# Best Frame for Comb Honey?



## Pooh Bear (Jun 19, 2015)

Hi - doing some planning for next year and would like to produce some comb honey using shallow supers. Looking at Mann Lakes website, they have this super thin wax foundation available. What I am unsure of is what type of frame is best to use with this? There's so much choice, grooved, wedged, split etc it has me lost as all my experience 9limited) has been with plastic foundation

Could use the hive minds experience on this.
Pooh Bear


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## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2004)

To make cut comb honey the absolutely best frame is Kelley's split top bar. Product number 16N. Unfortunately, it is not in their catalog but I just had reason to confirm that it still being manufactured and sold. No one else today makes a split top bar frame. They should come with full instructions, but it would not hurt to ask that the instructions be included.

Be sure you get the thinnest sheets you can. Mann Lake has them at 26 sheets a pound, which is very good. Kelley and Dadant both have them at 28 sheets a pound.

But, the absolutely best comb honey setup is Ross Rounds. Buy one Complete Super to use as a prototype, and make more supers in your workshop with your table saw. No need for box joints as a full super only weighs about 25 lbs.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> To make cut comb honey the absolutely best frame is Kelley's split top bar. Product number 16N.


Or their grooved thin top bar. Glue in foundation with hot wax. Easier to keep foundation straight.


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## Pooh Bear (Jun 19, 2015)

Ross Rounds looks great but its very expensive. Maybe one day.

In the meantime, I may experiment with some frames to see if I can come up with a similar effect; take a frame, staple wax paper on flush one side to create a membrane. On the other inside face, place a premade square grid from wood (same thickness as frame made from say 1/4" stock) into which a folded pocket of wax paper and cut foundation can be placed. The idea is that the bees pull the wax inside these squares out / fill with honey but at the end of the season, I can pop them out because they are surrounded on 5 sides by wax paper. The membrane sheet at the back holds everything in position with perhaps some fishing line diagonally across the frame to hold them in on the other face. Fishing line could be extracted by pulling it out when complete.

Of course, none of this works if the bees just shred the wax paper.


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

You asked for the best... If you want to go cheap, insert an empty frame in between drawn mostly capped frames of honey.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Pooh Bear said:


> everything in position with perhaps some fishing line diagonally across the frame to hold them in on the other face. Fishing line could be extracted by pulling it out when complete.


I use wire like I am wiring frames normally. I cut the wire at the ends of the frames and get a hold of one end with a grounded pliers and touch the other end of the battery charger at one amp to the wire. It pulls out just as fast as the stinger hits the wire (melts the wax off of the wire).


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

Kelley still has the N-style top bars with the slot in the top: https://www.kelleybees.com/Shop/37/Hives-Components/Frames/4426/Unassembled-Medium-Frames Just choose the N-style frame.

Tom


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## Pooh Bear (Jun 19, 2015)

Yes I noticed that. I don't think they have the foundation in stock to match that frame type


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

You can use that top bar for any size frame. I just chose medium frames because that is what I use. If you search Kelley's site for foundation they have thin wax with no wires. You could use comb honey foundation from any supplier.

Tom


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I have good success with any frame with a comb guide (Kelley F frame or 
GTB with homemade comb guide) and no foundation, between drawn combs in a shallow or medium super spaced nine frames to a ten frame box. If you go with eight frame spacing the combs are too thick for the hard plastic boxes. No time spent on mounting foundation. I know MP likes the look of comb honey on foundation and I agree, but out here the public does not seem to know the difference. Any wasted comb goes into the capping spinner.


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