I've just got a bunch of wood from a mill to build about 40 boxes, and I'm wondering about drying - and how that will affect my measurements.
Wood shrinks as it dries, so I've heard that's where the 9 5/8" deep dimension came from - manufacturers building boxes out of not-so-dry wood and allowing for shrinking as it dries - the box stays safely withing bee space requirements. 9 5/8 is about an 8th too big for proper bee space.
So do I need to reach a specific dryness before making final cuts and assembling? Or is it safe to take wetish wood and build to 9 5/8 dimensions?
Thanks,
Adam
Wood shrinks as it dries, so I've heard that's where the 9 5/8" deep dimension came from - manufacturers building boxes out of not-so-dry wood and allowing for shrinking as it dries - the box stays safely withing bee space requirements. 9 5/8 is about an 8th too big for proper bee space.
So do I need to reach a specific dryness before making final cuts and assembling? Or is it safe to take wetish wood and build to 9 5/8 dimensions?
Thanks,
Adam