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Double nuc manufacturers?

7K views 29 replies 22 participants last post by  bushpilot 
#1 ·
I've bought Palmer style double nucs from Humble Abodes and I've been happy with them, but the shipping is killing me. Better Bee is even worse. I inquired at Mann Lake and they said they have no plans to offer double nucs. Is there any company that produces a Palmer style double nuc in the Western US or one that offers free shipping like Mann Lake? Even just the proper size 4 frame box would be great.
 
#3 ·
Agreed, shipping is a killer for double nucs. We should start a campaign to get Mann Lake to produce them. In the meantime, I am thinking of making my own with my CNC router. I got my first one from humble abodes.

Maby Mike Palmer will be kind enough to share his source.

Alex
 
#17 ·
These are not hard to make with a regular deep. Build the bottom board with a center divider. Here is mine fresh off the saw. View attachment 44589
A router cut to the same depth as the frame rest and a 3/8" ply divider and a center divider on the bottom board. I put a cheap plastic queen excluder on top to keep queens separate. The bees of the divided cluster that forms get along perfectly and augment each other.
 
#15 ·
I made some a while back by cutting full-sized brood boxes Mann-Lake had on special offer (with free delivery - when they were over here trying to break into the UK market) in half(*), and then adding sides. This proved to be a very cheap and quick way of making half-width nuc boxes. But then M-L pulled out, the supply of uber-cheap boxes dried up, and so now I make my own from scratch.
LJ

(*) half, less the thickness of the side to be added - for butt joints.
 
#16 ·
This is exactly what i am doing. cutting down mann lake deep boxes from the mill run sale. I set my tablesaw fence at 4 1/16" and trim the ends of the box to cut a section out of the center with the handle and then glue the 2 halfs together. This lets me use the finger joints that are already there. I will glue a cleat on each end to serve as a handle. Plus i can use the center section i cut out to make 2-4 frame nucs or mating nucs so there is no waste. I will probably order another batch this next year and continue doing this. The mill run boxes i have gotten have all been good some trimming on the box joints is needed at times but they are very serviceable and at 8.95 each they are pretty dang cheap. i ordered 40 deeps and am making 3 sets of 4x4x4 double nucs and using the rest for brood boxes to try and grow my apiary this year.
 
#19 ·
MP >>> "Exactly. I don't see how folks can afford woodenware from the supply houses"..

Its easy Mike you just work 2 jobs. I make some myself but just call Stewart at Shastina Millwork I have purchased a few hundred from them the last several years. Here's a though too. Sit down and calculate the cost of materials sometime involved in buying the lumber or modifying deeps yourself. Glue, staples, primer a couple coats of paint. My time has become much more valuable over the last 5-6 years so I have learnt to negotiate some items and cost them out. Shastina even sent me a couple pallets assembled, primed and painted nuc boxes. Their boxes are very good.
 
#23 ·
I get the buying is cheaper than building thing, but I'm not running tons of them. Last winter I got together with a buddy who has a great basement shop and we knocked some out in an evening. Another evening for assembly and painting. Fun winter work and an excuse to hang with a friend for a while. Wood Table Hardwood Floor Plywood
Wood Table Hardwood Floor Plywood
Wood Table Hardwood Floor Plywood
 

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#30 ·
I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago when they had their 10% off sale, so one was $99 delivered. It looks fine, uses rabbet joints throughout (I am not sure if this is standad for Dadant, I have never bout a box from them). I think it will work fine.
 
#27 ·
Mr. Palmer,
Many bee keepers here, including myself, consider you to be the foremost living expert on the double NUC box (D-NUC). Given this, what improvements would you like to see made in the double NUC box? I have a woodworking friend who is going to build my D-NUC boxes from the ground up, and any input you have would be treasured knowledge. I am just starting out and am just in it to have fun.

Jason
 
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