building supers?

[eris]

Is anyone out there building supers? If so, do you find that your saving money over what you could buy them for? Looking at wood costs here it looks like it'd be almost the same, maybe a little less to build but not by much.

[justgojumpit]

The difference is in the shipping costs. For sure, the wood is cheaper than the supers, but the shipping costs are your real savings.

justgojumpit

[King bee apiary]

If you have a saw mill or a custom millwork shop some where close by you can obtain some pretty good scraps/mistakes for little or nothing at all.Where I work we build custom Architectural beams out of cedar,some of which have arch or have to cut down,I bring these home and build supers out of em.Yes I have a small shop with a table saw,planner,radial arm saw.But it can be done pretty cheap.
Also good money if you sell the extras to local keepers.

[magnet-man]

I have built and purchased and it all boils down to time, freight cost and sales tax. How much free time do you have and do you enjoy wood working?

I now purchase woodenware in the quantity need to hit the price break. I may not need all of it now but I will in the future. Bees are worse than rabbits about multiplying.

[Jon McFadden]

I have always built my own equipment. It's harder now for me to find 1X12 scrap for the deeps.
Here is a photo of a deep before putting in the handholds and painting. The wood came from a lumber mill's scrap pile.
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/beekeeping/lst?.dir=/Floor+Without+a+Floor&.src=gr&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/
Jon

[King bee apiary]

Is that pressure treated wood? I thought it was risky to use for hives.

[Jon McFadden]

No, I don't use pressure treated wood.
Because the material is free, the cost of the wood isn't a factor. Since I find the work therapeutic, I don't count the labor.
Jon

[honeyman46408]

I buy 1"x8" from Menards and build my supers 6 5/8 for about 4 bux a piece but I have never tried frames to lose to the blade when I can buy them for .56 cents

[eris]

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place for wood. At most places here the wood is just as expensive if not more so. I wouldn't mind building them but if I'm only saving 50 cents or something it just isn't worth it. I don't have a planer so I'd need to buy 1x whatevers or get scraps that are the right depth. Where are you getting free scraps?

[Ross]

I can pick up from Dadant so no shipping. No sales tax on ag use. I get a price break at 50. I can't buy the wood any cheaper.

[jalal]

lowe's, hope depot are alright.

construction sites in hot weather are good, noone wants to bring it home to burn it

[King bee apiary]

I have it easy,I work for a custom millwork company.We build doors,windows,and trim.Most out of popular,mahogany,cedar,oak,maple,pine.We generate enough scrap I have built 50 hives (2brood,2supers,bottom,top boards) complete.Some of every type of wood.
I would suggest you start looking in the yellow pages for millwork and cabinet shops.Also contructions companies.Theres so much that just gets dumped in the landfills or chipped up.If you explain to these places that you keep bees and maybe offer them $20.00 a truck load most would just give it to you.
Don't give up try putting an ad in the local classified for scrap 1x lumber.