Converting to foundationless

[John Russell]

Having a massive amount of empty frames at my disposal, I want to try some foundationless frame techniques this year.

If I didnt bevel the top and bottom bars, would the results be the same?

How would I bevel the top and bottom of a standard frame?

( My biggest fear of course, is that every time I try to work smarter and not harder, I pay in spades.)

Thanks,
J.R.

[txbeeguy]

> ...every time I try to work smarter and not harder, I pay in spades.


Been there, done that....many times!

[Scot Mc Pherson]

If you already have some combs drawn out, then place the frames without any foundation between these combs. This will act as the guide and will produce near perfect combs for you without the bevel.

If you don't then what you want to do is rip some corners off of a 1x1. Rip all 4 corners off so you still end up with 1/2 x 1/2. Then rip that in half. Glue these to the bottom of the topbar of your frames. You can also glue them to the bottom bar, but I am not 100% sure its needed.

------------------
Scot Mc Pherson
Foundationless Small Cell Top Bar Hives
BeeWiki: http://linuxfromscratch.org/~scot/beewiki/

[Michael Bush]

The main thing is that SOMETHING gets them centered. A drawn frame in the middle of the box with some empty frames often works, but if they get going crooked it's a mess. Any used frames with the old comb cut out usually works too if you don't scrape it, because there is usually already some layout of the comb on the top bar. An empty frame between two well drawn frames will get drawn out fine. (keep the frames tightly together and don't do 9 frame spacing).

You don't NEED a bevel on the bottom bar, but it helps some with getting it attached enough to extract.

A starter strip works most of the time.

On the old frames I have I try to just put them in between drawn frames, ever other frame.

On new frames that are not assembled, I cut a bevel on the top bar before I assemble them.

If I put a whole box of foundationless frames or starter strips on, I always check back in a couple of days to make sure they are on the right track. The starter strips sometimes get ignored. So far the bevels have always been respected.

[John Russell]

Thanks for your valuable info guys, I apreciate it. I'll let you know they like it!

John Russell

[Tia]

Couldn't you just do cut-comb honey from foundationless frames instead of extracting and let them redraw next year? Then you wouldn't have to PDB them over the winter.

[Michael Bush]

Yes, you can. I'm not planning on extracting this year, but time and the market for honey will tell. I was going to try to sell cut comb instead.

[Ross]

You can bevel assembled frames quickly with a sharp draw knife. It is really quite easy, give it a try.

[Michael Bush]

I don't consider whittling a top bar down easy. I have done it but it was more work that it was worth. I just put them in between two drawn frames and they draw it fine without any whittling involved.