can i use a wood from a tulip tree?

[rick1920]

can anyone tell me of i can use tulip wood for frames??:(

[WVbeekeeper]

Do you mean Tulip Poplar? If so, then yes. I have bottom boards, hive bodies, shallow supers, rims for inner lids and outer covers made all from Tulip Poplar.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2052.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2051.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_Poplar

[randydrivesabus]

its a good choice but you must paint it. its not rot resistant.

[rick1920]

thanks!

[WVbeekeeper]

Be sure to apply a good coat of primer. You can see in the second link what happens if you don't. It took four years for the paint to peel like that. With a good coat of primer I would probably still be waiting to paint it again.

[Bizzybee]

Let em make honey off of it before you cut it down!!!! Yummmm :):)

[pcelar]

Back home linden was considered to be the best wood for hives.

[FordGuy]

its a good choice but you must paint it. its not rot resistant.

I thought he mentioned frames, which I would not paint, but yes esp. bottom boards and poplar is not a good choice for bottom board as it will rot quick painted or not.

[Galaxy]

Many years ago a cabinet maker in my hometown made woodenware. For frames, he used tulip popular. It is easy to work and lasts fine if it does not get wet. FordGuy is correct. I believe it rots quicker than pine if it gets wet, even if water enters through small cracks in the paint.

[Dave W]

Lets all read FordGuys' post AGAIN!

[Troy]

WVbeekeeper, How did you cut your hand holds. Did you use a Dado?

[WVbeekeeper]

WVbeekeeper, How did you cut your hand holds. Did you use a Dado?

Yes. I adjusted the fence to keep the cut the same height for the four sides of the box and clamped a board onto the table so the hand holds would be centered up on the ends and the sides.

Below is a picture of a deep I made 9 or 10 yrs ago. I haven't made any poplar boxes since then. I didn't have any primer and just used paint. You can see where the paint has chipped. I'll rotate this deep out of service this spring and paint it right. (It's too cold for the bees to fly today.)

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2564.jpg

Here is a picture of a shallow super made and painted at the same time as the deep.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2566.jpg

Another poplar deep. The sides of the bottom board is made from red oak and the landing board is either poplar or white oak.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2565.jpg

Two more hives with poplar deeps. The one on the left has two of them (forgot to cut same hand holds on the ends of the lower on), the one on the right only the lower hive body is poplar.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/ccohenour1/IMG_2567.jpg

If you keep your hive bodies painted well they will last a long time. I haven't had any poplar rot in the 9 or 10 yrs that I've used it.

[Galaxy]

Lets all read FordGuys' post AGAIN!

Yes, you are correct. Given his location, The Philippines, I do not think he is asking about tulip poplar. Unless he has wood imported from the US and then it would be too expensive to use for frames.

[rick1920]

we also have a tulip here.i'll take some pictures of the tree.post it in here as soon as possible.thanks for the infos.its a great help