Brads or Staples?

[ken rice]

OK I just received my 500frame order that need to bee assembled.My question is Brads or staples And what size?And is it ok to use tight bond2 on the joints also or is that overkill?Thank you for your knowledge passed on, Ken

[chillardbee]

STAPLES!!!!!MY GOODNESS USE STAPLES!!!!! For the frames. Brad nails don't have enough head to prevent the frame from coming apart once they get propolized in the hive. even if you deliver a nail through the side bar into the top bar, all the pressure will be on that nail rather then the ones on top.

I use the narrow crown 6mm staples that are 1 3/8" long. each side of the frame gets a staple of the top bar, one through the side bar into the top bar, and one in the bottom bar. the reason I put one through the side bar is because i do not use glue and it just makes the frame more stucturely sound.

Let me tell you about a friend of mine who used brads and no glue. I'm glad it's his problem and not mine. Everytime i help him in his bees and I come across a super full of those frames, after taking three of the top bars off, i leave it for him to continue on, and he takes off the rest of the top bars. So, by the end, what he has is a super full of frames with no top bars. I can not stress ardently enough the importance of using staples.

[stoffel64]

Thank you for the answer and of course thank you for the question.

I will use staples for my frames after this clear advise.

Thanks
Stefan

[Broke-T]

Use the tightbond 2 glue and staples. It may take a little longer to add glue but it will be last time you have to put them together.

Johnny

[odfrank]

I use 3/8"X1 1/2" staples on the topbar, but they do too much damage to a grooved bottom bar. I use two 1 1/2" brads there and through the sidebar into the topbar. Glue all around.

[Yuleluder]

If you use brads the top bar will pull away from the rest of the frame when the bees propolize the frames together...

[jdpro5010]

I use narrow crown staples(1/4") 1 1/4" long and titebond II for all my frames.

[valleyman]

Oddfrank has it right. I only use staples thru the top bar, brads thru the end bar and bottom bar. You must use glue on every joint unless you want trouble. I use totebond 111.

[Robbo]

Staples!!!

A guide - not the only way to do it, but the way that works for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvUe5ikCwec

[Jay T]

Ken,
I use staples and tight a bond 3 can’t go wrong when you have a full brood Frame full of honey and pollen

[Pife]

I recently bought 300 new frames and started assembling tonight. Did 30 frames without foundation. Maybe foundation tomorrow. I am using wood glue and 1/4 x 1 inch staples. I built a jig that makes assembling so easy. Saw it on Youtube and got the plans. Wow what a labor saving device and a great way to keep everything straight. Pife

[chillardbee]

there are a type of staple I bought once that had a resinous glue coating on the bottom 1" of the staple (the staple was a 6mm narrow crown 1 3/8" long staple). The glue is solid and once it stapled into the wood the glue binds it to the point that wood will break before the staple comes out.

Has anyone here used these staples too?

[carlinmo]

Use staples. And if you take your time you can easily put the top and two sides together, lay in your foundation if using something like duragilt, and then staple and glue the bottom. This will save you a tremendous amount of time in the long run and your foundation will be much straighter.

[LITTLE JOHN]

HI !
I use 1/4 inch x 1 1/2 resin coated staples with Elmers Ultimate Glue. Once the glue and resin set, you cannot pull the frames apart. The wood will break first. I use the 1 1/2 inch staples on the top bar and bottom bar, and then use 1/4 x 3/4 inch staples through the ears on the top bar and on the ears of the bottom bar. I haven't had one pull apart yet. I know the staple through the ears are over kill, but like I said, not one has come apart yet and I have russians and they use a lot of propolis on the frames. I spray all the frame parts with water and let soak in about 5 minutes before I assemble. This helps the glue and keeps me from having blow outs when stapling. You can dip in water, but spraying with a garden sprayer is very fast.

Little John