woodenware: how to cut the handles?

[beefstew]

This is my first year keeping bees. I've got a small shop in the garage and made all of my deeps, supers, hivestands etc out of the "value" wood at Menards. So far everything is holding up fine, but I can't figure out how to add the sort of hand-holds that I see in the commercial hive bodies. Instead, I used scrap 1x3 on the top edge of the 16.25 sides of the bodies (see the picture below).

It has occurred to me since that this may not have been a good idea. I live in Minnesota and will need to wrap up the hives in a few months. It seems like the handles will make it harder to wrap the boxes. So, two questions:

(1) How do you cud handles on the side of your deeps? (I assume a plunge router - do you use two bits?), and

(2) If you have handles of the sort shown in the photo below, is it impossible to properly wrap your hives for winter?

thanks.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hvHmjbV3ZQs/SleicXp4T-I/AAAAAAAAA2M/Rva0C_3ungg/s400/IMG_0678.JPG

[BEES4U]

By doing a search, located in the grey menu area between New Posts and Quick Links, you get some answers.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2133392
Cute photo
Ernie

[EastSideBuzz]

By doing a search, located in the grey menu area between New Posts and Quick Links, you get some answers.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2133392
Cute photo
Ernie

I would like to know also. I did a quick search and did not find the router jig for cutting the handles and the above link does not work.

[honeyman46408]

Read this thread

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224379&highlight=hand+holds

[Ravenseye]

I put cleats on my nucs (sometimes) and cut handles in my boxes by using a stacked dado blade. After all the pieces are cut, I lay them down against markings on the table saw. The dado blade is beneath the surface. I then hold the wood while raising the blade. On my saw, when the blade first touches the wood, I turn the knob 2 1/2 times around. That raises it enough to give me a decent hand hold. I don't bother with a scoop type cut, just a grip.

[gmcharlie]

dadao blade on the table saw...... clamp on 2 stops to set location, lower part onto blade....

[beefstew]

Thanks for all the replies. I've got a dado set for my tablesaw and I now understand how to cut a simple handle.

The photo includes my 3yo daughter, who loves to work the bees with me.

So, is it easy to winter wrap hives that have the tack-on handles? Should I just stuff the free space with dry grass?

[Ravenseye]

You can wrap around those cleats or even cut around them. You might want to wrap and then slice where the "bump" of the handle is, tacking it against the box afterwards. I'm not a big fan of wrapping so others may have more experience.

[Alex Cantacuzene]

We cut the handles similar as suggested on the table saw. We use the radial arm saw, head turned 90 deg, with a dado blade and stops to hold the box sides. Just this week I made some honey supers and decided to use cleats on the small ends only. We do not wrap the hives in the winter but I thought that the cut in handles reduce the insulation value in a small area and so I will try cleats for a while.

[PCM]

Handles or lugs should have no problem with wraping loosely with tar paper as a wind wrap and slight heat gain during the day.

Insulateing hives isn't done that much any more, I would advise doing some heavy reading and actually talking to some one who has done it before, I understand it's a whole new ballgame.

Different strokes for different folks !

PCM

[jbw]

If you prop the end panel about 2" above the saw table(need a jig) and each 1/2 turn you raise the blade(after it has been raised and contacted the bottom) you then crank the angle all the way till it stops cutting. You then raise the blade another 1/2 turn and crank the angle again. Four sequences at 1/2 turn each will yield a nice gripper.

[Truckie]

I built a simple jig (out of leftover 1x scraps from making hive bodies and supers) and use a plunge router with a 3/4" straight bit. I don't bother making hand holds on all four sides like the commercial guys, just the front and back of the boxes. I find it awkward to lift from the sides anyway.

[honeyman46408]

My Jig without the dado blade in place

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/honeyman46408/Jig001-1.jpg?t=1248543428