hand holds in supers

[DCook]

Anyone know of a way to cut the hand holds in the sides of boxes? I am sure the biger manufacturers have special made cutters for this.

[BeeCurious]

Do a search. Michael Palmer recently posted some pics and a description of how he cuts them.

[tiki man]

I put a dado blade on my table saw and clamp a stop so the board doesn't slip. Works for me.

[Barry]

http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yo.../handhold-jig/

[Mtn. Bee]

Easy, go to all cleats! That is what I did and/or in the process of doing and you can even do a tapered cut on top edge of cleat for water run off like odfrank posted pics of (do a search).
When you start handling larger numbers of boxes the finger tip handholds suck b/c your finger tips feel like you have been doing weight curls at the gym!

[westernbeekeeper]

I use cleats.

[Michael Palmer]

I've picked up so many heavy bee boxes over the years that my left middle finger pops out of joint if I'm not careful, and my first is distorted forever. I now use the hand holds for tipping the boxes, but carry from under the box.

[waynesgarden]

I made a simple template out of 1/2" ply and use a palm router to cut a simple oval recess. Takes a couple minutes per box and works fine. I have the jig plan that Cleo was kind enough to send but haven't had an opportunity to use it yet.

Funny, every time someone asks how to make handholds, people misread it and think it is asking should they use cleats instead.

Wayne

[Solomon Parker]

I have moved from cleats to dado cutouts, nothing fancy, just two cuts adjacent. http://parkerfarms.blogspot.com/2012...its-debut.html I've had older ones with a single cut, but they're so small you can't get good leverage.

[Barry]

That top on your hive, having it back cut as you do, seems it would pull the rain water right back into the opening. Wouldn't it be better to reverse the angle so water would drip off the outer most edge?

[Mtn. Bee]

Funny, every time someone asks how to make handholds, people misread it and think it is asking should they use cleats instead.

Wayne

Did not misread the post, just merely suggested what was easiest and healthiest on your body if you are in it for the long haul!
Take my .02 cents for what it is worth!

[psfred]

I've been making cleats with a 30 degree slant top and bottom, so that there is a shallow recess underneath. So far they are easier to lift and carry. Can't stack them flush, though, which may be a problem if you often move hives.

Peter

[Acebird]

I've picked up so many heavy bee boxes over the years that my left middle finger pops out of joint if I'm not careful, and my first is distorted forever. I now use the hand holds for tipping the boxes, but carry from under the box.

Just saying, you could drill a couple of 3/8 holes through the side walls of the box so it would pick up the notches of a couple of frame grips. Cut a dowel the thickness of the board, chamfer both ends 45 degrees and glue it in the holes as plugs.

If you don't mind dings in the side walls of your boxes you can just sharpen the notches of the frame grips to bite into the wood.

[BeeCurious]

Anyone know of a way to cut the hand holds in the sides of boxes? I am sure the biger manufacturers have special made cutters for this.

The op is interested in cutting hand holds...

Just saying, you could drill a couple of 3/8 holes through the side walls of the box so it would pick up the notches of a couple of frame grips. Cut a dowel the thickness of the board, chamfer both ends 45 degrees and glue it in the holes as plugs.

If you don't mind dings in the side walls of your boxes you can just sharpen the notches of the frame grips to bite into the wood.

What?
I felt I had entered some sort of woodenware dream sequence when I read the above posting.

I like it....

[Scrapfe]

... a way to cut the hand holds in the sides of boxes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWigil-kioc

Depending on your testosterone level you may want to (or not) use this method from John Paluda at Georgia Bees .com Despite it looking as dangerous as a pin less hand grenade I watched closely, and I counted carefully. It seems that John still has every part of all ten fingers and thumbs still firmly attached to the palms of his hands. My advise to you is to as do you dang well please, but not that your health insurer won't give a darn.

If I were using this method, I would sure have me a firm and strong way to hold the box in a fixed possession before I proceeded. I sure would not hold the box steady with my knees while waving a running and guard-less Skill saw around my legs and neither regions.

… drill …3/8 holes through the side walls of the box so it [you could?] would pick up the notches of a couple of frame grips. Cut a dowel the thickness of the board, chamfer both ends 45 degrees and glue it in the holes as plugs…. just sharpen the notches [teeth] of the frame grips to bite into the wood.

You think like an engineer Ace.

[Scrapfe]

ons.

[Keth Comollo]

Cleats will be going on all my future woodenware. The cut handholds are just too small for my hands and also add cold spots to the inside of the box in winter.

[Acebird]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWigil-kioc
If I were using this method, I would sure have me a firm and strong way to hold the box in a fixed possession before I proceeded.

The jig could be made safe if the saw was captured to it and the jig clamped to the board you are milling.

[Barry]

use this method from John Paluda at Georgia Bees .com

Don't forget to use pressure treated wood!

[Keth Comollo]

Don't forget to use pressure treated wood!

LOL