View Full Version : Is it supposed to be like this?
pcelar
05-19-2008, 11:32 AM
I bought my supplies from Brushy Mountain. I am assembling foundation and wooden frames I purchased from them (I bought frames ASSEMBLED). On every frame there is space in upper left and lower right corner. It looks like frame and foundation are not squared. Is this supposed to be like this? Thanks for your input.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i20/smart-choice/frame.jpg
ScadsOBees
05-19-2008, 11:53 AM
Its kinda hard to tell from a picture what part it is that isn't square. It could be the frames or it could be the foundation.
If you don't have a square carpenter's tool, you can compare it to the corner edge of a piece of paper to see if it (the frame?, the foundation?) is 90degrees.
The bees can manage, so it shouldn't hurt anything as long as everything fits in the box. It can change the bee space a little if the frames aren't squared, but I've made my own, and they aren't all square and I haven't had any issues.
Rick
Ravenseye
05-19-2008, 11:54 AM
Put a square on your frame and check it. If it's not square, you might be able to carefully rack it. If your foundation isn't square, the company should replace it.
riverrat
05-19-2008, 12:09 PM
make yourself a frame assembly jig. there cheap easy to make and will assure that you keep the frame straight when assembling
pcelar
05-19-2008, 12:11 PM
Put a square on your frame and check it. If it's not square, you might be able to carefully rack it. If your foundation isn't square, the company should replace it.
I just checked it out. Both is off mark. Foundation about almost 1/4" and frames almost 1/2" :eek:
beegee
05-19-2008, 09:54 PM
If it fits in the super, don't worry about it. It's a box of insects, for heaven's sake. leave the foundation out and see what they do with the empty frame.
Ruben
05-20-2008, 03:53 PM
Either the foundation slipped or the frame is not square.
pcelar
05-20-2008, 08:02 PM
Either the foundation slipped or the frame is not square.
Frame is not square. I checked it with a square. about 1/4".
So, in a box, one bottom side is touching the wall of the box, and other side is far away from the wall. Is this going to be OK or should I make new frames from the scratch? Since these frames have been made in February, and glued, I can not straighten them.
Talked to Brushy Mountain people and they told me that is not a big deal. According to a "manager"?! they always use frames like these. It is almost my fault that these frames are not squared!!! Bunch of crooks. I am wandering why did I have to pay extra money!? If I will end up with inferior product, and if the frames will be assembled by some drunk without glasses and one glass eye, who doesn't know that the frame is supposed to be square? One thing is sure. I will never again deal with Brushy Mountain again.
BigDaddyDS
05-20-2008, 08:14 PM
Am I missing something here?
Do they fit into your hive body? Why can't you just give them a quick bend in the other direction? Won't that straighten the frame(s) out?
DS
beegee
05-20-2008, 09:47 PM
The bees don't care....they don't even need your steenkin' frames or your steenkin' foundation!
I have built thousands of frames from Brushy Mountain, Miller Bee Supply, Walter Kelley and Dadant and not every one is perfect. But ya know what? Not the first bee has ever complained about it.
pcelar
05-21-2008, 06:21 AM
Am I missing something here?
Do they fit into your hive body? Why can't you just give them a quick bend in the other direction? Won't that straighten the frame(s) out?
DS
No I can not. Read my previous post.
Commercial beek saw frames and told me "this is no good send them back". We ll make new frames today ourself using his 30 frame jig.
carbide
05-22-2008, 07:52 AM
Commercial beek saw frames and told me "this is no good send them back". We ll make new frames today ourself using his 30 frame jig.
Good for you, I would do the same thing. There's no excuse for the frames to be out of square by that much. It's easy enough to put them together by hand with a closer tolerance than that. With a jig (which I would surely expect them to use for assembly) they should be within 1/8" of square.
Again, there's no excuse for such sloppy workmanship.
unless your uncapper or extractor won't take them, I would just use them. You'll be a lot less picky when you have a few years and a bunch of hives.
riverrat
05-22-2008, 09:51 AM
Frame is not square. I checked it with a square. about 1/4".
Put it in the hive and use it the bees dont have squares
Well if you can't return them and you think it will be a problem using them as is, perhaps you could rack them by tensioning a wire from the upper left to lower right corner. Use the holes where those foundation pins are. Don't rack by pulling on the wire, rather stand the frame up on the lower right and press down on the upper left. Or use a bar clamp. When you've got it a little past square, tie off the wire. As long as you don't push too hard (<.25inch) it shouldn't snap or twist the frame. Of course if you built some in your buddy's frame jig then maybe it doesn't matter any more. I don't know if it's worth it or not, just a suggestion to try before throwing anything out.
Brandy
05-22-2008, 09:26 PM
I have to say that Brushy Mtn. usually has some of the best woodenware available. Maybe not in this instance. But I've got frames I've put together myself that have a little "rack" to them and I haven't lost one hive due to this. I commend your effort's in wanting things straight and square but you will soon learn that as soon as you entered this realm of the bee's, nothing will be straight, square, or exact again and they don't care. There is a much bigger picture to this that you are soon to find out and enjoy. Many way's to create bee space.
Let me add, the bee's are exact, it's everything around them that is not.