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making your own inner covers

21K views 44 replies 27 participants last post by  Keth Comollo 
#1 ·
I build all my own woodenware except for frames because I can build it for about a third of what you can buy it for out of the catalogs. I am not happy with my inner covers though, I built them out of masonite and just tacked and glued a rim on both sides, and cut the elongated hole in the cover. However the masonite soon warps when put on the hive so what you end up with is a bow either upwards or downwards and creates problems. If it warps upwards then the bees have a hard time accessing the top of the cover (because of the larger bee space) for when I feed an inverted jar. If it warps downward then the bee space is virtually nothing and the bees cannot cross the tops of the centermost frames with the inner cover on, also when you put the inner cover back on after doing an inspection it will crush a bunch of bees.
For those of you who build your own inner covers, what do you build them out of? Looking for something that will not warp to eliminate the problems I am having with mine. Thanks. John
 
#5 ·
jmgi

I buy sheets of 3/8" plywood for the panels and buy the cedar replacment rails for $4.25 each. They are pretty easy to glue up and staple. I think I get 13 panels from each sheet of plywood so the coast is about $66.50 for 13 inner covers or $5.11 each. They are very sturdy and you never have to worry about them warping.
 
#9 ·
I made a few out of scrap wood I had laying around and some 1/4 inch birch plywood. I cut a dado in the rim boards and let the plywood freefloat. I cut a 4inch square in the center fo better summer ventilation (with a propped lid it eliminated almost all the fanning even on hot days, think I read about it under PoV by Walt Wright). They've only been in there a year, but no warpage and I used some gallon bucket feeders for a while on them without any problem... I may try 3/8th plywood next year, I've got a few to make again this winter anyway.
 
#11 ·
I beginning to think that letting the plywood float in the rim groove instead of glueing it (the way I did it) is the way to go. Maybe my masonite inner covers wouldn't have warped at all, or least not as bad if I wouldn't have glued them in.
 
#12 ·
I don't like masonite inner covers for the reasons already mentioned...they warp out of shape. Brushy Mountain makes the best inner covers I've found. You might want to consider buying one, then use it as a pattern to make your own. They use 3/8 exterior plywood in the center.
 
#37 ·
I'm planning on making about 10 inner covers and I'm not sure how I want to make them. I like the way Brushy Mountain makes them with the 3/8" plywood but I'm wondering since the 3/8" plywood sits flush with the pine there is no ""bee space". I've also seen where you take 1/4" material and cut a groove in the center of a piece of 5/8" pine giving "bee space" of 3/16". How important is the bee space?

Thanks, Steve
 
#18 ·
I use 1/4 luan for the tops, 4x8 sheets are about $10 each and make about 13 tops so $1 each top, running 3/4" x 1 1/4" pine for the rim,

Lap joint the corner secure with glue and a staple, run a groove down the 3/4 inch edge to fit the luan, drill a 2"hole in the center with a hole saw

Mitered corners just broke apart on me, the lap joint secured with glue and a staple or small screw works fine,
 
#21 ·
I saw some hive top feeders that hold jars, they were made from 7/16" osb. So I made a handful of inner covers with 7/16 osb. I made a pine outer rim. The outer rim has to be a bit thicker, but its basically the same. Not too heavy, but heavy duty. Cut a few jar holes, and the jar lid is almost the same thickness as the osb. So there is no need to thicken it up to hold jars. I used em all last year and my opinion they are good.

Rob
 
#22 ·
Is there a reason for the hole to be in the middle? Why not cut it near a side, front or back? That would help prevent warping from a jar over the hole. Or why not have 2 or more holes-put a jar over one while the other would still allow ventailation.
 
#25 ·
I dont even put a hole in the center, I just put a triangle escape over one of the jar holes. The only inner cover I ever had to warp got wet & was one of the luan kind. I cant remember one warping from the weight of the feeder jars. I would think if you are cutting the holes yourself, you can put em where ever you think is best. Personally, I like to put them as close to the end as possible, then it gives me a little extra room to hide an extra gallon jug of sugar water :) .
 
#27 ·
I just made 30 of these all season inner covers.

https://www.honeyrunapiaries.com/store/images/4season.gif

I haven't drilled any holes in them yet. I plan to use them as inner covers, hive top feeders, and winter insulation.
My concern is that there is 3/8" below the plywood. That seems a little too much for an inner cover. I may cute that down if they do too much comb building between the frame tops and inner cover. It does leave a nice gap for a pollen patty though.
 
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