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Walter Kelly Foundationless frames

9K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  Michael Bush 
#1 ·
I am thinking about buying some of Kellys foundationless frames, and would like to hear from someone who has them, what their bees think of them?
 
#4 ·
In my opinion the side bars are to thin, they want to squeeze together in the hive causing the frame spacing to be to close. But my problem could be that I make my own boxes and they are not a perfect fit like Kelly's would be. I would go with wedge top frames especially if Mann's still has free shipping I bought 120 frames for 108 dollars last month.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for starting this thread. Soon after I said I had some but they were misplaced, I found them. If you want, I can post some photos of the frames. They are rough compared to mannlake frames. However, they fit together much tighter and hold themselves together better when assembling. Right now I do it one frame at a time. If I had a jig, it would not matter one bit.
 
#9 ·
I wouldn;t think of extracting foundationless frames with out support, YMMV. :) I have heard of people using fishing line opposed to standard frame wire.

I am curious how well the medium foundationless frames to extracting. 90% of all my honey super are foundationless medium frames.
 
#11 ·
I was unimpressed with the frames I bought. Maybe I got a bad batch. The end bars did not slip into the top bar. They were to tight and split like said above. I had to go back and remove material so that they would fit. Also had to modify bottom bar. If I would have assembled as they came the overall height would have been 9 1/4"-9 5/16". I just bought frames from dadant. Extremely nice. I will buy from them again.
 
#14 ·
The only issue I really have had is with the bottom bar splintering if I use a 1/4 staple to hold it down. The staple is just not wide enough to span the gap in the bottom bar. The splintering does not happen when I use a 18 gauge 1" brad in the bottom bar.

My frames are mediums and I did not measure the height of the finished frame. Each frame is glued and then held together by 8 brads or 4 staples.
 
#15 ·
I got my frames today and just got done putting 50 of them together. I used a staple on the tops and a couple of nails in the bottoms. I had no trouble with any of the frames at all. They went together nice tight, and square. I made the jig that was shown somewhere on here, thanks for that that, and thanks everone else.
 
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