tool for one piece top bars-router?

[stangardener]

im going to be making about 1200 top bars this winter and cutting the guides in seems like the way to go. is a router the tool of choice? is a table model required or will a hand type work? does a router work for rabbits? as a side note i got my first table saw and air stapler this year and wish id done it sooner.

[Michael Bush]

I cut my triangular guides off of the corner of a one by and nailed and glued them to the top bars.

[Robert Hawkins]

What happened to the popsickle sticks?

Hawk

[stangardener]

ive used with succes popsickle sticks,hemp cord and shaping with the table saw. what im going for now is 1) a bit quicker production and 2) bars that are one piece with no glue nails etc. i have this notion that i might present bars of comb straight from the hive similar to the days when people would get their honey in the frame. i think i miss spelled rabbet above. and a hand held router is probably called a plunge router. im also wondering wether a router is good for dove tails. i got an inexpensive table saw and realize to late dadoe blades are not reccomended. those pop sickle sticks are covered in wax and bees smile.gif

[Michael Bush]

>i got an inexpensive table saw and realize to late dadoe blades are not reccomended.

I have a Dado for a cheap saw, but it will only adjust to about 5/8" or so. It's a wobble blade. smile.gif

[Dave W]

I cut top bar "blanks" w/ a saw.

Staring w/ 1x12 pine boards, rip strips desired width of TB (mine are 1-1/16").

Cross-cut strips in desired length (mine are 19").

I use a hand-held (not plunge) router attached to a "router table" (see tool catalogs - mine is homemade) for the following.

Using a straight-cut router bit same width as end-bars (mine are 5/16"), cut each end of "19" blanks" to accept end-bars. (6 cuts reqd)

For regular "foundation-reqd" bars - on saw, rip "rabbet" for foundation. I use 2 cuts (passes) and save scrap for attaching foundation.

For "tappered" bars, on saw, rip angles on both sides of top bar bottom instead of rabbet.

[stangardener]

thanks for the input! this coming season i might try somthing differant. the idea is to spend the time putting guides on only about the fist 15 or so bars. i believe that its good during build up to insert blank bars between combs to keep them straight-those bars dont need guides the comb guides them.