a clean break for wedges

[coondogger]

What's the choice of tool out there to get a top wedge to snap out cleanly? I've tried scoring with a utility blade (pretty good result) and a wide chisel (almost, but not quite as good). Of course no matter what you use, there's always some slivers left that must be scraped or planed away. Never a clean break; at least for me.

[TwT]

I just pop mine out with my fingers or a screw driver, never worried about popping them out clean, when I wedge it back in with foundation the Bosch staple gun will take care of any unclean strips I might have left.

[Michael Palmer]

I gave up on wedges, and now use grooved top bars and hot wax.

[Ross]

fingers most of the time. Occasional wild grain will irritate you.

[Ben Brewcat]

Yeah, just don't worry about it. A quick scrape with a hive tool will get rough stuff off if it bothers you, but the bees don't seem to care; just staple/brad it in place.

[Jeffzhear]

Yeah, just don't worry about it. A quick scrape with a hive tool will get rough stuff off if it bothers you, but the bees don't seem to care; just staple/brad it in place.

I agree Ben, I just use the hive tool and scrape the rough stuff off. Works for me. For whatever reason, I do like to have a tight fit and so I scrape them down.

[riverrat]

I pop them off with my fingers then run a pocket knife over the edge to take it down

[Michael Bush]

I quit breaking them out and just wax the foundation in the groove with a wax tube fastener. But before I started doing that, I used to use a pocket knife.

[Grant]

I use a utility knife, then a hive tool to scrape the burr left behind. Then I start waxing my plastic pierco-style all-in-one frames.

Grant
Jackson, MO http://www.25hives.homestead.com

[JC]

What's the choice of tool out there to get a top wedge to snap out cleanly? I've tried scoring with a utility blade (pretty good result) and a wide chisel (almost, but not quite as good). Of course no matter what you use, there's always some slivers left that must be scraped or planed away. Never a clean break; at least for me.

Buy Kelley frames. I am amazed how clean the break is on these frames. When I used Dadant frames I had the same problems you describe. I use a utility knife that is used to cut carpet.

[Joseph Clemens]

I gave up on wedges, and now use grooved top bars and hot wax.

I agree with Michael Palmer - whenever I use wax foundation or wax starter strips I just wax them into the groove in the top bar - when I use plastic foundation (even that cut out of all-plastic frames), it just snaps into the top and bottom grooves. Top bars with wedges are so much more difficult to use. They are also extremely difficult and time-consuming, especially if you ever develop the need to reuse them.