tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post4138169063137264314..comments2024-01-27T02:01:24.039-05:00Comments on Happy Hour at the Top Bar: Making Solid One-piece Wedged BarsJulie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-50395708477339279272019-01-30T10:41:48.624-05:002019-01-30T10:41:48.624-05:00Hello I am so delighted I located your blog, I rea...Hello I am so delighted I located your blog, I really located you by mistake, while I was watching on google for something else, Anyways I am here now and could just like to say thank for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining website. Please do keep up the great work. <a href="https://www.universaltool.co.in/solid-carbide-tools/" rel="nofollow">solid carbide tools</a><br />razzaqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08885144633074105635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-29292784516851133942017-02-23T08:29:08.424-05:002017-02-23T08:29:08.424-05:00Thanks - that makes more sense now. I've roug...Thanks - that makes more sense now. I've roughed out a few sample bars and have tried a few different techniques. I can make this work.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09498765170663810431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-14417653908993455532017-02-21T12:07:35.206-05:002017-02-21T12:07:35.206-05:00I'm not a great woodworker, so I'm not sur...I'm not a great woodworker, so I'm not sure I'll explain this properly. You’re right about my saw not tilting past 45, but when I plop the angle finder on the blade (which you saw in the photo), it says 60, so that's how I wrote it up. <br /><br />The green lines are illustrative only, so I wouldn't pay too much attention to how those angles look. 1) The lines were added in with a computer so you could see more easily what I was doing -- they're not perfect 2) The bar is not a perfect square -- 2" thick lumber is really only 1.5" thick. So 2 sides are 1 3/8" wide and the other two sides are 1.5" thick. It's a small difference, but it means those lines between the midpoints aren't perfect 45 deg angles.<br /><br />In any case, the degree of the angle isn't really that important. The important thing is that the wedge is centered on the bar. For instance, you can make the bar thicker or thinner depending on your preference. This will make the sides of your wedge narrower or wider, but that's ok as long as the sharp point of the wedge is centered. You want that centered to maintain beespace.<br /><br />Sorry -- this is hard to explain without images. If it doesn't make sense, you can email me, and I'll send you an illustration.Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-38757207620382991912017-02-21T07:29:33.398-05:002017-02-21T07:29:33.398-05:00Hi - this is another great post, thank you for pro...Hi - this is another great post, thank you for providing the detail on how you make your wedges.<br /><br />Question: you mention 60 degrees (which is probably 30 because most tablesaws don't tilt past 45) but the green lines you drew on seem more like two 45s = 90. Could you elaborate on that?Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09498765170663810431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-21459431189306766532015-06-24T19:28:58.477-04:002015-06-24T19:28:58.477-04:00Hi, Maureen! Three hives... sounds like a great st...Hi, Maureen! Three hives... sounds like a great start to me. LOL! :-) <br /><br />Thank you for the kind words. I always appreciate your encouragement in our groups, too!<br /><br />I was at Home Depot today, and I specifically remember seeing poplar boards there (was browsing because my daughter wants to make parakeet toys.) I can't remember if they had 2" thick boards, though.<br /><br />The fir works beautifully for me. I've actually seen Phil Chandler recommend it. No trouble with them warping or bowing or with shaping them either. However, I do recommend standing off to the side and wearing safety glasses when cutting that little notch out of the bars. <br /><br />I'm afraid I'm too lazy to do any sanding or smoothing, but the bees don't seem to mind. <br /><br />BTW, you know R. Sumner? Her husband has built several Gold Star Hives now, and he's made some really nifty modifications. If you're interested, I bet he'd be delighted to share some of the things he's done. Have fun with your new project! Hope you post photos when you're done! Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-69676788258174617382015-06-24T18:34:13.875-04:002015-06-24T18:34:13.875-04:00My hives are the Gold Star variety. I purchased o...My hives are the Gold Star variety. I purchased one new as a kit, and found two used ones to sand and paint. I have now purchased the plans for the Gold Star hive, which has top bars very similar to yours. Who would have thought that three hives wouldn't be enough for me! Anyway, the plans recommend using poplar wood for the top bars, using 2X10X8foot to make 30 bars (17 1/2 X 1 3/8). Since I am having trouble finding the poplar, I was thinking of using fir instead. Have you had any problems with warping or bowing, or any trouble shaping them through knots? And do you sand or smooth them at all after cutting? BTW, love your blog, and your insightful posts to the top bar community groups. Thanks!Maureen C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-30179188465137779982015-06-22T11:31:27.953-04:002015-06-22T11:31:27.953-04:00Wow! That's so cool! Thanks for sharing that!Wow! That's so cool! Thanks for sharing that!Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-88324665665927389002015-06-22T10:24:42.149-04:002015-06-22T10:24:42.149-04:00Sounds like your DH needs to buy you an IR camera ...Sounds like your DH needs to buy you an IR camera as a birthday/anniversary/special occasion gift before next winter so you can see where they cluster! ;-) I'm Jonesing for the FLIR-ONE (http://flir.com/flirone/), but I'll need a phone upgrade for that so I haven't taken the plunge!Donhttp://www.buddhaandthebees.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-71488136434144245192015-06-20T07:49:55.157-04:002015-06-20T07:49:55.157-04:00LOL! I'm sure you're not a lousy carpenter...LOL! I'm sure you're not a lousy carpenter. I've seen photos of your hives, and they're gorgeous! However, if it makes you feel any better, when my husband inspects my work, he usually breaks out in uncontrollable giggles. He's not trying to be mean, but for someone who does things "the right way," I guess my cobbled-together hives are kind of funny.<br /><br />You have a point about the bees keeping the cluster warm and not the hive, but I've been told by various people that KTBHs have less dead space anyway because they are so small (i.e., the cluster reaches further to the edges and top of the box). I'm not really sure, and I wonder exactly what the cluster looks like in a KTBH during the winter. Lazutin's book has some very interesting photos of clusters in various types of vertical hives, but I just don't know what it looks like in a KTBH. Where exactly do they cluster in relation to the bars? I guess I should've opened my observation window more last winter to find out.<br /><br />I've been thinking about the cold temps above the bars, and I've been trying to work out in my mind how to do an insulated roof as well. I like the insulated roof plan on HorizontalHives.com, but because I'm a terrible carpenter, I always seem to have issues with making a hinged roof. Also, the roof can't be too heavy if it's not hinged. Anyway, I have the rest of the summer to figure it out.Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-86583032449412828422015-06-18T19:08:31.592-04:002015-06-18T19:08:31.592-04:00My follower boards never fit well either because I...My follower boards never fit well either because I'm a lousy carpenter. ;-) After the first year, I drilled a 1" hole in them so I can put my feeders on the other side and they can get through. I leave the hole open during the summer for ventilation (if I haven't removed the board completely) and just put a cork in it for the winter. They will propolize any holes/gaps they don't like.<br /><br />I would think that moisture will build up if there isn't enough ventilation despite the temperature. The cold temperatures can cause it to freeze above the cluster on the top of the bars, I would think. Like someone posted on FB they keep the cluster warm, but not the hive itself. If the heat from the cluster is warm enough to melt that (or a warm day comes along), it would rain down on the bees which would inhibit their ability to shiver to keep warm. A following cold snap could be deadly.<br /><br />This spring I had really bad moisture buildup in my hive because the bees were inside most of the time due to the rainy weather, even though it wasn't very cold. It could also be due to the fact that I tightened up the leaky screened bottom board, come to think of it. <br /><br />As for entrances, I think having them low is good. It makes it easier for them to get rid of detritus (wax moth larva, dead bees, etc). On one of the new hives I have this year, I think I put them a little too high and there is definitely a lot more of a mess. I've thought about having a top ventilation gap like you mention.<br /><br />Good luck with your new hive. I'll be interested to hear how it works out!Donhttp://www.buddhaandthebees.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-26393117918634779472015-06-18T12:49:54.256-04:002015-06-18T12:49:54.256-04:00Glad you liked this post! The table saw is my husb...Glad you liked this post! The table saw is my husband's. When we first got married, he was really into making furniture, and he made a couch, reclining chair, several tables, etc. Nowadays, he's either too busy or too tired, so I've appropriated it as my own. Mwah hahahaha!<br /><br />So your questions:<br /><br />"Have you ever tried angling the ends of the triangles to match the slope of the hive sides"<br />LOL -- I showed my husband the bars this morning, and he sniffed. "I angle the sides of the wedges. It looks nicer." Ha ha -- guess you guys are on the same wavelength. He told me how he achieved, but I think you're right -- just angling the blade on that last cut should do it. <br /><br />"Do you ever have problems on the last cut with the bar tilting on it's bevel as you slide it along the saw table top?"<br />I don't really have problems with the cut itself (maybe because I'm not really cutting a big piece of wood), but he little pieces of wood that get sawn out sure do love to fly backward, so I've learned to stand off to the side (and wear glasses -- always wear glasses). I like your idea of doing the end cuts first though. Definitely safer!<br /><br />"What kind of wood are you using and where did you find 2" thick wood?"<br />For the bars, I get fir boards at Home Depot. They're listed as 2" thick boards, but like I said, they're really only 1 1/2" thick. <br /><br />"I assume you are going to use top entrances for ventilation in the new hive. Do you also have holes at the other end of the hive for cross ventilation?"<br />I've been thinking about ventilation a lot, and I'm not quite sure yet which way I'm going to go with the entrances. I know Bush recommends top entrances, but I don't think he does a lot regarding insulating his hives. On the other hand, there's a guy in CT who's been running TBHs successfully for a number of years now, and his hives have entrances near the bottom. Lazutin also recommends keeping entrances low. <br /><br />My hope is that by having double-walled hives, condensation will be less of an issue overall simply because the hive should be warmer. (Condensation seems to be an issue because the water freezes on top of the bees. But if it's warm enough in the hive, will the water freeze? I don't really know. When all is said and done, the hive walls should have an R-value of about 10.5. <br /><br />My divider boards are never completely solid & tight fitting because 1) i was squishing bees with the board when I moved it and 2) I like bees to be able to pass through (something I was doing even before I read that Lazutin recommends this). However, I'm also considering a ventilation bar at the back of the hive (maybe just a bar with screened holes in it). The colony that survived last year was in the leakiest hive, and I'm thinking the "ventilation" helped. However, I'm planning to reread Lazutin's thoughts on this tonight since he's my inspiration. Will definitely make a post out of this hive!<br /><br />Cheers!Julie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965401314478095790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1347024209749983628.post-12815402734906772672015-06-18T10:47:01.561-04:002015-06-18T10:47:01.561-04:00Thank you, thank you, thank you for this detailed ...Thank you, thank you, thank you for this detailed post! I've been trying to figure out how one would do this and no other site I've seen gives such detail. Your carpentry skills are awesome - love the table saw. I bought a cheap (but portable) Ryobi saw for $100 and it's falling apart after two years of making hives. I do like the portability though since I don't have a dedicated shop to do my woodworking and I can drag it out onto my back porch when I'm building hives.<br /><br />A couple of questions/comments:<br /><br />- Have you ever tried angling the ends of the triangles to match the slope of the hive sides? That seems to be the mode for the commercial bars like those from GoldStar and TheBackyardHive. It seems that you could easily do that on the last cut by angling your blade. I think the idea is that it helps the bees keep from attaching to the sides near the top.<br /><br />- Do you ever have problems on the last cut with the bar tilting on it's bevel as you slide it along the saw table top? I guess if you have a good grip (and a good saw) that wouldn't be a problem, but one idea would be to make the end cuts first and then do the beveling.<br /><br />- My bars are a wood comb guide glued into a kerf. I've never had a problem with the guide falling out and once the bees have build comb on them, I figure they are strong for the next use after harvesting. But they've only been used for 3 seasons. I have other bars that I nailed a triangular edging onto, but I think they like the comb guide bars better. Now that I know how to make the solid bars, I'll have to give that a shot!<br /><br />- What kind of wood are you using and where did you find 2" thick wood?<br /><br />On a related note, I saw your post to the Treatment Free FB page about double walled hives. I didn't comment there, but one thought I had was that it seemed that your big problem was moisture buildup last year. That would keep the bees from being able to generate heat during the extreme cold. I assume you are going to use top entrances for ventilation in the new hive. Do you also have holes at the other end of the hive for cross ventilation? I found this to be helpful in the hot summer months and I just plug it up in the winter with a cork. <br /><br />I hope you'll do a post on your double-walled construction also. Happy sawing!Donhttp://www.buddhaandthebees.netnoreply@blogger.com