# hand holds for hive bodies



## Ben Haning (Feb 28, 2005)

What is the best way to make hand holds on a hive body?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I made mine with just a dado cut. Square top and bottom. I've also done cleats glued and nailed on the ends. Do a search and there have been discussions on how to make them like the factory ones. I've never tried it.


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## artic (Feb 18, 2005)

I did a quick search as I too was interested in making good handles, I don't know if what I found will be helpfully or not, but no harm in passing it along...
http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000109.html


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## Tia (Nov 19, 2003)

I don't like the hand holds that stick out. Must be great if you're commercial and have a forklift or something, but I find they just get in my way. I much prefer them cut into the box.


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## Todd Zeiner (Jun 15, 2004)

Ben
If you have a good table saw, you can cut the "factory style" hand holds easy. I followed the instructions from "REDTRACTOR1" on this site. (search the link listed above) I can cut a hand hold in about 45 seconds with my contractor saw. (Delta 10 inch) 

I have a shortbed truck and having handles that stick out past the box makes it so I can't load as many in the same area.


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

If you go to The Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forums and look under Basic Tools and Hive Construction, you will find a post by one of the member's (Jay) that tells you how to do this and includes pictures and how to make a jig to do this with. No special tools, other than a table saw.

peggjam


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## Antero (Jan 9, 2005)

>>If you go to The Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forums and look under Basic Tools and Hive Construction, you will find a post by one of the member's (Jay) that tells you how to do this and includes pictures and how to make a jig to do this with. No special tools, other than a table saw. http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=1526

Terry


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

It is a little faster and just as good (IMO) to use the dado blade like Michael said. Set up your fence about 6 inches from the blade. Put your dado blade in with all the stacks (13/16" or whatever). 

Add stop blocks 2 inches longer than your hive body length on both sides.

Raise the dado blade so it is 3/8" above the table. Then drop your hive body down onto the saw as it is running, move it from stop block to stop block.

Flip and do the other side. (I like to do them AFTER putting the box together).


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

I vote for Michael method.........


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I like to do them AFTER putting the box together.

Yes that's pretty much what I do and I also like to do it after they are together. Much easier to handle when doing the intial plunge cut.


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## Patrick Scannell (Jul 3, 2004)

If you can get access to a radial-arm saw, they are a piece of cake. 
Follow the directions in the archives here, or just do what seems obvious.
Once I figured out how to make nice hand-holds with a radial-arm saw, I quit using cleats.


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## Ben Haning (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks for the tips on making hand holds. I installed the dado blade on my table saw today, and will try it with the stop blocks clamped on tomorrow.


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## John Seets (Jan 9, 2003)

Go to Sears. Buy a raised panel cutter and get Cove bits for it. This is all you need to do factory handholds (+ a table saw of course)
Thanx.


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## The Honey House (May 10, 2000)

Here is what I used.

Sears item #00923217000 Mfr. model #23217 
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00923217000

Sears item #00903214000 Mfr. model #3214 
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00903214000

And then you will either have to make or buy an insert for your saw.


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

Can anyone explain the advantage of the coved out hand holds vs the square top/bottom of a dado??

It just seems it is purely asthetic. Why spend the time and money?

I am painting hive bodies and a few of them have the square dado cut hand holds and they are 10 or 15 years old with no rot.

If there is a good reason I'll fork out the $50.00 for a cove cutter.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I theory the water would run out better from the "coved" one, but I haven't noticed any difference in how long they last.


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

I agree..... These old boxes I am resurecting have not been well taken care of by any means. They showed no rot despite some bare wood showing.


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

I use the scraps from cutting down 1x12 when making deeps. I bevel one corner to 35 degrees. Cut them down to about 8 inches or so. and glue and screw (or dowel) them in place, about 4 inches from the top lip of the box on a deep.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

I made a jig that does basically the same thing as the stop blocks. Once the frame is clamped to the table saw, you just slowly lower the box down and move it around in your jig to get the size handhold you want. I use the dado like others mentioned above. 

I have about 20 boxes I'm going to do this weekend. It is easiest to do alot at one time. I do all 4 sides. I set the jig up for the long side of the box and do all the long sides. Then do the same for the short side. You can knock out alot of boxes in a short amount of time this way.

Happy cutting.... and watch the fingers...

Dan


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Mikes right,just straight dados seem to be the time honored way of cutting hand holds in homemade boxes,followed by applied handles.

I think the Jay's way would work,but if you have alot to do, do like dtwilliamson-except make the frame fairly deep and construct a triangular(ramp or wedge)paralell to the blade,and as long as the box to the left of the blade,with the point toward the blade in the bottom of the jig.

Make the wedge height equal to the depth you want your handhold.

Make the wedge base equal to the height you want your handhold.

Set the frame so the left side of the wedge(from the blade) is equal to whatever distance you want the bottom of the handhold to end up from the top of the box.

Set the right side of the frame(from the blade)to be equal to whatever distance you want the top of your handhold to be from the bottom.

So yeah,this jig is dedicated to a paticular depth box.But hey,that's the beauty of geometry.

And now you set the blade(NOT a dado)elevation equal to the wedge height,and square to top.

Now you can make a controlled plunge(down the ramp)from zero to done in 7 seconds(true).Just take several hog cuts,and a nice finishing final pass.
BE SURE TO ASSEMBLE BOX FIRST! 

This is inherently dangerous,and should only be attempted by experienced tablesaw users.

IF you are still with me,this really works..but the best part is you don't have to do all that hand cranking to tilt your blade.

AND I can vary the proportions to make handholds that I actually can get my hands in.


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

>>>do like dtwilliamson-except make the frame fairly deep 

I failed to mention that my frame is approx 8" deep. I don't do the ramp thing. I just plunge cut with my dado. You have to be careful of the kickback which led to my deeper frame. It helps me keep my box square to the dado and hold it in place in the event of and kickback. I will echo mwjohnson: 

>>This is inherently dangerous...

Please be careful. It is easy to get lazy when you are cutting alot of boxes or dadoing rabbets into them to let your mind wander. Others on this site can tell you from experience.

Dan


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

I can amen that on being careful!! 

Got my right hand touched up a bit by a 16" chopsaw blade years ago. The surgeon was a master.

Be careful cuz when they bite, it happens fast.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

And I can tell you that KICK back can bee as bad as touching the blade!!


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2005)

If you use the method i explained in the earlier post you don't have any kickback. Kickback can cause a lot of pain. You have to be careful when using a table saw.


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## John Seets (Jan 9, 2003)

Sundance;

Dave provided the links for the cove cutter and bits I was referring to. Thanx, Dave.

I believe the coved handholds allow you to get your fingers UNDER the lip of the perpedicular part of the cut such that the your first set of finger knuckes are parallel with the side of the box rather than perpendicular. This allows easier lifting of a heavier box. Hope this is not confusing. This cut, as was pointed out earlier, also allows water run-out.

Whether dadoing it or cove cutting, both methods require a captive cut on a table saw and kickback is more likely. The harder the wood, the more potential for kickback. And as has also been pointed out, you HAVE to pay very close attention to what your are doing. NEVER stand directly behind the blade when doing captive cuts for any reason.

My 2 cents for what its worth.

Thanx.


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