# Fat combs



## Cinnamon (Feb 1, 2004)

I've noticed that on my hive, seems they sometimes like 36/37 mm? They started off nice and straight, but it gets a bit bumpy and definitly, the width is going wider. I've given my second, new hive 35/38 mm bars (whats the word, interlaced?) to see what is going to happen.

I was also thinking of having some TB's cut in odd sizes, to use as spacers if the comb gets way too fat.

Cinnamon


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I think Cinnamon may have the right idea. Just cut a skinny bar to put over the thick comb. I think if you put a whole bar in they will start in between two bars or some other odd place. I like to add a bar on the other side so it will be between two drawn combs. I'm doing that more since my long medium Lanstroth hive swarmed (not TBH but a long hive). I think in order to keep the brood nest open you have to add some anyway, so why not between two good straight combs instead of waiting for them to move back more.


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

That's what I try to do. Get my best comb and put it in the back so it trains the new comb being build just infront of it. You only need one best comb, even if the one that was at the back previously is all bumpy, because when the new comb is drawn, the face that faces the training comb will be perfect and so you put in another new bar between the current last two and it will be perfect on both sides.

Same strategy with the brood nest, use your two best combs to train a 3rd, the 3rd will be better than the 2 trainers.

------------------
Scot Mc Pherson
Foundationless Small Cell Top Bar Hives
BeeWiki: http://linuxfromscratch.org/~scot/beewiki/


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi Dm,

I've noticed the same behavior, especially if I've moved or re-arranged the top bars with a minor flow going on.

So far I have just used a serrated knife to reduce its thickness and then placed it next to a drawn out comb.

And thanks for sharing the info on your site concerning the side/end entrances. I like them alot better than the holes I had drilled in my first tbh.

Regards
Dennis


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I used a 1/2" wide bar today to make room for a fat one. Crowded it up close to another drawn comb but still had a gap so I filled it. Maybe it would be handy to have some 1/4" and 1/2" wide bars to put in when they build a fat one to get back on the center of the next bar. I think I might make a few and play with them.


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## Cinnamon (Feb 1, 2004)

What about fastening them together? 

I'm thinking that it would be hard to pick 2-3 bars, esp if they incooperated the thin ones into a new comb setup and it would maybe make it unstable if the beekeeper is clumsy (and that describes me to a T









So, what about this:

==== 
-------
| | | 
-------
====

where ==== are the teeth(?) of the clamp.

Cinnamon


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you know which comb you think that strip belongs to, you could use a hand stapler and connect it so you remember to leave the attached. The wax and propolis will hold them together as long as you aren't prying them apart.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

Bump. Another good thread from 2004 that gives helpful advice for "fat" honey combs in TBHs.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

How about putting it in between two other combs, too tightly close but not touching. I would expect the bees to trim the thick comb down to re-establish bee space between combs.


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

I think if we could see the comb in question it was probably offset of its center guide due to the previous comb. The spacers are mandatory at this stage to get the new combs back on track.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Once my combs start getting fat I just start gapping them 1/8 inch or so and it usually fixes the issue.

Matt


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## franktrujillo (Jan 22, 2009)

i do as sqkcrk said i just use another frame that drawed and push close together pushed tight together and the rework them to establish there space again.also if im in a hurry just pull the frame out and cut it off straight then feed it back to them...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Cacklewack said:


> Once my combs start getting fat I just start yapping them 1/8 inch or so and it usually fixes the issue.
> 
> Matt


What's yapping?


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Hah. I meant to say "gapping."

Matt


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

That makes sense. I tried, but couldn't figure it out.


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