Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: D D on October 08, 2016, 09:39:23 PM

Title: Cardboard spacer
Post by: D D on October 08, 2016, 09:39:23 PM
Has any one used cardboard for spacer in a eight frame box to make a five frame nuke
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: little john on October 09, 2016, 07:31:16 AM
Similar.  I once used a suitably cut-down cardboard box wrapped in thick polythene (and well taped down) to reduce an 11-frame box (deep super) to 5. 

But if you don't cover the cardboard in something 'bee-proof', then in a few days you'll find that cardboard outside the hive entrance in hundreds of tiny bits.

Top side:

(http://i63.tinypic.com/2gx1et4.jpg)

Underneath:

(http://i63.tinypic.com/i78mmx.jpg)


Pretty grotty - dunno why I kept it, as I use half-width boxes now.
LJ
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: D D on October 09, 2016, 10:01:56 AM
Thank you little John for that info  I'll keel that in mind.     DD
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: yes2matt on October 11, 2016, 04:03:34 PM
Corrugated plastic "corex" like from cheap yard signs. Should be whole lotta political signs available end of November. I'm gonna stock up.

When I got my new boxes, I routed a 1/4 slot for a splitter before I put them together. 
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: tjc1 on October 11, 2016, 09:03:37 PM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 11, 2016, 04:03:34 PM
Corrugated plastic "corex" like from cheap yard signs. Should be whole lotta political signs available end of November. I'm gonna stock up.

When I got my new boxes, I routed a 1/4 slot for a splitter before I put them together.

The slot is a great idea! When you need it, it's there, and no harm when you don't need it - except they might fill it with propolis?
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: little john on October 12, 2016, 07:18:27 AM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 11, 2016, 04:03:34 PM
When I got my new boxes, I routed a 1/4 slot for a splitter before I put them together.

Of course, you can always retro-fit a groove into an existing brood box. ...

I router grooves into brood boxes after making them, using a 'jig' (well, a plank of wood of precise width ... ) thusly:

(http://i68.tinypic.com/wlybyr.jpg)


I've photographed the 'jig' upside-down, in order to show it's stepped edge.  I found this edge was necessary in order to clear the bead of glue which remains in the corners after I've run waterproof glue into all the cracks and gaps to seal them prior to painting.

I find unused grooves completely trouble free - the girls don't propolise them as there's nothing there to seal, and they don't draw comb as there's not enough room.
The only time they lay down propolis is when there's a divider present in the grooves, so smearing the sliding areas with Vaseline(tm)/ Petroleum Jelly is a wise move, especially if the divider is made of wood.
LJ
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: Acebird on October 12, 2016, 08:59:09 AM
I like propolise.  Put a fabric hinge in the middle of your 1/4 inch divider board and you can just break it out any time you want.
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: Jim134 on October 12, 2016, 08:59:56 AM
Quote from: D D on October 08, 2016, 09:39:23 PM
Has any one used cardboard for spacer in a eight frame box to make a five frame nuke

   Why not use follower boards? And in the void place just placed on Post newspaper.

        BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :smile:
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: yes2matt on October 12, 2016, 02:43:47 PM
Quote from: Acebird on October 12, 2016, 08:59:09 AM
I like propolise.  Put a fabric hinge in the middle of your 1/4 inch divider board and you can just break it out any time you want.
Ooooh good idea! How do you keep the hinged divider straight while it's in the box?
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: Oldbeavo on October 12, 2016, 05:04:38 PM
In a 8 frame box we put 70mm thick piece of polystyrene to take the place of 2 frames, so putting one piece in gives you a 6 frame and 2 pieces give you a 4 frame.
The bees don't chew out the polystyrene unless they run out of room. When they fill the 4 frames, pull out one piece and add 2 frames.
Works well as it also insulates the spare space
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: Acebird on October 12, 2016, 07:45:36 PM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 12, 2016, 02:43:47 PM
Quote from: Acebird on October 12, 2016, 08:59:09 AM
I like propolise.  Put a fabric hinge in the middle of your 1/4 inch divider board and you can just break it out any time you want.
Ooooh good idea! How do you keep the hinged divider straight while it's in the box?
You could melt some wax in the seem, just enough to hold it.
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: yes2matt on October 25, 2016, 09:07:21 PM
Quote from: tjc1 on October 11, 2016, 09:03:37 PM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 11, 2016, 04:03:34 PM
Corrugated plastic "corex" like from cheap yard signs. Should be whole lotta political signs available end of November. I'm gonna stock up.

When I got my new boxes, I routed a 1/4 slot for a splitter before I put them together.

The slot is a great idea! When you need it, it's there, and no harm when you don't need it - except they might fill it with propolis?
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161025/76e96d0042762ba9ba60f2feb7b5e5a5.jpg)

Just FYI, a virgin Q can get thru that gap when you put the divider in. Which can make your "queen castle " more like just a single nuc (I  had some disappointment)  so you need to either put a tab on the divider to cover the gap, or route the slot deeper.

On my boxes, a deeper route goes thru into the handle cutout, so I opted to make tabs on my dividers.
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: little john on October 26, 2016, 07:03:09 AM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 25, 2016, 09:07:21 PM
Quote from: tjc1 on October 11, 2016, 09:03:37 PM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 11, 2016, 04:03:34 PM
Corrugated plastic "corex" like from cheap yard signs. Should be whole lotta political signs available end of November. I'm gonna stock up.

When I got my new boxes, I routed a 1/4 slot for a splitter before I put them together.

The slot is a great idea! When you need it, it's there, and no harm when you don't need it - except they might fill it with propolis?
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161025/76e96d0042762ba9ba60f2feb7b5e5a5.jpg)

Just FYI, a virgin Q can get thru that gap when you put the divider in.

Can she ?

(http://i63.tinypic.com/70ufxs.jpg)

(http://i67.tinypic.com/64dqi9.jpg)


Not if you make the dividers properly ...
LJ

Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: little john on October 26, 2016, 07:27:44 AM

Here's another example - this time of a divided box made before I owned a router, showing the 'external groove' and the method of blocking access behind the hardwood runners.

(http://i63.tinypic.com/fkw1zn.jpg)


But - life is SO much simpler when you own a router.
LJ
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: yes2matt on October 27, 2016, 10:13:47 PM
Quote from: little john on October 26, 2016, 07:03:09 AM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 25, 2016, 09:07:21 PM

(http://i67.tinypic.com/64dqi9.jpg)

Not if you make the dividers properly ...
LJ


^^ that's what I meant by put a tab on the divider. LJ you have excellent woodwork! and always great pics!
EDIT: ^^ and I notice your divider is taller than flush, so that your inner covers come against the sides.  This also is a design detail I learned thru disappointment :/ :)
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: yes2matt on October 27, 2016, 10:18:21 PM

Quote from: little john on October 26, 2016, 07:03:09 AM


(http://i67.tinypic.com/64dqi9.jpg)

Not if you make the dividers properly ...
LJ


^^ that's what I meant by put a tab on the divider. LJ you have excellent woodwork! and always great pics!
EDIT: ^^ and I notice your divider is taller than flush, so that your inner covers come against the sides.  This also is a design detail I learned thru disappointment :/ :)
[/quote]
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: little john on October 28, 2016, 06:41:48 AM
Quote from: yes2matt on October 27, 2016, 10:18:21 PM
LJ you have excellent woodwork! and always great pics!
Thanks for the compliment - not sure it's deserved though - the blue paint which you can see splashed about betrays 'running repairs' - as in 'making things fit again' after the wood has warped/ settled-down/ weathered etc.

Quoteand I notice your divider is taller than flush, so that your inner covers come against the sides.  This also is a design detail I learned thru disappointment :/ :)
You're not alone - many have discovered this the hard way ... I know I did.  Wide dividers (say, where two half-width boxes are placed over a divided full-width box) obviously need to be made flush with the top - but - thin dividers really do need to project above the top, with the crown boards/ inner covers pushed-up against them.

So, for the benefit of any other folk out there who may be tempted - here's a shot of how NOT to do it:

(http://i65.tinypic.com/wslq9c.jpg)

The movable divider here is only 8mm wide, and the problem with movable dividers is that they can very easily move at the wrong time - like, in the middle of an inspection ! 
So I made a fixed 'slot' for them with 2 pairs of oval nails at each end.  But it's still a dog's breakfast - and I keep planning to raise the divider height and trim the crown boards to suit.  One of these days ...
LJ
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: Dabbler on October 28, 2016, 07:44:28 AM
"   But it's still a dog's breakfast "

Just wanted to say thanks for increasing my lexicon as well as my beekeeping knowledge.
I can definitely foresee me using  the phrase in the future.   :wink:

Spence 
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: rwlaw on October 28, 2016, 08:07:34 AM
I had to google it to understand what the phrase was. I like it too, lot's better than FUBAR. LOL
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: BeeMaster2 on November 04, 2016, 01:08:42 PM
"dog's breakfast" I also had to look it up. "A Mess"
I will have to start using that one.
Thanks.
Jim
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: BobMac on November 07, 2016, 08:57:23 AM
LJ,
Thought you were referring to this when you said, a dogs breakfast .  :happy:

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c357/rwmccor/A-dogs-breakfast.jpg) (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/rwmccor/media/A-dogs-breakfast.jpg.html)

I'am new to Bee's this year always enjoy your  explanations and pictures of what you have
made and why.  thanks. My Grandfather was from England, so I have heard this phrase before
as many others but really didn't know what it meant till now.Just thought it was his quirky way of
saying things.  :happy:   
Title: Re: Cardboard spacer
Post by: little john on November 07, 2016, 09:25:27 AM
 :smile: BRILLIANT !!  :smile: