Grooved or Wedge?

[Bigfoot]

Hello folks, I want to try a hive with foundation less frames, my question is do you use wedge or grooved frames for this. I'm leaning toward the wedge but I'm really not sure, could use some help.

[G3farms]

I would use the wedge.
You can break the wedge out and nail it in sideways for them to start comb on.
Put in a strip of coroplast and nail it in.
Use popscicle sticks and nail them in.
Use a strip of foundation (plastic or wax) and nail it in

[VolunteerK9]

I would use the wedge.
You can break the wedge out and nail it in sideways for them to start comb on.

Ditto. Thats how I did it

[Dave360]

wedge nailed side ways
i only buy wedge frames anymore that way you can go any you want . plastic , crimped wire , foundation less

Dave

[L Daxon]

I've never used anything but wedged tops with grooved bottoms for 10 or so years.
And I've always crushed and strained. But instead of having to take the wedge out to put in more foundation for the next go round, I leave a couple of rows of drawn comb on the top of the frame when I am cutting out the wax/honey to do the crushing.  That left over comb at the top and maybe a row or two at the sides acts as the guide for them to start rebuilding the foundation from scratch, so after the first year with each honey supper I am basically foundationless.

[NasalSponge]

I have been using the wedge like everyone else. Walter Kelly now has a foundationless top bar you can buy if you want to go that route.

[CapnChkn]

I rendered wax from an old hive, made wax strips and secured them by using the wedge after folding the strips at a 90.  So far they've used the strips to build some great deeps, but the one hive I have put a shallow on with the same setup is either being robbed for the wax, or ignored.

Most of the old frames are slotted on the bottom, but I have modified the side bars on the new ones, and ripped a 3/8 bottom bar, no grooves or slots.

[Michael Bush]

I would either buy the foundationless frames from Walter T. Kelley or I'd buy the wedge and turn it sideways.  If you have grooved, I'd put the "jumbo craft" sticks in them (big popscicle sticks from the craft store).  They all work fine.

[Bigfoot]

Thanks a lot for the shared knowledge folks I do appreciate it.

[VolunteerK9]

And definitely place 10 of them in a 10 frame box I might add...

[caticind]

I also like the Kelly foundationless frames (neither groove nor wedge).  They provide a wider attachment point at the top of the frame and there's no need for snapping off and re-gluing, starter strips or any of that.