Top bar hive suppliers

[Barry Digman]

Is anyone manufacturing and selling top bar equipment?

[shawnwri]

If money was no object, these are pretty. Hardwood, window...bees would be living better than I do.

http://www.backyardhive.com/General/General/BackYardHive_Beekeeping_Shop/

[bluegrass]

I see them on ebay every now and then, but they are way over priced.

[MGBee]

My plant (furniture) runs CNC equipment.

Would like to produce some TBH for sale, but 2 things are obstacles.

1. Not enough demand . Not enough TBH users and folks who like the Top Bar Hive are a notoriously thrifty bunch (Scotch /Irish here) who like to tinker with design and uses themselves.
2. How would we create a standard unit dimension? Height of box, angle sides to bottom, length of box etc.

they could be built and sold cheaply with enough volume. Molder can run bars with comb guide centered and integral to the bar. Bars could be supplied in lengths ready to cut to size.( UPS that way)

Assembly would be a breeze with RTA fittings machined for and supplied (no screws or nails required.)

If you are interested, let me know. We're into our busy season now, so timing would have to be set for late Fall or early Winter for manufacturing and delivery.

Regards,
Miles

[chemistbert]

I'd love to be able to buy just premade top bars. Nice and straight with a comb guide built in. Plastic would rock.

[MGBee]

2 sizes. 1-1/4" (brood) and 1/1/2" (honey)? Can we all agree on that?

3/4" thick hardwood, species will vary. 1/8" high v-shape comb guide, dead center, molder run to shape. Lengths will be random (up to 72"-- I believe that is the longest UPS will take).

How many feet would you buy?

Miles

[BerkeyDavid]

MGBee
I agree that what you have proposed would be a good way to go, that way folks can cut the top bar to lenght to fit hive.

Might be a good idea to put a price to it.

[bluegrass]

Sounds like a great idea; but you are right about the TBH people being a cheap bunch. I am also of Irish background and stingy. Now I don't have a TBH yet, but I have thought about it. The only thing holding me back is that they don't move easy and I like to be able to relocate hives if need be. And I suspect that someday in the future some of my hives will be run out of town so I require a hive that can be moved by one person with no damage to the comb.

[shawnwri]

Definitely less than $2.14/foot than you can buy them for now. I'm cheap! You could simplify by going with 1-3/8" bars for everything.

[summersetretrievers]

Here is another supplier
http://www.netshed.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1&zenid=2396a5aea59123de79ab312fb54c0373
Cindy

[JD]

cost me about 28$ each for my TBH, now I did have a lot of time into them. Mainly in making the bars

If the bars had the right price I would buy them and make the rest

[MGBee]

I'll work on pricing for bars this week. Will be way less than 2.14/ft. I am sure. 60" lengths of top bars work best yield wise if bars are 19" long.

Thanks,
Miles

[earthsurfing]

I have been making top bar hives with USAID in West Africa, and refining my own design for use in hard winter northern VT. I'd be happy to sell some hives. They are so easy to build, though, and you may want to customize...
(802) 734 1129 if you're interested.
i do 20" bars, probably 18-19" of comb goes on them, max.

[snowglobe]

Earthsurfing,

The little that I have learned about TBH's of recent, leads me to understand that precision work is a must.

I am interested to hear from you, and to know about your design innovations that may be "Norther" friendly.

Please write to,

tha.snowglove@gmail.com

Thanks for your time.