Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: slacker361 on August 01, 2010, 03:34:46 PM

Title: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: slacker361 on August 01, 2010, 03:34:46 PM
we have a hole stack of cherry wood that I was going to make hives out of , and concerns with cherry wood
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: harvey on August 01, 2010, 03:51:52 PM
Real pretty wood inside,  rots quickly if it gets wet.   
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: hardwood on August 01, 2010, 04:32:29 PM
I can sell PA cherry here for close to $4 bf compared to buying eastern white pine for $.74 for hive bodies. I think I'd rather use the pine anyway, it's lighter.

Scott
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: slacker361 on August 01, 2010, 04:38:42 PM
yes i agree however my cherry is $0.00 / BF , how much heaver is the cherry over pine?
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: hardwood on August 01, 2010, 04:49:35 PM
Specific gravity of white pine is .46. Cherry is .56 so cherry is roughly 20 percent heavier.

Scott
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: slacker361 on August 01, 2010, 04:51:09 PM
I may have to build a deep or two to find out if it will work or not, I just have all this wood and it is just going to waist

Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: G3farms on August 01, 2010, 04:58:32 PM
Sell the cherry wood to a cabinet maker and buy five times the amount of pine.

That is funny you posted this, I had some cherry veneered plywood pieces that I made a nuc out of just last week.
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: Pillpeddler on August 05, 2010, 05:02:31 PM
I agree with G3farms, sell the cherry.  It would make beautiful cabinets ( or hives for that matter ) but if I remember right the wood tends to be prone to warpage.  Any woodworker out there that knows for sure?  You would have to keep it stained each year, it would be a shame to paint that stuff.

Pill
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: hardwood on August 05, 2010, 05:19:16 PM
I use a lot of cherry for staircases and cabinets. I haven't noticed that it warps any more than other domestic hardwoods. It does darken quite a bit in UV light and after that turns to gray. It turns black if it gets wet.

Scott
Title: Re: Hive made out of cherry wood?
Post by: charmd2 on August 05, 2010, 05:31:55 PM
If you've got it, and it's going to waste, use it. :)   then report back to us.