Coates Nuc question

richh1224 · March 14, 2015, 10:09:09 AM

What kind of life are you folks getting out of the plywood Nucs? Going to be making a bunch this week and am debating on plywood or pine....

jalentour · March 14, 2015, 11:46:52 AM

Rich,
If you search some of the treads you will prob find that most advise against plywood due to a short lifespan. Water and the hive tool seem to be cited the most.
I built my boxes with what Lowes calls #2 pine, (it's prob really #3 pine). Covers and bottom boards were build using some plywood. My boxes, tops and BB were modeled from a Mann Lake prototype.
If you plan to keep for awhile try building a few with plywood and paint very well, plan to paint and repair often. See what happens.
Make sure you read the threads before you start with plywood, people have made lots of measurement errors. (All well documented on this site).
Joe

OldMech · March 14, 2015, 12:02:29 PM

PLywood well painted (once) and left out seems to last about two years, three if you were detailed and diligent in the original painting. Longer if you repaint where you chip the paint of opening the box.
Difficulty stacking another box on top of the plywood nuc, and then KEEPING it stacked, and keeping it sealed. Difficulty keeping a plywood second box square and handling it without breaking the glue joints etc...

Pine boxes also well painted (once) last 6 ish years, I have a few older that were refurbished before they reached the point that they could not be saved.
If you make the boxes yourself, they are about 4 dollars including paint. Thats too cheap to consider anything else, unless you need 200 of them FAST..
If your going to use them for three weeks (temporary) and then store them inside out of the weather they will last much longer. Narrow crown staples and glue well. Then paint well.
Just my experience, others in different climates may beg to differ.

bud1 · March 14, 2015, 04:19:25 PM

plenty humid down here and still got mine i made when cotes first put up his post, but one of the only thing i put up when i finish taking splits out. but do have several that been hanging in a tree as swarm traps ror several yrs and only refresh the lemon grass pil every spring,

Robo · March 14, 2015, 07:32:08 PM

Rich,

If you have the ability to make them from pine then that is the way to go. The Coates nucs are great for folks with limited tools as you can make them with just a skill saw. Plywood won't last nearly as long as pine, and easily warps. I have pine nuc boxes that are over 10 years old and have many more years in them. You won't be disappointed with pine.

richh1224 · March 14, 2015, 08:19:59 PM

Quote from: Robo on March 14, 2015, 07:32:08 PM
Rich,

If you have the ability to make them from pine then that is the way to go. The Coates nucs are great for folks with limited tools as you can make them with just a skill saw. Plywood won't last nearly as long as pine, and easily warps. I have pine nuc boxes that are over 10 years old and have many more years in them. You won't be disappointed with pine.

Ya.... I have decided to go with no 2 pine.... it is only going to cost me $10 more for the boards vs a sheet of ply..... Thank you all for the input.

rookie2531 · March 14, 2015, 08:46:41 PM

I wish I could find pine cheap enough for $4.00 nucs. I can barely make them out of plywood for $6.00.

capt44 · March 15, 2015, 12:24:10 PM

I get 1x12x8ft pine boards at the lumber yard for $8.72 a board.
Lowes is too expensive, they want $14.65 a same sized board.
I'm in Central Arkansas

richter1978 · March 15, 2015, 08:54:42 PM

I've only got a year on mine (Coates NUCs), most are holding up well. Living in suburbia, the lumber yards are pretty scarce, so the plywood NUCs are comparatively cheap. That said I have plenty of both pine and cypress NUCs, which are more substantial in strength for sure.

gailmo · March 16, 2015, 10:51:03 AM

I have about 3+ years on my Coates plywood nucs. This winter I added some reinforcement pieces (about 12 inches long and 1/2-3/4 wide scrap lumber) to the inside corners. Used the air gun to shoot staples from both sides to hold things together better. When I made them, I used screws to hold the sides together --which was not a great idea with plywood. The reinforced corners have tightened them up. They should be good for another couple of years.

yes2matt · February 22, 2017, 03:29:22 PM

I know this thread is a couple of years old, but... What do y'all do with your lids? Feeder hole? Screened vent?

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rookie2531 · February 23, 2017, 12:06:05 AM

My lids are just as the drawings. But for feeding I make inner covers with holes that for jars perfect. I make my cotes nuc boxes with no bottoms, so they are stackable. And cover the jars with an empty box. When they ten frames, I can add another on top.

Beeboy01 · February 23, 2017, 10:45:14 AM

I tried using plywood a few years ago and ended up with a lot of warping of the lids and sides. If you can find a good source of pine I would go with it instead of plywood just for longevity.
The lifespan of the plywood nucs will depend on the grade of plywood you use.

yes2matt · February 26, 2017, 11:20:02 AM

Thanks. I think what I've decided to do is to use a hole saw to put a couple of big holes in the bottom of each and screen them . If the nuc is standing alone they would serve to vent, and if I need to feed, just put another nuc on top instead of the lid and feed down thru the screen.

To leave off the bottom I suppose I could find a cheap way to reinforce the corner joins.

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