....new veil,beetle traps,feeders,or whatever else you might not have been able to get if you had to buy hive bodies or bottom boards


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## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

They are yours&you made them&tell them folks what you spent your money saved on.....new veil said:


> Excellent point


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

wolfpenfarm said:


> But honestly i am starting to lean more towards my lock miter joint. It leaves no exposed end grain, tighter and when glued and nailed it ain't going to come apart.


I've never tried a lock miter. Someone else here recommended them before so I looked them up. Maybe I'll try it this winter.

Someone I know that works for a local commercial beek said they are starting to omit the taper at the bottom of the sidebars of the frames and just leave them uniform all the way down. I might try that too since it will cut frame-making time considerably. Loses the traditional look, but the times, they are a changin'.

Wayne


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

waynesgarden said:


> Someone I know that works for a local commercial beek said they are starting to omit the taper at the bottom of the sidebars of the frames and just leave them uniform all the way down. I might try that too since it will cut frame-making time considerably. Wayne


If you do that think about how much more surface for the bees to propolis the frames together :scratch:


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## Pugs (Jul 15, 2004)

A local place I get my wooden ware from makes those frame sides without the taper. I think he said they are used in the honey supers when only eight frames are put into a 10 frame box. They would then be too far apart to propolis together. I think he called them California frames, but I'll check this weekend when I'm there.

Pugs


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## beemerry (Feb 27, 2009)

I,ve discovered that basswood which I cut from my own trees works well for frames. Unlike pine you can push together tight joints without splitting the wood. Bassood has the ability to be compressed. Since it is soft it is easy to work. I also find that it is relatively knot-free.


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## Neal 48 (Jun 28, 2010)

I just aquired another table saw, to help with my Apiary building quest.


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## jwalk (Mar 6, 2011)

I make all my equip. except for foundation. I will be attempting to do that as well once I have got enough good wax. There does seem to be a consensus that building your own frames is a waste of time and effort but I dissagree. I can make 100 frames in a weekend easily and drink beer and enjoy myself the whole time. My friend has a sawmill so I can pretty much get all the free lumber I need. Building your own stuff only takes a few basic tools as others have pointed out. I use a table saw with dado, chop saw, and router (router table I made myself). Also, when you build it yourself you can do a better job gluing and stapling. I can stand on my frames.


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## willyC (May 6, 2010)

I'm about to assemble boxes and frames for the first time (pre cut), I just hope I can find my carpentry hammer in amongst my 20+ blacksmith hammers

I have never "played well" with wood so trading metal work for wood work is my thing, besides wood working (sawdust) and metal work in the same shop is a shop fire waiting to happen. 

Willy


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