Coates 5-Frame Nuc

[D Coates]

Here are plans and measurements for nucs I make.  I think they are simple and you can make 4 five-frame nucs out of one piece of 15/32 plywood that sells for $10 at Lowes or Home Depot.  I use them for swarm traps, queen breeding nucs, and I overwinter nucs with Fall queens in them.  I also leave the bottom off of some to stack on other nucs to make 10 frame nucs.  I use thin 1 1/4 inch nails, titebond III glue, and I paint them to ensure I get many years of service out of them.

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa190/Drew454/Nuc%20plans/

Plans and cut list for the Coates 5-Frame Nuc can be found here -> https://www.beevac.com/plans-and-downloads/
An 8-Frame Medium version is also now available  here as well ->  https://www.beevac.com/plans-and-downloads/
Thanks to David (DLMKA) for the 8-Frame adaptation.

[Yappy]

Thank you. :)

[Pink Cow]

Brilliant. Great design, simple to understand and very economical. Thank you for taking the time to post this. Definitely on my to-do list now as I was just speaking with a friend last night about our need to build a few nucs.

[D Coates]

My pleasure.  I'm not a very good woodworker, though I'm getting better.  I'd been trying to figure out a simple way to make nice quality nucs with relatively thin common plywood.  The "end cap" is what gave me my ah-ha moment.  I made a couple four years ago.  They're still in full use as well as the couple I made 3 years ago and the four I made last year.  I've already made four this year and the photo's are of another 4 I'm making.  I've learned and copied plenty from others who have posted their ideas here (I made a bushkill beevac from plans on here) and elsewhere, I figured it was my turn to do the same.

Let me know if you have any questions or problems making yours.

[David LaFerney]

Does the 1/2" rebate reduce the bee space at the ends enough to cause them to gum it up?

Nice simple design.  I like it.

[D Coates]

I've not had it happen excessively.  They'll propolize up the end like they do in a regular hive body.  I've noticed no more, no less.

[Pink Cow]

Let me know if you have any questions or problems making yours.

Don't think I'll have any trouble making them since you covered it so well, but I do have a question. You don't happen to have a layout for cutting the 4x8 sheet do you? I'm only asking because I don't have a vehicle in which I can transport an entire sheet, but if I was able to have the store cut it in half in either direction I'd be fine. Could I do that without losing wood I'd need for the fourth nuc? Thanks.

[KD4MOJ]

Thanks Coates... I'm gonna have to give this a try!

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[D Coates]

Don't think I'll have any trouble making them since you covered it so well, but I do have a question. You don't happen to have a layout for cutting the 4x8 sheet do you? I'm only asking because I don't have a vehicle in which I can transport an entire sheet, but if I was able to have the store cut it in half in either direction I'd be fine. Could I do that without losing wood I'd need for the fourth nuc? Thanks.

No problem, a 4x8 won't fit in my Expedition so I have it cut in half at Home Depot.  They do it for free!  Two 4x4 sheets of plywood are easy to handle, especially on a table saw.  I focus first on the sides, (top to bottom) they eat a whole bunch of material.  Next move to the tops then bottoms.  Then get the fronts and backs with the end caps and scraps after that.  I try to set the table saw a specific cut that I do repeatedly before changing the setting.  This ensures excellent consistency of the parts.

[schawee]

NICE, WILL MAKE SOME THIS WEEK.  THANKS

[Pink Cow]

Just put one together this afternoon and I am extremely happy with the result. I had Home Depot cut the ply twice for me so I had four 2x4 foot pieces to bring home, each of them good for one full box. Even though the wood was more than $10, I still was able to do each box for $4. Everything went together just beautifully and the five frames fit very well with good clearances where they should be. I did make one small change though, as something occurred to my as I was out this morning watching the activity around my full hive and nuc. I decided to cut the entrance opening the full width of the front board so I'd be able to use an entrance feeder with it.

Again, thank you for providing this. It is so well thought-out.

[KD4MOJ]

I had Home Depot cut the ply twice for me so I had four 2x4 foot pieces to bring home, each of them good for one full box.

  hey PC... that is good to know that worked. i'm going to try and make it to HD this week.

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[beee farmer]

I use almost exactly the same desgn, only diffrence is I use 3/4" for the ends and run them through the dado blade, gives the frames plenty to sit one and stiffins the whole thing up also I install 2 treated runners underneath to keep moisture off box.  I got 100 of them and am very pleased with the ease of use, economy and performance.

[Pink Cow]

Top Bar Too?

It occurred to me after building my first from these plans that it could easily be tweaked for use as a top bar nuc or swarm trap. You could of course, reduce the overall length to fit your bars but that would limit its use to only top bars. I was thinking of simply adding a bar far enough back from the front wall where the fronts of the bars would rest,  just like a regular frame would on the designed void. It will hold five 1 3/8 inch bars. If done with small screws, this would be easily removable to return the nuc to "Lang style" duties.

Sound reasonable? Am I overlooking any gotchas?

[D Coates]

It does sound reasonable.  I'm not sure how they'll build down the sides though, I've never done a TBH.

[schawee]

D COATES,LOVE YOUR NUC PLANS.I BUILT 16 TODAY,VERY EASY TO TO CUT AND BUILD.WILL USE 8 FOR MY QUEENS THAT IM GETTING WEDNESDAY,USING THE OTHERS AS SWARM TRAPS.THANKS    ...SCHAWEE...

[manfre]

I like the design and will allow me to make many low cost mating nucs.

[OzBuzz]

Absolutely awesome! i cut timbers for 8 of these last night and completed 3! so easy! can't wait to get some bees in to them. A few minor variations i made though:

1) I put feet on it
2) I extended the entrance to be full width so that i can reduce it if need be or have it fully open

[eastsidebuzz]

I make mine wider so it can fit an internal feeder and 5 frames. Nice plans though.

I am going to use your idea of cutting the ends shorter so the frames sit on top. I was using a 1 inch strip nailed on the inside of the box to do it. My design creates extra space I don't need to for them to mess up. I like your idea. I use 1x2 on the ends of the tops where you ripped a piece of ply. That is what I use on my normal hives.

[ronwhite3030]

what size wire did you use for the feeder hole?