Cutting down 10 frame boxes to 8 frame boxes

[bevy's honeybees]

Agree with Vance, styrofoam block covered with hardware cloth. Cheap, lightweight & effective. Allows you to go back to 10 frame if so desired and no need to change out equip.

Do you make them frame size, and can you tell me exactly what to buy and how to do it? All my stuff is 10 frame and I have all 3 size boxes. I'd like to do something about those smaller colonies that are in a deep already, if I need to reduce their space during dearth I'd like to try this method. I thought about buying more 5 frame deep, but there I go buying more boxes and moving them around too much.

[Michael Bush]

>... and every eight frame box made one ten frame box with nothing to buy.

Sorry, brain fart...

[snl]

For the brood chambers, stick a two frame feeder in a 10 frame box and you've your 8 frame box with a feeder when you need it. Keeps your equipment standard, allows you to go back to 10 frame should you so desire & solves the weight issue (the feeder is always empty when you're lifting the box).
For the supers, once your foundation is drawn just space 8 frames in the box ........

[RudyT]

I had two 10 frame hives worth of equipment from my wife's grandfather. although there was no history of disease, I cleaned and baked and bleached for sterilization. I had decided to use 8 frame due to weight. Rather than cut or sell, I used the 10 frame equipment last year for bees. This year I moved the frames to 8 frame equipment and I am using the 10 frame boxes for swarm catchers. If I am so fortunate as to catch swarms too heavy to easily lift to bring home, I'll say some praises and get some help. I also like the suggestion of using feeders with tops closed to "fill up" 2 spaces, turning the equipment almost into 8 frames of contents.

[Adam Foster Collins]

Thanks for all the feedback. It has been helpful.

I thought over the idea of just putting a feeder in or whatever, but I want 8 frame gear. And I can only assume I'll acquire more over time, so I figured it would be best to just bite the bullet and alter what I have.

So I followed Whisker's idea of cutting them in half, and incorporated Ace's idea of doweling the joints. I used 3, 3/8" dowels in each joint, and then added a nice oak cleat as a handle to help secure the new joint. Seems to be pretty tight, and once I repaint, it will all look pretty seamless. It is some work, but I'm glad to be doing it.

I have cut down 11 deeps, and have finished reassembling 4 of them. I still have 9 mediums to deal with.

Thanks again,

Adam

[Acebird]

then added a nice oak cleat as a handle to help secure the new joint.

You probably needed something anyway because most of the hand hold would be gone.

[bevy's honeybees]

Feeders with tops closed, like I'm seeing on Mann Lake "pro feeder with cap and ladder". What about hive beetles, are these a hiding place for them?