[Tigger19687]

Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

I like the inside box feeders, the ones you put in an empty hive body.

I have this wooden box with smaller long drawers, drawers were coated with regular white Caulk about 15 years ago. It was never used. I can not remember which caulk but I am going to say it was a waterproof silicone that would hold Liquid as that was what it was suppose to do. And at the time I was married to a House painter so I am sure I stole some of his outdoor caulking :shhhh:


1) will it hold the liquid, and if you think so for how long? It is a THICK coat

I like to recycle as much as I can and would love to give this a job instead on just staring at me everything I walk in the basement.

** Also want to ask if anyone has a better way of splitting the small Paint stirrer sticks length wise without it splitting. I tried to 'score' it but they don't snap. I'm guessing because they are only an inch wide

TIA

 

[elmer_fud]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

I would fill it with water and let it sit to see if it holds water and if the caulk gets soft.


I have had ok luck splitting thin paint stir sticks with a sharp box knife. The were not super straight, but they worked fine for starter sticks.

 

[hockeyfan_019]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

** Also want to ask if anyone has a better way of splitting the small Paint stirrer sticks length wise without it splitting. I tried to 'score' it but they don't snap. I'm guessing because they are only an inch wide

TIA

Actually I think the box knife method works great, IF you have paint stirs with nice straight grain... Just imagine the looks you get when going through a big box of paint stirs on the counter at the big box place and tell them "I only use straight grained paint stirs" and they look at you like you have 3 heads lol. Just score "lightly" at least 3 times, preferably from both top and bottom, using a metal scale as a straightedge, and snap them hopefully right on a grain line. Using this method I think you'll find they almost always break just where you want them.

Essentially just like glass, the material is mostly homogeneous except for any stress concentrations around the grain lines. If you create a nice strategic weakness by the scoring actions, it'll break along this line of weakness, just like you want when you "snap" it.

 

[Tigger19687]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

Yeah they don't have straight grain I just went through 3 of them and what a mess.
I even got out my Dremmel tool to see if I could cut it, yeah, no not worth it without a metal attachment.
I have 100 to do so maybe I will look into my Jigsaw and see if I can finagle something.

I'll do the water in the small box and see, thanks

 

[Hoot Owl Lane Bees]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

If you have one use a band saw.
I use my band saw to cut scale lumber for building Building's for our trains in the back yard.
I have cut 1/8" strips with it just take your time.

 

[hockeyfan_019]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

Of course you can always use a table saw with a 0-clearance throat plate too, but then you lose a blade width with each pass (3/16" about). I actually cut such parts by cutting off thin strips from 2x4s using a think-strip ripping jig I made (to get the proper thickness), and then ripping them again rotated 90° to get the strip widths I want. Each thin strip from the 2x4 results in a strip for me 1/8" thick by just less than 3/4" when ripped in half in the second step. These are plenty wide enough for starter strips on my foundation-less frames.

But, if you are asking the question, I presume that you may not have such power equipment. If this is the case, perhaps you may know a local woodworker that will run them for you? I bet a small jar of honey will provide you with a nearly unlimited supply of such material, especially since you can make most of them from scrapwood

 

[Tigger19687]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

Le Sigh, My X took all the GOOD tools in the divorce. Yes they were all mine but because he is male and I female they sided with him.
I don't even have a place inside to do any type of wood working or building
I ended up just using a wood cedar shake as a guide and a Utility knife on the Teak patio table. It is old so not too worried about cutting it.

The wood box with Caulk help water and didn't peel after 6 hours so I think it will work.

Thanks all
The second I buy a house (looking now) it better have a shop I can use !

 

[snl]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

If you have one use a band saw.
I use my band saw to cut scale lumber for building Building's for our trains in the back yard.
I have cut 1/8" strips with it just take your time.

Got a pic of your train yard? Would love to see that!

 

[Hoot Owl Lane Bees]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

snl
When I can get them to download I will share them.
Our internet is real slow out here in nowhere.
Here is a link to a video our daughter did Christmas day several years ago.
https://www.facebook.com/evans.violet/videos/1077868048932705/

Jim

 

[snl]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

Thanks Jim,
Looks like it was fun to imagine, then build........
You did good!

 

[Hoot Owl Lane Bees]

Re: Syrup feeder material & starter wood question

snl

I started a new thread rather than take from this one.
What is your other hobby ?

Jim