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im going to be making about 1200 top bars this winter and cutting the guides in seems like the way to go. is a router the tool of choice? is a table model required or will a hand type work? does a router work for rabbits? as a side note i got my first table saw and air stapler this year and wish id done it sooner.
I cut my triangular guides off of the corner of a one by and nailed and glued them to the top bars.
What happened to the popsickle sticks?
Hawk
ive used with succes popsickle sticks,hemp cord and shaping with the table saw. what im going for now is 1) a bit quicker production and 2) bars that are one piece with no glue nails etc. i have this notion that i might present bars of comb straight from the hive similar to the days when people would get their honey in the frame. i think i miss spelled rabbet above. and a hand held router is probably called a plunge router. im also wondering wether a router is good for dove tails. i got an inexpensive table saw and realize to late dadoe blades are not reccomended. those pop sickle sticks are covered in wax and bees [img]smile.gif[/img]
>i got an inexpensive table saw and realize to late dadoe blades are not reccomended.
I have a Dado for a cheap saw, but it will only adjust to about 5/8" or so. It's a wobble blade. [img]smile.gif[/img]
I cut top bar "blanks" w/ a saw.
Staring w/ 1x12 pine boards, rip strips desired width of TB (mine are 1-1/16").
Cross-cut strips in desired length (mine are 19").
I use a hand-held (not plunge) router attached to a "router table" (see tool catalogs - mine is homemade) for the following.
Using a straight-cut router bit same width as end-bars (mine are 5/16"), cut each end of "19" blanks" to accept end-bars. (6 cuts reqd)
For regular "foundation-reqd" bars - on saw, rip "rabbet" for foundation. I use 2 cuts (passes) and save scrap for attaching foundation.
For "tappered" bars, on saw, rip angles on both sides of top bar bottom instead of rabbet.
thanks for the input! this coming season i might try somthing differant. the idea is to spend the time putting guides on only about the fist 15 or so bars. i believe that its good during build up to insert blank bars between combs to keep them straight-those bars dont need guides the comb guides them.