# 3/4-inch or 7/8-inch lumber for supers?



## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

3/4" is standard for "one inch" thick lumber. All the commerical hive bodies are made with it, so are all the top bars in the frames I've bought.

You won't have any trouble with it.

Paint your equipment properly and it will last a long time.

Peter


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

7/8" isn't "usual" in these parts. Betterbee is the only one I know that sells woodenware made with 7/8" pine and I have some of those, but everyone I buy from now uses 3/4". The 7/8" makes not a bit of difference except some of my home made frames are too tight in their boxes. 

The hundreds of boxes I made were from 3/4" stock and the plans posted here on the Build It Yourself section are designed for 3/4" stock. 

Wayne


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

I make 3/4, 7/8, 15/16, and 1 inch cypress hives. The only difference I have noticed is thicker wood cups worse when not sealed from moisture. The "R value of 1/8 inch of wood is insignificant, 1/4 inch is hardly significant, wet/moist anything very significant.
When you make supers of different thickness try to keep the interior dimension the same for good bee space and frame fit.


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## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

Local lumber in Canada is in inch ?? and not in mm ??


BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## SRatcliff (Mar 19, 2011)

I've made all my own hive bodies from whatever I can find. 1in and half in and everything in between. All that matters to me is that they work and there's enough room for a rabbet(what the frames sit on). It doesn't have to be perfect, and count any small gaps as a way for ventilation and the bees will seal up the rest.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

Use your local 3/4" lumber. 

I believe Mann Lake also sells 7/8" boxes...


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

I also notice the odd 7/8" boxes when I try to hang my wire frame holder on the side of one. Doesn't fit.

Wayne


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