Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: tillie on May 22, 2007, 12:17:41 AM

Title: Frame jig picture
Post by: tillie on May 22, 2007, 12:17:41 AM
Here is a picture of the frame jig that Lonnie Funderberg built and demonstrated at Young Harris.  He said he copied a picture from I believe he said Bee Culture:

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k288/tillielin/DSC00430.jpg)

Some of the ones I've seen can hold 10 at a time.  He likes to build one at a time.  He said that if he had to build 10 he'd never start, but he can build one and then he thinks, well, I can start another.  And then his wife calls him to supper and he thinks, she always calls him earlier than she means to start the meal, so he builds another.  He's then built 3 frames one at a time and would never have started if he had to do 10 at a time!

Is that what you call a tack hammer?

I really liked his presentation - a true bee artisan from Alabama

FYI,

Linda T missing the Young Harris learning!
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Understudy on May 22, 2007, 08:44:16 AM
And to think I just buy the pieces from dadant and glue them together. I thnk the jig is nice but chances are if I had it I would never use it. And my wife would complain about the clutter.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Fish on May 22, 2007, 10:45:34 AM
The ten frame jig is the way to go.  Get the plans and build one from beesource.com.  And if you get cranking with a nail gun and a compressor, those frames will get built fast.  Just line them up, add a little glue, and fire away.  You will be done in no time.
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Robo on May 22, 2007, 10:48:54 AM
Another vote for 10 frame jig and air gun here.   You can probably whip out ten in darn near the same time as it takes to make the 3 individually. 

When my wife calls for dinner,  I do another batch of ten before going :-P

If I had a 100 frames to do one at a time,  I would never want to start 8-)
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Cindi on May 22, 2007, 11:14:20 AM
Linda, you must run around with your camera in hand.  That is great because you sure are teaching us some fun stuff.  I don't think I will ever be able to build anything, I let my husband and sister to the building.  I hate building, I would rather be weeding the gardens!!!!  Thanks Linda, have a wonderful, great day.  Cindi
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Ross on May 22, 2007, 03:30:13 PM
Building one at a time will kill you.  Here is my very simple frame jig.  10 doesn't take much longer than one.
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/framejig/framejig.htm
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: trapperbob on May 22, 2007, 04:11:28 PM
 Hey Ross where do you get the beveled tops
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Robo on May 22, 2007, 04:24:02 PM
I bought grooved top bars and ran them thru the tablesaw.

Not trying to speak for Ross, but it looks like he may do the same.

I found that that the bees would start curving the comb towards the end of the frame when just the bevel was used. So I now just put a small starter strip of some type in the groove and forgo the time to bevel.

BTW,  having built the frame jig from Beesource first and then seeing/building one like Ross's, Ross's is much simpler and easier to use than dealing with the screen door springs of the Beesource one.
Title: Re: Frame jig picture
Post by: Ross on May 22, 2007, 09:48:56 PM
I rip them on the tablesaw using a little sled I designed.  The blade is buried in the cut so it is very safe.  I haven't seen a problem just using the bevel on the top bar.  Just be sure and push all the frames together in the middle of the box.

http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/frames/sled1.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/frames/sled2.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/frames/sled4.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/Bees/frames/sled5.jpg