I'm assembling my grooved top bar frames and using duragilt. Is it best to build the frame and then bend the duragilt to fit in the grooves? This sometimes tends to crack the wax and expose the foundation. Anybody have any better ideas? Also do you find it holds the duragilt in firmer with a wedge, or is it unecessary? Thanks
Grooved frame with Duragilt
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I wuld toss out the duragilt. and use some plasitc foundation simple quick and the bees will draw it out. if you damage the duragilt its over if the bees strip the wax off the duragilt its over.
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Duragilt should be outlawed. People selling Duragilt know very well what the problems are with Duragilt. If Duragilt is in your hive in the fall or winter and has not been buiild out, i.e. if no cells are present, bees will remove the wax and they will never use it again. Instead they will build a sheet of comb right between two sheets of Duragilt.
janvanhamont
janvanhamont
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If you bend the metal strips at all it will never be right. Half my Duragilt frames blew out with the first extraction. I would find a beekeeper you do not like and give them all your Duragilt.
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:lpf::lpf::lpf: Now thats funny
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If anyone doesn't want their Duragilt, I'll be glad to have it. It is not as good as plastic foundation, but when drawn out well, as it usually is during a good flow or feeding, it makes a nice comb. I have never had a blowout during extraction with Duragilt.
That said, I would not buy it again simply because the plastic foundation is a step up.
That said, I would not buy it again simply because the plastic foundation is a step up.
Actually some of my best drawn frames are Duragilt. It is true that if you put it in when there is no nectar coming in they may peal the wax off of the plastic. At that point I think that all is lost.
For Duragilt, I only put it in on the main honey flow. Most of my Duragilt frames get drawn out really nice. It is hard to tell it is Duragilt since they draw over the communication holes and mostly cover the metal edges.
I have only used it in deep brood frames so I haven't tried to extract it, but I would be surprised that it would blow out. Wired wax would be more likely to do that and I don't have too much trouble with that in my radial extractor.
So now I use other types of foundation to put in during times of no nectar flow. They will make holes in wired wax foundation and strip the wax from Duragilt during these times. When the flow starts I put in the Duragilt and get really nice drawn frames.
So you don't have to throw it out, but you should probably use it wisely or expect some difficulties.
For Duragilt, I only put it in on the main honey flow. Most of my Duragilt frames get drawn out really nice. It is hard to tell it is Duragilt since they draw over the communication holes and mostly cover the metal edges.
I have only used it in deep brood frames so I haven't tried to extract it, but I would be surprised that it would blow out. Wired wax would be more likely to do that and I don't have too much trouble with that in my radial extractor.
So now I use other types of foundation to put in during times of no nectar flow. They will make holes in wired wax foundation and strip the wax from Duragilt during these times. When the flow starts I put in the Duragilt and get really nice drawn frames.
So you don't have to throw it out, but you should probably use it wisely or expect some difficulties.
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Anyone not happy with their duragilt can pm me and I'll send them my mailing address 
700 sheets - that's alota sheets
Been using it for years - holes on the bottom (not like my brotherinlaw did it)
Set in the top and push the metal edge in the center until the bottom snaps in then center up the metal edge. I insert as I build frames and eyeball the edge of the foundation to see of the frame is square. Push the freshly glued frame around if the gap isn't straight and hang it in the super to dry.
No problem extracting it here either.
So now you have both opinions which makes this thread pretty much worthless :lpf:
700 sheets - that's alota sheets
Been using it for years - holes on the bottom (not like my brotherinlaw did it)
Set in the top and push the metal edge in the center until the bottom snaps in then center up the metal edge. I insert as I build frames and eyeball the edge of the foundation to see of the frame is square. Push the freshly glued frame around if the gap isn't straight and hang it in the super to dry.
No problem extracting it here either.
So now you have both opinions which makes this thread pretty much worthless :lpf:
Denise,
The standard rule of thumb is if it is wax foundation - use a wedge top bar. Duragilt has a thin plastic inner core and you can get away with using groove top bars. However, in my experience, it is best to use a wedge top bar - especially for 9 1/8" frames. Duragilt should not need to be cross-wired due to the inner plastic core and metal edges, but I've observed that with deep frames in particular, if one uses a grooved top bar, the foundation will start bowing even with those metal edges - and will blow out if put in an extractor.
Plasticell and competitors' counterparts can all use grooved top bars.
Rick
Western Bee
The standard rule of thumb is if it is wax foundation - use a wedge top bar. Duragilt has a thin plastic inner core and you can get away with using groove top bars. However, in my experience, it is best to use a wedge top bar - especially for 9 1/8" frames. Duragilt should not need to be cross-wired due to the inner plastic core and metal edges, but I've observed that with deep frames in particular, if one uses a grooved top bar, the foundation will start bowing even with those metal edges - and will blow out if put in an extractor.
Plasticell and competitors' counterparts can all use grooved top bars.
Rick
Western Bee
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10,025 Posts
Walter Kelley and others now make grooved end bars to lock the metal strips. With grooved on all four edges the foundation must be inserted during frame assembly. I know a guy that uses Liquid Nails to tie the Duragilt in. Try getting that in the groove, that is dedication to a product. He bought two cases of Pierco from me this year. Probably more frustrated than dedicated now.
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