Wired Small Cell Foundation

[Sundance]

Anyone tried the wired small cell?

Whats your impressions if you have?

Is it sturdy?

[db_land]

So far, I've made up about 150 medium super size frames of SC. MUCH easier to handle, more sturdy than non-wired, no bowing or other distortion noticed yet. Ditto for the deep frames of wired SC. Bees are drawing it with no problem, but I have no experience with extracting, handling after it's been in there a while. :cool:

[ikeepbees]

I am using the 5.1 wired deep foundation from Dadant this year. It's much more sturdy than the unwired 4.9 I got from them last year, and the bees are drawing it out beautifully.

[Sundance]

Thanks folks. I will order some up. Wiring is absolutly a drag when you have to do 500 frames!!

[odfrank]

I've always horizontal wired my vertical wired foundation. Do most people not?

[ March 17, 2006, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: Oliver aka odfrank ]

[ikeepbees]

I don't.

[Dick Allen]

I do.

[Sundance]

I suppose a single horizontal wouldn't hurt on deeps. Sure don't want to do it if it isn't needed though.

[summersetretrievers]

Have any of you used the support pins that slip in from the side with the wired foundation? What are the advantages of it?
Cindy

[George Fergusson]

>Have any of you used the support pins that slip in from the side with the wired foundation?

I use them with thin surplus foundation for comb honey production so I don't have to contend with wires in my comb, but otherwise I'm wiring fan. I wire everything- I don't like my foundation buckling which it seems to do often enough.

[Michael Bush]

The pins give a little support to the otherwise unsupported edge. If you use horizontal wires they are probably redundant. If you use vertically wired foundation they give a little support until the bees get the comb drawn.

[Sundance]

I may give pins a go. They sound easy and fast. A little side support would be nice while they draw it out.

[Doug R]

I'm finally doing it. I'm making the switch to 4.9 SC. My local beekeeping suply shop is unsupportive. They say it is all hype. The first thing they do when you walk through the door is ask if you treated your bees (with chemicals) for mites. The one thing I've noticed about beekeepers is the strong opinions.

I just ordered 50 4.9 wired mediums from Dadant plus frames and wire and crimper and some sort of wiring-helper-board. I just went on the advise of the CS rep that answered the phone. Up until now, I've always used Plasticell. Any good links to explain how to put my frames and foundation together the right way the first time.

Thanks,

Doug

[amymcg]

Wire the frames first, then put your foundation in and use the wire crimper to push the wire into the foundation while it's laying on the board.

[Murphy]

I use the wired sc with 2 pins either side.
It gets hot here and so far no problem.
The bees get building on it and it is strong. I do not extract 4.9 in the brood area so I do not know how it holds up during extraction.

Kieran

[Michael Bush]

>I'm finally doing it. I'm making the switch to 4.9 SC. My local beekeeping suply shop is unsupportive. They say it is all hype.

Who is making money on all this hype. smile.gif

> The first thing they do when you walk through the door is ask if you treated your bees (with chemicals) for mites.

If you're on 5.4mm standard foundation and you don't treat they will die. So you can't blame them for trying to help.

> The one thing I've noticed about beekeepers is the strong opinions.

Yes.

[Doug R]

I just seems so obvious to me: using chemical leads to problems not solutions. That's just me.

This wiring thing... Does it get wired on both sides? Doesn't the crimper just cut the foundation in half? How does the vertical wire connect to the frame at the top?

I know.. this post should be in beekeeping 101, but this is where I've been hanging out lately. I will recite Michael's mantra and try to let it work. BTW - it's very similar to the homebrewers mantra "Relax, have a homebrew!"

Doug

[Michael Bush]

>I just seems so obvious to me: using chemical leads to problems not solutions. That's just me.

Of course.

>This wiring thing... Does it get wired on both sides?

No.

> Doesn't the crimper just cut the foundation in half?

The crimper just makes a zig zagged wire. The embedder can cut it in half if it's electrical and you heat it too long. But that's not the intent.

> How does the vertical wire connect to the frame at the top?

It's already in the foundation, so it just gets connected with the foundaion. If you have a wedge it's nailed. If you use a wax tube fastener and grooved top (or one with the wedge still attached) then you wax it in.

[ May 05, 2006, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Michael Bush ]