# Assembling Frames



## jesuslives31548 (May 10, 2008)

I just finished putting 580 frames together. ( ok my wife and son did most of the work)
What I found works best if you have someone to help you. My wife would put the frames togehter ( with joints glued as she was assembling), pass them down to me and I would nail them togther. I use a brad nailer with staples. We could put a frame toghter in less then 30 seconds or so like this. My son and daughter would put them in the super and stack them. I recommend a good brad nail gun if you have a lot to do. Oh and that was also placing the wax in the frame aswell..........Good Luck


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## danwyns (Nov 11, 2007)

We played around with a few jig set ups but ultimately found it easier to just do frames by hand. Pushing together a couple hundred at a time and snapping in plastic foundation. Then stapling top and bottoms. Then keeper staples into the top bar throught the sides. No glue required. I can turn out ~450 a day (8hrs) this way. Not exactly fast, but faster than anything else I've come up with without losing quality.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Is there a faster way to assemble frames than the jig that holds 10 frames at a time*

Many years ago a device was made and sold where you could be seated , assemble the frames into a jig, foot control the stapling and put the completed frame into the super.
I used ABLE Industries in Tulare Calif to assemble the frames.
ABLE was an agency that employed the Educationally Challenging.
I do not know if they are still in business.
I use a PassLoad stapler with a wide crown staple that straddles the saw kerf where the snap in plastic foundation goes in the frame..
BTW:
You might consider using some Pierco all plastic frames and save a lot of time.
Good luck,
Ernie


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*10 frames at a time*

You might consider 2 or more jigs.
I have the tips of the frames dipped in water pror to assembling to prevent splitting the wood when stapled.
Ernie


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Colorado law says you can utilize kids as young as 9 for ag labor. Sounds like you are on the right track with using the kids. :applause: Having the wife work may get expensive...you never know what the ultimate cost to you is going to be...


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

With the jig I use (no springs) I can glue, assemble, and nail 10 frames in less than 2 minutes. I don't use foundation, but you could insert foundation in the same length of time I imagine, certainly plastic can be snapped in in seconds. The problem with bigger jigs is handling it. I flip mine once per batch. I do the tops and nail, then flip and do the bottoms and nail. I put one nail in each end, top and bottom, 4 nails total. Placed at the right angles, that's all you need. They just hold it until the glue dries anyway. I dump the frames from the jig immediately after nailing and let them dry in a super. I slop the glue on. The excess dries and nobody cares. It's just about as fast as reading the web page.
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/framejig/framejig.htm


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*Nice photos*

Is that TightBond # 3 glue?
Ernie


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## trapper_dave (Jan 5, 2007)

*Wow!*

Ross: "With the jig I use (no springs) I can glue, assemble, and nail 10 frames in less than 2 minutes."

How many does that work out to in an eight hour shift?
By my estimation you can nail up 2400 frames a day!

Nice jig - I think I'll put one together tomorrow.

Thanks,
Dave


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I use Titebond II, but III will work as well.


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## Gene Weitzel (Dec 6, 2005)

Titebond III is more moisture restant than Titebond II and is considered better for joints that are exposed to the weather. Titebond II is less expensive but is designed for interior use. Since the frames are well protected from the weather Titebond II is all that would be required. I always use Titebond III for all tops, bottoms and boxes. I use whatever I happen to have in the squeeze bottles at the time (II or III) when I assemble frames.


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## KDT1961 (Feb 10, 2009)

Ross,
It looks like your top pieces are cut at 45 degrees to center? Is that for running foundation free frames? (I'm new at this, so please bear with me.) 
Thanks,
Dean


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Yep, I haven't used foundation in 4-5 years, but the assembly is the same either way.
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/frames/
I don't bother with inserting the triangle anymore, just rip one side and break out the wedge.


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## KDT1961 (Feb 10, 2009)

How does that work out when installing a package or moving a nuc into a larger hive? Is there anything special you do, besides leveling the hives to make sure they draw comb within the frame?
Thanks.
Dean


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Not really. One drawn frame in the center of a box helps, but I have also dropped a full super of empty frames on a strong hive during a flow without problems. Like any comb drawing, it works best on a flow. Worst case is you may have to straighten a few later, but that's not a big problem. Nucs love to draw comb. I rotate drawn comb out and empty frames into nucs get them drawn, especially if I want to keep them in the nuc for a while longer.


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