bottom boards and top covers

[rainesridgefarm]

any opinions on hardwood plywood vs bunt end tonge and groove for bottom boards. I can buy some 3/4 inch maple and oak plywood for $30 a sheet. you can get 10 sheets out of it. I will make the sides with cut down 1 by 4 at a cost of $.90 each. That comes to 3.90 each. All this wood is nominal size so it comes to the perfect size after a little cutting. I am geeting a new table saw today my old one does not take a dado.

[The Honey House]

Delaminating!
I built some bottoms out of hardwood plywood
a few years ago and they did not hold up well, even with several coats of good paint.
Two maybe three years and then they were junk.

[Clayton]

I've been using just common CDX 3/4 plywood for some time now. I glue and use decking screws (long ones maybe 2 1/2 in.) Nails just don't work to well here especially going into the end grain of the plywood. These bb's hold up pretty good as long as you keep them up with paint. I would guess the hard wood ply would hold up even better. For telescoping top covers I only use 1/2 in ply though. I make the rims by ripping 1x8's into three pieces yielding about 2 1/4 inch rim then glue and screw.

[Clayton]

I forgot to mention that on my bb's I channel a groove into the side rails. The plywood then goes into this. So stops exposure to the end grain and allows the plywood to last 10x's longer. If you just tack on top of the plywood then the life of the bb will be alot less.

[Dave W]

Not all plywood is an EXTERIOR grade! If it is, it is usually marked (stamped) as such, check and read the label http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

Plywood used in house construction, is mostly yellow pine or fir, both soft woods. They both serve well if proteced from sun and rain. Fir will lay flatter than YP.
Its been my experience (carpenter) that most hardwood plywood is intended for high-end, interior use, but they can be glued-up with any glue specified. Some are "marine" grade which means they are suited for "contact w/ water".

Outside, things built w/ plywood dont last as long as if they were construced w/ solid wood. But, woods like spruce (2x4s), poplar, red oak, may rot quickly, too.

The all-around best is solid white pine boards - its been the indstury "standard" for years, must be a reason. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
Dave W . . .

A NewBEE with 1 hive.
First package installed
April, 2003.

[Michael Bush]

For anything that isn't the cover, I use 1/4" water resitant laun plywood. It is light and durable and much cheaper than 3/4" plywood and will out last it in the weather.

For covers I like 3/4" exterior plywood becuase it has enough weight to not blow off easily. If you make a migratory out of it, it will get propolized down and won't blow off at all without a brick on it.

I also have a lot of 3/4" tounge and groove pine migratory covers. They are ok but warp more than the plywood.

For a bottom board, I'd recommend making a SBB anyway so you don't nee any plywood really. Just a frame with screen on the bottom where the plywood would have been.

[Mark Carden]

I make migratory covers only. The telescoping covers cause a lot of trouble when moving. I use 1/2" plywood. I have found these don't delaminate on my quite as badly, just seal the ends well. I use contact cement. I put 5 screws in each end and the ends are L shaped cut out of 2X4's cut 16" long. 3 screws up and 2 down like this (^v^v^) I find it provides some stability and reduces warping. I cut the plywood 16X20.375. This gives me 12 covers per sheet of plywood. What's left is used as a cover for my nucs.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

Mark

[txbeeguy]

Care to share?

What brand / model table saw? I got a couple of gift certificates and am seriously looking at a new table saw myself.
Care to add to my research???

[Mark Carden]

I would recommend a Craftsman. Get the full sized free standing saw. I would suggest going around to yard sales. I got an old Craftsman for $40. I replaced the drive pulley and it works great. I'm not very lucky so I'm sure you could find one also.

Mark

[Michael Bush]

>What brand / model table saw? I got a couple of gift certificates and am seriously looking at a new table saw myself.
Care to add to my research???

I don't have room to set up a shop so I have to drag it out in the yard. I bought the smallest, cheapest, lightest one I could. It was a Ryobi from Home Depot for $87.

[rainesridgefarm]

I like the Rigid and Delta.
I am trying to keep in the $300 range but it is hard. I have a bench top Craftsman but it does not take a dado blade and the fence is not great. The problem is you realy get what you pay for. The fence is the most important part, if it does not line up well you end up with bad cuts. I really like the Delta 36-300 it will cut 28" to the right and 18" to the left. It has a outfeed support and the fence is smooth and self alighning. If money was not the issue I would go for the porter-cable for $450.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>I would recommend a Craftsman. Get the full sized free standing saw.

That is what I have, you can't go wrong with a Craftsman warranty.

[redtractor2]

I have a craftsman also have had it for 5 years. the only problem that i have had with it is the handles that raise and lowers the blade. It had plastic handles when I bought it. They have a set of replacement handles that are made of metal. They are alot stronger than the originals. It is a standup model.

[Mark Carden]

Redtractor

The handle was gone on mine when I bought it at the yard sale. I have been using a 6" adjustable wrench. It slips off and, while it works, sometimes the wrench grows legs and I have to stop everything and go find another. I'm going to look into the metal handle you mentioned.

Thanks

Mark

[Michael Bush]

A great replacement handle for most things is a small vise grip. You just lock it on and it doesn't fall off. The real ones are better but the cheap rip offs work for a handle.

[rainesridgefarm]

It looks like the ridgid. Lifetime warrenty, cast iron top, dust collector, foot lever for raising it to move it. Solid at 350lbs, best fence out there I tried to shake and move all of them. You should have seen the faces on the employees when I brought a piece of wood over to it. this is a great saw but it is $597 so I went over my budget.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>If money was not the issue I would go for the porter-cable for $450.


So what happened to the Porter Cable?

[rainesridgefarm]

It just did not have the quality in the fence that I wanted and the cost was close. Everyhting else was outstanding. I also did a search on the web for sites like this but with woodworkers and asked. They all said to go with the ridgid 6 to 1 over everything else. The lifetime warrenty is a great one also if they are around for a lifetime. I did find some interesting info in my search. Jet and Craftsman are made by waterloo, the porter cable is made by black and decker, the ryobi is made by delta. It goes on and on. I might have crossed some of these up.
The only problem now is I have to build 200 tops and 200 bottoms to break even on the saw. Bu Better get started. LOL

[Alex Cantacuzene]

Hi, I like all the "buzz" about the saws and making our own hive equipment. I did buy one of those Ryobi table saws and the price was about $85. However, it will not take a dado blade for making finger joints. I now make the hive boxes with dovetails and am very satisfied as the joints get glued and I have no rusty nails. Also with the router and the dovetailing jig you make a complete corner joint at once. When buying a saw I would make sure also that the blade tilts to the left, it is much more versatile. Hope this helps.

[Michael Bush]

Well, I haven't had the time to try it, but I bought a dado blade that says it will work in any table saw. It's designed differntly. I don't plan on using finger joints. I was going to do rabbets.