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5 Frame Nuc - D. Coates Version

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chitwnbry16
5 Frame Nuc Plans​

This plan gives details for making (4) 5-frame nucs from one piece of 1/2" plywood - 4' x 8'.
A cutting layout diagram is included. Design by D. Coates.

Download the 5-Frame Nuc Beehive Plans - PDF format
 
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jeremy12345

jeremy12345

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#2 · Jan 19, 2021
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The PDF download doesn't seem to work. It just takes me to the homepage.
 
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JWPalmer

JWPalmer

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Aylett, VA 10-frame double deep Langstroth
Joined May 1, 2017
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#3 · Jan 19, 2021
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Go to this thread.
www.beesource.com

Plans for D. Coates Nuc

5-frame D. Coates nuc plans.
www.beesource.com www.beesource.com
 
Thankfully, the bees are smarter than I am. They are doing well, in spite of my efforts to help them.
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Woofee

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#4 · Feb 7, 2021 (Edited)
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I have a cut list that can get almost 5 nucs from a single sheet 96x48 with a 0.125 blade thickness. I used https://www.cutlistoptimizer.com/ to do the calculations. See the JPG below, or the attached PDF. Have not tried the cuts yet. It is missing one Front/Back cut, one Side cut, and the Top Cleat, but it might be possible to get four of the Top Cleat cuts from what is left over. Please check my work to make sure I have not overlooked something. Thanks.

Also you might be able to get a big box store to make four cuts, and make life a little easier for you.

https://www.cutlistoptimizer.com/ allows you ten calculations a day for free.

62019
 

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  • CutList Optimizer - 2021-02-06.pdf
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Woofee

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#5 · Feb 7, 2021 (Edited)
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Rerun the calculations but this time with two sheets, looking to get 9 Nucs out of the available space. Here is the results, with no missing parts. 1/8 Kerf.

62021
 

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  • Nuc 9.pdf
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Woofee

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#6 · Feb 7, 2021 (Edited)
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Finally a very efficient 3 sheet, 14 Nuc design. 1/8 Kerf.

62023
 

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  • Nuc 14.pdf
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William Bagwell

William Bagwell

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Mutts and Carniolans in Langs.
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#7 · Feb 7, 2021
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Woofee said:
Also you might be able to get a big box store to make four cuts, and make life a little easier for you.

https://www.cutlistoptimizer.com/ allows you ten calculations a day for free.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link! The combination here solves a dilemma for anyone who can not haul a full 4 X 8 sheet. Have a step side pickup so a single rip is all I need. Have used a utility knife and a straight edge in the parking lot several times the past two years. Works great for foam or lauan. Not so well for 3/4" sub-flooring... Wait in line at the saw :(
 
you can never be TF if you stop trying.
Clayton Huestis
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JWPalmer

JWPalmer

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Aylett, VA 10-frame double deep Langstroth
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#8 · Feb 7, 2021
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Thanks for doing some of the "heavy lifting" in develoing a cut sheet. There is another program that does not have use limitations called maxcut. It works fairly well but sometimes I wonder about the cutting choices.

MaxCut

www.maxcutsoftware.com www.maxcutsoftware.com
 
Thankfully, the bees are smarter than I am. They are doing well, in spite of my efforts to help them.
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AHudd

AHudd

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#9 · Feb 7, 2021
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Woofee said:
Finally a very efficient 3 sheet, 14 Nuc design. 1/8 Kerf.
Click to expand...
Thanks for putting forth the effort as I intend to build about 30 of these this Spring. I was also considering making some two or three frame mating nucs.

Alex
 
Ten years of Beekeeping before varroa. Started again spring of 2014.
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Woofee

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#10 · Feb 7, 2021
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AHudd said:
Thanks for putting forth the effort as I intend to build about 30 of these this Spring. I was also considering making some two or three frame mating nucs.

Alex
Click to expand...
That would be great to make some three frame nucs. When you get the dimensions and the cut list from the website I linked to, I would be interested to try it myself.
 
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AHudd

AHudd

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#11 · Feb 10, 2021 (Edited by Moderator)
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Woofee said:
That would be great to make some three frame nucs. When you get the dimensions and the cut list from the website I linked to, I would be interested to try it myself.
Click to expand...
I registered on the cut list website only to reach my very generous limit of free daily calculations before completing my cut lists. I played around with it quite a bit.
The dimensions I used are as follows.
Sides 10.25 x 19.125 multiples of 2
Top 6 x 22 (1)
Bottom 5.5 x 20 (1)
Front & Back 7.5 x 6.5 2
Front & Back updated 9.5" x 4.5" (2)
Hive Cleat 5.5 x 2 (2)
Top Cleat . 75 x 5.5 (2)

I opted to not upgrade as I will rarely use this type of tool.

I'll try again tomorrow.

Alex
 
Ten years of Beekeeping before varroa. Started again spring of 2014.
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AHudd

AHudd

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#12 · Feb 12, 2021
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This one works for me because I need about 20.

Alex
 
Ten years of Beekeeping before varroa. Started again spring of 2014.
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mtnmyke

mtnmyke

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#13 · Feb 14, 2021 (Edited)
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I made a sheet of these about 7 years ago. They've held up great but something got messed up because the frames fit very tight on the ends where is very hard to move frames in the box. I didn't have a table saw at the time so I had home depot cut them from the cut list...

Since then I've expanded my woodworking tools a bit but want to make sure it's done right this time.

I may give Sheathing Plywood 0.563 in. x 48 in. x 96 in. a go since it's only $40 a sheet and should hold up well. Not as expensive as the sanded stuff that looks prettier, but will hold up a lot better than OSB or other cheap options.

.06 is so close I also shouldn't have to adjust my cuts much, if at all. Although I may make my sides 1/8" longer to give the frames a bit more room.

Thoughts?
 
Beekeeping is healthy until the bees start talking back - at least that's what they keep telling me.
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AHudd

AHudd

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#14 · Feb 14, 2021
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The length of the sides is definitely the most important. You could measure the outside dimension of your frames, end bar to end bar, then add 1/2 to 3/4 for your side measurement. If that corresponds to whatever plan you're using you should be good to go. If not, whatever you add to the sides also add to the top. The bottom is not that critical.
There are many on this site that are much better carpenters than I am, so if this advice is wrong, please correct me.

Alex
 
Ten years of Beekeeping before varroa. Started again spring of 2014.
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mtnmyke

mtnmyke

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#15 · Feb 14, 2021
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I'll definitely make sure the measurements are current this round. Other than having to force some of the frames in, they have held up really well.

The lids could use some work as they have warped. Not sure if it's the wood I used or just having them outside for years. I may trim them out to be more like a telescoping cover. I did this initially on a few and they seem to have held up much better.
 
Beekeeping is healthy until the bees start talking back - at least that's what they keep telling me.
My Bees on Instagram
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Woofee

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#16 · Feb 15, 2021
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mtnmyke said:
I'll definitely make sure the measurements are current this round. Other than having to force some of the frames in, they have held up really well.

The lids could use some work as they have warped. Not sure if it's the wood I used or just having them outside for years. I may trim them out to be more like a telescoping cover. I did this initially on a few and they seem to have held up much better.
Click to expand...
What I was thinking of doing was get a single sheet of plywood design, build them to make sure I had the right size, and then use a multiple sheet design once happy with the fit.

I'm also going to check that the Kerf on the blade if I use Home Depot is a 1/8, and measure them as they are cut to make sure they are cutting it correctly. I don't need them to cut all the pieces for me, but at least three or four of the long cuts.
 
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mtnmyke

mtnmyke

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#17 · Feb 15, 2021
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The guy who cut mine was a little irritated that I wanted then precise.

Luckily, I now own a decent table saw so ripping everything myself will be easy. If you have HD cut it out, I'd have them add 1/8" - 1/4" length to the sides. I would have preferred these to be a hair long than short, as they are.
 
Beekeeping is healthy until the bees start talking back - at least that's what they keep telling me.
My Bees on Instagram
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mgolden

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#18 · Feb 15, 2021
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Add 1/8 inch to length of top bar of a frame. Too long is also an annoying problem as frames slide off the rails.
 
Zone 3b. If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got!
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AHudd

AHudd

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#19 · Apr 15, 2021
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AHudd said:
This one works for me because I need about 20.

Alex
Click to expand...
This attachment contains an error. I have asked the mods to delete it. I also asked them to correct post # 11 which they have done.
With the current price of plywood even small mistakes can be costly.

Alex
 
Ten years of Beekeeping before varroa. Started again spring of 2014.
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BeemanBJ

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#20 · Mar 18, 2022
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Sorry guys but this design can be improved. The sides (A) and back (E) should form the height of the box. The witdh of the bottom (C) should measure the inside size of the box. This way, rainwater does not damage the bottom connection.
 
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