Building Honey Supers
Mar 2nd, 2009 by Robo
Another crappy weather day gave me the opportunity to build some more medium supers. I buy rough cut 1×8 lumber from a local mill. I plane the boards down to 7/8″ so the supers are a little bit tougher that the normal 3/4″ commercial supers. Then using the table saw, I cut the boards to size, cut the hand holds and dado the frames rests. From there the sides go into a half-blind dovetail jig and after four passes with the router, they are ready to be assembled. I can get 10 supers from 8 boards.
Robo: I’ve noticed that you’ve combined wood working, inventing, design improvement, plus a variety of crafts and bee keeping together. After reading some of your postings on the Bee Master forum, I haven’t determined if your a mechanical engineer, electrician, carpenter or farmer by trade. You certainly have come up with many very clever ideas. So here are my questions/comments:
A) How much time was spent building the supers described in this article?
B) Other than the table saw, jigs and router……what other tools were required to fabricate the supers?
C) In a previous article, you developed a small hive heater based on using a set of night lite type light bulbs. Have you been using this concept since to invented it? If so, what have been the results? It seems like such a great idea for helping a hive during cold weather and appears to be very cost effective. With a modest control system, it could be refined to cycle on the power, only when needed. I suspect it could be enlarged to support “remote” hives, if required.
Thanks in advance for answering my questions.
Regards
Tucker (Rich Kroll)
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Robo Reply:
June 4th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Tucker,
A) How much time was spent building the supers described in this article?
It is hard to say, I do it more out of enjoyment than production. Starting with rough cut takes more time than if using dimensional lumber, and the larger the quantity you build the less time it takes per super. I have a small work shop, so I limit to about 10 at a time. Using the half-blind dovetail saves a bunch of time over the traditional box-joints. Basically 4 passes of a router per box. Of course butt joints would be even quicker. It cost me ~$3.20 per super not including time, glue, or staples. I can make 10 boxes in 4 hours which includes setting up the jigs and not rushing.
B) Other than the table saw, jigs and router……what other tools were required to fabricate the supers?
Planer (not needed if you use dimensional lumber) & air stapler (optional)
C) In a previous article, you developed a small hive heater based on using a set of night lite type light bulbs. Have you been using this concept since to invented it?
Yes, I have experimented with a few different versions from integrating then in bottom boards, slatted racks and even TBHs, but ultimately came back to the simplest design of two sockets glued together and inserted through the entrance.
If so, what have been the results?
It was how I first successfully overwintered nucs. I had 4 nucs in 2 TBHs and all 4 made it through the winter with the supplemental heat and syrup. But in general, I see quicker (hence stronger) spring build up.
It seems like such a great idea for helping a hive during cold weather and appears to be very cost effective. With a modest control system, it could be refined to cycle on the power, only when needed. I suspect it could be enlarged to support “remote” hives, if required.
The supplemental heat wasn’t my idea, it came from a Finnish beekeeper who used 15W terrarium heaters, but at $20 each it was too costly of a solution for me. That is why I came up with the two 7W night lights.
I have used computer automation to turn them on and off at set outside temperatures, but found it really provided no benefit. Now I just turn them on at the end of January/beginning of February and leave them on until the weather warms up. As you have probably read on the forums, I am a strong believer in maintaining nest temperature and most of this is from what I have learned with the supplemental heating. I have had queens move right down to lay in the bottom of the frames located right over the lights.
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robo your building ability is great.I build all of my own equipment. How do you cut those had holes. i wish you would make a vido.
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Robo Reply:
June 7th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
How do you cut those had holes. i wish you would make a vido.
On my todo list. Unfortunately the list is quite long
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Robo – Are you using a moulding head on the TS to cut the hand holds? I also like your jig for your table saw. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Thanks you.
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Robo Reply:
December 24th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Yes, I use an old Craftsman moulding cutter to make the hand holds. Thanks for your kind words.
rob……
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