# How to build a TBH - now downloadable



## Limey (Feb 10, 2007)

Wonderful ebook.. my only comment is that there are lots of pictures up until page 22, and then it is suddenly, "here is one I prepared earlier"..

I might have missed it, but I did not see the size for the top bars..

Anyway to enlarge the pictures?


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

Thanks Limey - you're right, I didn't say anything about making top bars! I will fix that asap. (They are 17" long, BTW)

I also see what you mean about too big a jump between p22 and p23 - I will see if I can fix that, too.

You can't enlarge the pictures, but there is a print option that allows you to print it to fit the paper size.


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## Limey (Feb 10, 2007)

Just out of interest.. but if you wanted 12" width in England, can you purchase a 12" width board or 2x 6" boards? What I mean, are the boards really 12" or 6" width? Are your sides are really 12" width?

In the US, for some insane reason, a 6" board is actually 5 1/2"  If you glue 2x 6" boards together, you get 11" .. Does not effect your design, but of interest to anyone in the US who is looking to ensure that the width is 12"


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## TX Ashurst (May 31, 2005)

Limey, lumber is measured before it is planed smooth. So what was a 6" wide board has 1/4" planed off each side and ends up 5 1/2"

I agree it's odd. Almost shady.


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

Limey said:


> Just out of interest.. but if you wanted 12" width in England, can you purchase a 12" width board or 2x 6" boards? What I mean, are the boards really 12" or 6" width? Are your sides are really 12" width?


Yes, my sides are really 12" top to bottom, giving an 11" vertical depth (within 1/8" or so). It probably wouldn't matter if you used 'nominal' 12" - i.e. 11 1/2" so long as other dimensions were adjusted proportionately.


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## LET (May 24, 2005)

*Very well done!*

Wonderful book; very easy to understand. I've never tried a TBH but think that even I could make one of these. Thanks for sharing.

All the best - Lenny


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

Thanks, Let. I must say, I am amazed at the amount of interest in TBHs at the moment. I had a string of notices from my web server telling me that my monthly bandwidth limit was nearly used up by the number of downloads I have had!

The most interesting thing is that most of the feedback I have had has been from women. If this indicates a general revival of interest in beekeeping among women, or a particular interest in TBH beekeeping, I'm not yet sure, but early indications are that women have indeed been put off beekeeping by the heavy lifting and by the dominant male paradigm that surrounds the bee world.

Personally, I am very glad that more women are taking an interest, as I think they will bring a more flexible and nurturing attitude to the subject. I, for one, would be glad to see the end of the male 'how can we get the most out of these creatures' attitude that has permeated beekeeping for the last 150 years and have it replaced by a more feminine 'how can we best live in a mutually beneficial relationship'.


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## BeeAware (Mar 24, 2007)

I recently downloaded your ebook and a friend has just finished building the TBH. He did an excellent job and the TBH looks great. Now, he is building one for me as well. He built the hive from Redwood and put a gabled roof on and covered it with some type of aluminum material that has aluminum on top with a couple of layers of other materials underneath. I think that hive will last for ages! Only one question: Is the 36 inch length hive adequate for brood and honey storage?


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

BeeAware said:


> Only one question: Is the 36 inch length hive adequate for brood and honey storage?


It is here with my bees, although I tend to build the longer ones now as they are more versatile - you can make a nuc/artificial swarm in the same box. 

I look forward to seeing pics of your Redwood hive! Today I started a new apiary close to one of the few Redwood trees growing in this part of SW England. Only a tiddler by CA standards, of course.

Which version of the ebook did you download? I'm canvassing opinion about the new DNL page-turning format, to see if I should make a version of the Barefoot Beekeeper as a DNL, or stick to PDF.


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## BeeAware (Mar 24, 2007)

I downloaded the PDF file on a dial up connection. Took me forever, but now I have a nice TBH and my friend has one too. He called me this evening and said I could pick mine up on Sunday. He works pretty fast! Hope mine looks as nice as his did. I'm going to order your printed book as well. When I install the package of bees, do I place the queen cage on the bottom, or place her cage between top bars? I know some who lay the cage on the bottom, screen side up.


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## girl Mark (Oct 25, 2005)

I thought the DNL ran too slowly on my machine (long wait between turns, my computer's old)- and I'm not someone who likes pdfs either for various reasons.


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## buckbee (Dec 2, 2004)

BeeAware said:


> I downloaded the PDF file on a dial up connection. Took me forever, but now I have a nice TBH and my friend has one too. He called me this evening and said I could pick mine up on Sunday. He works pretty fast! Hope mine looks as nice as his did. I'm going to order your printed book as well.


Hi BA - I hope that didn't do too much damage to your phone bill! And thanks for buying my book - hope you enjoy it.



> When I install the package of bees, do I place the queen cage on the bottom, or place her cage between top bars? I know some who lay the cage on the bottom, screen side up.


You could hang the cage between bars - making sure that it can't fall, of course - that will encourage the bees to cluster around her and feed her. If you use a candy plug, I don't think it matters too much - the bees will free her either way.


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