# glueing/stapling frames



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

It takes very little extra time to glue and makes a much better frame. Imo its well worth it.


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## kengineer (Jul 4, 2015)

I glue and nail. I am sure that there are as many ways to do it as keepers. 

Decide how hard you want to pry to be able get frames out and fasten accordingly. 

How expensive is glue and how much extra time will it take. One frame falling apart is worth how much to you?


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I have never had a glue  frame come apart. Have pulled many old frames that feel apart


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## jcummins (Feb 21, 2016)

Just getting started with beekeeping. But I have done a bit of woodworking. I will use glue and a nail gun. The glue is what will hold over time.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

couple dabs of tightbond 3 and a harbor freight 2inch air stapler. the glue will actually be stronger then the wood. i'd never make a frame without it. 
spend some time making a jig with bungie cord around it. I have one for my deeps and one for my shallows. I can bang out 20 in 15min.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

The first time you pry a frame top bar off and the rest of the frame is still in the hive, you will kick yourself several times (and never build another frame without glue). Costs only pennies per frame. The nails or staples only hold the frame together long enough for the glue to dry in my view.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

beefarmer said:


> do most glue when building new frames, or is stapling them enough ?


I glue and use one staple in each corner. I only use medium frames. This works well for me.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Glue and staple.


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

the most important staple is the horizontal one thru the end bar into the top bar.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I glue and nail at every opportunity, small price for a better product.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

beeware10 said:


> the most important staple is the horizontal one thru the end bar into the top bar.


I do perpendicular to the top bar from one side of the end bar and it goes through into the other ear as well. You're talking about under the ear right?


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

beeware10 said:


> the most important staple is the horizontal one thru the end bar into the top bar.


"Do you really think it matters, Eddie."


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

yes that's correct. I'm pretty fussy when it comes to equip. supers, frames, combs etc as they are a valuable resource. who would have ever thought we would see todays prices for bees?


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

Glue and staples are the way to go as many have said the modern glue like Titlebond III is stronger than the wood and is water resistant. But you might consider buying pre assembled frames when you consider your time it is cheaper and you can spend the time on places where it counts more-making boxes, bottom boards. covers etc. or working the bees. That is where you save the most money.


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## ggileau (Feb 19, 2013)

I enjoy the whole beekeeping experience. That even includes assembling frames. It kind of gets me away from job stress. That being said, I glue and staple the frames, I staple both vertically and horizontally. I suppose if had 1000 colonies I might think differently. Just my two cents


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## Munson (Mar 16, 2014)

Glue and staple with 1-1/2" to 1-1/4" narrow crown staples.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Glue and staple both down and across.


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## rolftonbees (Jul 10, 2014)

I glue and nail. Two nails at each end on top, plus one from side. Then one in center at each side of bottom and one through the other direction also. The nales on the top going downward are longer than the others. I buy them bulk at bee supplier.

I fully glue and screw my boxes.


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## tazke (Mar 23, 2015)

Glue TB III, and staple, two in the top, one in the bottom


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

I use TBIII, 1-1/2" narrow crown staples down through top bar and up through bottom bar, two each side through end bar under ears (one each side of grooved top-bar) I also use 3/4" brads through sides of end bar ears into top and bottom bars,


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

I can put 20 frames together and glue them in 13 minutes. The gluing process takes less than 45 seconds. The glue is stronger than the staples and cheaper. 

A good frame will last decades. That glue will give you extra years. Titebond II is $18 bucks a gallon. Goes a long way on frames...............


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I would say I am in for trouble. I glued about the first 150 frames and have not glued the last 150 frames. I quit after reading a responce from a member that said the comb was attached to the tob bar and their was no real stress on the rest of the frame. I will tell you how it went in a couple of years. Maby a lot of cussing in my future.
Cheers
gww


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## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

I don't glue. I like the ability to replace the frame parts for repair VS just chunking the whole frame.


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## BeeDeane (Mar 9, 2013)

Good day everyone! Please forgive me if I should have created a new thread but while there is reference to glue here, it seems to be taken for granted what we all know what are talking about. Could someone direct me? What kind of glue is recommended for the hive, keeping in mind the strength required and toxicity? Anything else I should consider?
Thanks in advance for the response!


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I believe we predominately agree on Titebond III wood glue


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

Or Titebond II if III unavailable...


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

What makes titebond 3 superior than 2 when you are building frames?

By the way beedeane, titebond is FDA approved for use in indirect food contact. The bees won't notice a thing and the price is right


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

BeeDeane said:


> Good day everyone! Please forgive me if I should have created a new thread but while there is reference to glue here, it seems to be taken for granted what we all know what are talking about. Could someone direct me? What kind of glue is recommended for the hive, keeping in mind the strength required and toxicity? Anything else I should consider?
> Thanks in advance for the response!


I use Titebond 2 wood glue this can be acquired at Lowe's and basically any hardware store. It is reasonably priced I get mine for $18 a gallon. We have used 3 gallons this year but we have built hundreds of boxes and thousands of frames I don't really see how you can go wrong with Titebond 2 unless your equipment get submerged in water


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

I use Titebond II on frames (because they're 'indoor') and Titebond III on boxes. Saves a little money and I'm not worried about the TBII frames coming apart.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When assembling them in a jig, it doesn't take much time to glue them all.


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## anderson (Feb 24, 2012)

Both titebond II and III are good glues. The III has more open time which means it doesn't set up as fast as the II. I use III in most of my furniture and other wood working projects as it gives me more time to align pieces and get clamps applied. I can't tell a difference once either glue is dry.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Glue (titebond III usually) and nail, two nails through each end of the top bar into the end bars and one through the end bar into the top bar under the "ear". Two in the bottom bar on each end (I used grooved bottom bars) with glue.

Doesn't take much, just a small dap across the top bar where the ends fit and a dot on each side, a dab on the "ears" of the grooved bottom bar. 

I've pulled too many nailed frames apart, and once you've pulled the nails even a little bit, they lose much of their grip. Glue is the only way to go.

Frames should last longer than the boxes unless badly infested with wax moth cocoons, so it pays to make them well. I make my own, and make the end bars and bottoms bars a full 3/8" thick, makes them MUCH stronger.

Peter


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## BeeDeane (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks very much for the responses! Off I go to the hardware store... Titebond III it is!


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## LittleTreeGuy (Aug 8, 2016)

dynemd said:


> I use TBIII, 1-1/2" narrow crown staples down through top bar and up through bottom bar, two each side through end bar under ears (one each side of grooved top-bar) I also use 3/4" brads through sides of end bar ears into top and bottom bars,


I am at a point where I am about to start assembling my first 100 medium frames. I will be using a narrow crown stapler. By looking at the above photo, the way that frame is standing, is it better to put the staples in horizontally? One at each corner of the hive, going through the sidebar, in the top or bottom bar? It seems to me this would provide a stronger joint than the nail/staple driven straight down through the top bar into the endbar. Am I way off here? How many staples are recommended per frame....?


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

I think either way is fine as long as your gluing with Titebond III as mentioned previously in this thread. The glue is where your strength comes from.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

+1 I only use a nail/staple to hold things in place until the glue dries.


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## LittleTreeGuy (Aug 8, 2016)

Awesome. Yep, I use Tite bond III on hive bodies and plan to use it on the frames as well. Glad to know I don't need 10 or more staples per frame.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

LittleTreeGuy said:


> Awesome. Yep, I use Tite bond III on hive bodies and plan to use it on the frames as well. Glad to know I don't need 10 or more staples per frame.


The glue is what holds it. I use 4 stapled total on each frame. Really just holds it for glue to dry. You make a jig?


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## LittleTreeGuy (Aug 8, 2016)

I haven't made the jig yet, but I'm going to. From all the videos I've watched, I think I can build a jig in about 10 minutes with some of the scrap wood I have laying around. Since I don't have 3 or 4 hands, I figure the jig will make assembly much faster. lol.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

When I started I got handed several hundred old frames. They were in a heap at a bee yard. I picked thru and took every single piece of wood. When I got home I found that I was real glad that the beek had only used nails in the top bars and had not nailed thru the sides or ends. There were a few that were "super-nailed" like has been described in this thread. The super-nailed ones, if broken, were barely worth repairing because when they broke they broke GOOD. The rest...all they needed was maybe re-glued and nailed but that was ony a handful. 

After going thru that whole pile I figured out real quick it's best to just use good glue and staple them thru the top bars. If one breaks or separates in the field it's a simple matter of getting out my hammer and a couple small nails. I've repaired about a dozen frames in the field like this. If they were side-nailed I think it'd turn into a "mess" real quick with live bees. 
It was not my idea. FatBEEMAN does the same thing in one of his videos for the same reason. Thanks FBM!


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

LittleTreeGuy said:


> I haven't made the jig yet, but I'm going to. From all the videos I've watched, I think I can build a jig in about 10 minutes with some of the scrap wood I have laying around. Since I don't have 3 or 4 hands, I figure the jig will make assembly much faster. lol.


yup mine is just scrap 2x screwed together with bungies around it. worth it sooooooooooo much to make. just don't make it too tight or they are hard to get off. shoot for one big enough for 20 and you'll be done 100 in no time.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

I build frames 5 at a time and can go just as fast as my buddy with the jig.(maybe a bit faster)
Got it down to where there is no wasted motion. I go so fast the compressor struggles to keep up. 
Being hyper is a gift I guess.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

frustrateddrone said:


> I don't glue. I like the ability to replace the frame parts for repair VS just chunking the whole frame.


Ok so you are pretty brand new at beekeeping yet you, "like the ability to replace frame parts for repair....."?????
Exactly how many frames have you had to repair? did you start beekeeping with some previously used equipment?

Glueing is THE MOST important part of frame building. Once you have a frame or many that the bees glues to the side of the hive you will appreciate the effort. 
FWIW I use 1/4" X 1 or 1-1/4" staples. One into the top of each side bar through the top bar, one through the side bars on each side into the top bar and one one each side of the bottom bar into the bottom of each side bar. The one going through the side bars and into the top bars are the most important ones. They are also the ones that most often draw blood. From my experience the addition of blood does not weaken the TB glue BUT it also does not help things stick together . Always glue frames period.


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