Availability of Macrocarpa hive boxes

[dansar 5420]

@Shaun requested that this message be posted. The comments below are from Shaun.

 

Flat pack Mac boxes are a rare item and tend to be a few home made items on trademe. I make my own (Mac boxes and frames) from rough sawn timber, even so good grade Mac timber is hard to get and tends to be expensive and Yes Mac needs to be pre-drilled.

I have a lot (about 1/2 my gear) of pine boxes and frames (kit set) simply because I can't get enough good Mac plus the mac takes so much time to machine and assemble.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Guest

[yesbut 5848]

That's another thing that riles me about rural NZ...all the wonderful mature mac shade & shelterbelts are fast completely disappearing and are being replaced by ...nothing.

[Kiwifruiter 594]

I would love to have mac boxes... just can't get them lol

[Kiwifruiter 594]

While the wood is nice to burn/make beehives out of that is about the only redeeming feature of them. There are significantly better trees to plant IMHO

[cBank 790]

There are many better trees to plant, but there aren't many better to cut down.

[Desmo 228]

That's another thing that riles me about rural NZ...all the wonderful mature mac shade & shelterbelts are fast completely disappearing and are being replaced by ...nothing.

Disagree. Over this side of the hill they get replaced by........... grapes

[Carlton 38]

I'm currently making some octagonal macrocarpa boxes for a warre-type hive.

My 2 reasons for choosing macrocarpa were:

1) More stable than pine

2) cost... i had thought it would be slightly more expensive than pine, but direct from the saw mill it was actually cheaper!

6 of 10 boxes currently made, for 2 x hives...

[tommy dave 1051]

I'm currently making some octagonal macrocarpa boxes for a warre-type hive.

sounds like an interesting project! what sort of frames will you be using?

[yesbut 5848]

what sort of frames will you be using?

Octagonal ones of course !

[Hector Wong 246]

They should hexagonal otherwise when the bees start building the comb it won't fit.

[Rob Stockley 3414]

I'm currently making some octagonal macrocarpa boxes for a warre-type hive.

My 2 reasons for choosing macrocarpa were:

1) More stable than pine

2) cost... i had thought it would be slightly more expensive than pine, but direct from the saw mill it was actually cheaper!

6 of 10 boxes currently made, for 2 x hives...[ATTACH]18067[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]18068[/ATTACH]

Looks interesting. How will the frames/bars be arranged in the octagon?

[dansar 5420]

I like the idea, thought it would be fun to make one. But to keep bees in it with different length frames in the box it Would be a mission. Not impossible but I can think of more entertaining ventures.

 

Beekeeping with the Warré hive -- Hexagonal hive

Edited July 24, 2017 by Guest

[Alastair 7926]

A question for timber pros. Does macrocapa shrink?

 

The context of the question is I normally make bottom boards from pine, but get shrinkage between the boards and a gap forms. 4 years ago I made a few hundred bottom boards from macrocapa and shrinkage between boards of those ones has been negligable. Did I just get lucky or is that the norm?

Edited July 26, 2017 by Guest

[yesbut 5848]

In my experience any timber that is dried then gets wet shrinks when it dries again and ends up smaller than when it first dried out. But the denser the wood the less shrinkage. So, yes macro will shrink less than radiata.

Edited July 26, 2017 by Guest

[Carlton 38]

Looks interesting. How will the frames/bars be arranged in the octagon?

Very similar to how the hexagon frames are arranged in the pic above. Though as i will have a flat box face at the front/back i will get 4 frames the whole length, and then 3 frames each side cut on the angle.

Frame management will be a bit tricky as i'll be restricted as to how/where i can move.

I'm not really intending on harvesting any honey initially from this hive... it is more about the bees.

The roof is probably more interesting than the boxes... just taped together at the moment, to be glued and filled and epoxy coated... with a copper finial to finish

[Rob Stockley 3414]

The roof is probably more interesting than the boxes... just taped together at the moment, to be glued and filled and epoxy coated... with a copper finial to finish

That's mint! Can't wait to see the fully assembled hive.

[Daley 4307]

Very similar to how the hexagon frames are arranged in the pic above. Though as i will have a flat box face at the front/back i will get 4 frames the whole length, and then 3 frames each side cut on the angle.

Frame management will be a bit tricky as i'll be restricted as to how/where i can move.

I'm not really intending on harvesting any honey initially from this hive... it is more about the bees.

The roof is probably more interesting than the boxes... just taped together at the moment, to be glued and filled and epoxy coated... with a copper finial to finish

That is really very cool.

 

You woodworkers are a clever bunch.

I have a lot to learn lol.

I've always wanted to build a different hive, eventually.

 

Most of the farmers I know have stands of macro, but there's definitely not trees on farms like there used to be.

I think it's just the cost and the fact that they take so long to grow that puts most people off, farming isn't as generational as it once was and I'm sure that must play a part.

Wouldn't surprise me if there's a major health and safety component that's putting people off too.

 

It's definitely a shame.

When I buy a bit of land if it's not already covered in trees I'll be planting them everywhere they can fit.

[john berry 4909]

Macrocarpa can no longer be satisfactorily grown in warm areas due to a disease which keeps killing its growing tips leading to large bushes rather than trees. A great shame although there are some close relatives that can still be planted. A few years ago it was the same price as untreated pine but now it is normally more expensive and most of the well-maintained stands have gone.

[yesbut 5848]

most of the well-maintained stands have gone.

Yes indeed, the NZ Forest Service had some wonderful stands of Mac, Western Red Cedar, Lawson Cypress etc down here. Replanting was killed by the corporate demand for 30 year return on capital, not 60. A great shame, and illustration that private enterprise doesn't always do it better.

[M4tt 4925]

As wonderful a tree as macrocarpa is for its sheltering ability , it's crazy form, and it's wood uses including firewood , if pregnant cattle eat the leaves , there is a high chance they will abort .

[Daley 4307]

Pretty fabulous at falling over in a storm too.

[yesbut 5848]

if pregnant cattle eat the leaves , there is a high chance they will abort .

From what I read and hear, pregnant cattle are often a right pain in the b. Why bother with the things ?

[M4tt 4925]

From what I read and hear, pregnant cattle are often a right pain in the b. Why bother with the things ?

For fun

[kaihoka 2819]

Macrocarpa is also great for parking surplus farm vehicles, tools, implements etc, under.

The turpentine in the trees acts a preservative against rust.

[Daley 4307]

From what I read and hear, pregnant cattle are often a right pain in the b. Why bother with the things ?

The babies are cute as.

And do you drink milk? :rofl: