recessed handles

[Doug Virginia]

besides using a shaper cutter head set on a table saw to make recessed handles, does anyone make them another way?

[Dave W]

I make recessed handles w/ a sloped bottom by tilting the head on a radial arm saw.

A recessed handles w/ a square bottom will hold water, but are easier to make. Just insert blade to desired depth and move blade side-ways. Making multipliable single cuts also works.

[Michael Bush]

It's been discussed MANY times before. Try a search.

[Ian]

We use a 1 inch rounded router bit, My brother has gotten good at rounding it down and over to make a beutiful cut. Gets tiering after cutting for thousands of boxes!!

[Ben Brewcat]

Dado 1/2" deep. It's square, but I've not had any rotting there. If it worries you, tilt the dado a frog's hair (and maybe make it less deep so you don't poke through the super).

Or screw blocks on for handles.

[tecumseh]

recessed handles... now this is likely one of the worst and longest running bad ideas ever foisted upon beekeepers. certainly the individual that 'thunk' up this 'brilliant' idea never seperated very many boxs or tossed many hives on to the back of a truck. for certain if they had, he would have very quickly gone back to the drawing board for a bit more user friendly solution to this problem.

[Dave W]

tecumseh . . .

Do ALL "black cats" have large fingers?

Guess i anint brilliant cause I didnt thunk it up.
I just like em smile.gif

[Michael Palmer]

>>recessed handles... now this is likely one of the worst and longest running bad ideas ever foisted upon beekeepers.

Boy you got that right. My hands are permanently crooked from picking up heavy bee boxes with my finger tips. One summer I dislocated my left middle finger during harvest. I figured out the solution for that...let my help harvest all the honey, and do all the extracting. Amazing how that works!!

But, now I can raise all the queens and nucs...which is what I should be doing anyway.

[Dan Williamson]

I put cleats on all of my boxes. I hate trying to pick up a heavy super with the tips of my fingers cause I can't get a good grip on them. Cleats give you a good solid grip.

[flathead]

Speaking of hand holds and cleats:
I just started making 100 or so deep 10 frame boxes from scratch. A friend has a shaper(fly-cutter) that makes the recessed holds and has offered me its use.

My plan is not recess but put on cleats.

Question: Do I(would you) want cleats on all four sides?

I plan to put them just on the ends for now and add later if I see I need them along the long way.

Time is money someone once said.

[tecumseh]

flathead ask:
Do I(would you) want cleats on all four sides?

tecumseh replies:
I place mine on the two short sides only. this is fairly 'typical' for west coast beekeeper (or at least that is where I first saw it done). the 'tradional' approach is to place the cleats about 1/3 down from the top, by placing them only on two short sides you are not adding 'width' which would require wider pallets and result in fewer hives per load (or fewer hives per running foot of trailer deck).

being totally contrary to 'how things are typicaly done'. I place my cleat level with the top of the box but still on the short dimension of the box. this accomplish two things: 1) it allow me to grip the top of the box with my thumbs*** and 2) this reinforces the rabbit at the top of the box which (being fairly thin) will tend to be the first thing about a wooden bee box to fail. this modification does require that my migratory hive tops be constructed just a bit (about 3/4") longer.

****
did you ever notice that with a tradional hand hold that your thumbs are always point outward and away from the load? now ain't that just about the oddest way to lift a heavy load. try it on something fairly heavy (other than a hive body) sometimes.

dave w sezs:
Do ALL "black cats" have large fingers?

tecumseh replies:
not this cat. my finger are skinny but my claws are sharp.

[flathead]

Thanks tecumseh for the very helpful reply.

I think I will set mine on the ends but down enough to take a telescoping cover since I have just finished about 50 outer covers that are dipped and ready for metal coverings.

Plus they(boxes) would then work with either migratory or telescoping(covers).

Regards,
Your fellow contrarian

[Dave W]

>this modification does require that my migratory hive tops be constructed just a bit (about 3/4") longer.

I guess tecumseh is using two cleats that are only 3/8" thick. Not much there to hold on to. Maybe he will check the length of his migratory covers smile.gif

Is today "pick on tecumseh" day? smile.gif smile.gif

[Dan Williamson]

I use cleats approx 1"x 1 1/2" on the short side as does tecumseh. I put the top of them approx 2" down from the top to work with the migratory tops I use. I have debated doing a few as tecumseh mentioned just for the rabbit reinforcment he mentioned but haven't actually done it yet.

I only put cleats on the two short sides.

[tecumseh]

dave w sezs:
I guess tecumseh is using two cleats that are only 3/8" thick. Not much there to hold on to. Maybe he will check the length of his migratory covers.

tecumseh replies:
well it is raining here today dave so I will check the overall dimension of the box. just for you dave. likely you math is quite correct in that I have a bunch of 'redwood' lath material of about that dimension. it really does not require much of a handle to hold onto 30 to 50 pounds when you can also use your thumbs*. typically a recessed handle is not much deeper that my redwood handles are thick.

another unmentioned advantage is that (even if I did not brand my home made boxs) they are quite distinctive... so my stuff and the fellows down the road will never be confused one for the other.

finally you are quite welcome flathead. you are in a quite distinctive area for raising honeybee. at one time if you desire to rear queen you is where everyone desired to be....


*see prior post.

[carbide]

When I dropped my first box full of bees due to having some honey on my fingers and losing my grip on a recessed handle, I started putting cleats on all of my boxes. I now use full width cleats across the short side of all of my boxes and attach them by running four deck screws from inside of the box out into the cleat. This method of attachment prevents the cleat from rotting around the screws and protects the screws from rusting at the heads.

I've only been using this method for four years, but so far I haven't had any of the cleats work lose or rot away.

[Dave W]

I know a lot of things are different in Texas smile.gif

But, "redwood" lath?????

I ASSUMED (I know, never do that!) cleats were made from 3/4" material to provide a larger (possibly double) grip area.

Please tell me again, how does have your thumbs on top help while lifting? (other than holding cover in place)

Where do you put your thumbs when using recessed handles???

Maybe TODAY is "pick on tecumseh" day? smile.gif smile.gif