From: Barry Birkey <barry@birkey.com>
Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 00:35:24 -0500
To: BioBee List <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Corners & Joints

Hi Dee -

> Are any better than others for sturdyness and/or keeping rain out of hives
> or for providing more strength?

I've not seen anything that beats the typical box joint for hive
construction. They're not that hard to make once the jig is made.
Plug, plug, plug.
http://www.beesource.com/plans/boxjoint/index.htm

I've made some hive bodies using a rabbet joint and screws and they have
held up okay. They're not as strong, but will do the job. You have more end
grain to protect with box joints but nothing can match it's strength.

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm touts a modified rabbet on their hive bodies. It's
a rabbet with a dado incorporated into it. They call it a locking-tenon.
This should fall between the basic rabbet and box joint in strength.

-Barry