polystyrene nucs

[Philbee 4672]

9 hours ago, Alastair said:

Is that wooden frame support part of the plan? Just, I have worked with nucs designed that way before and they are a pain, because the bees can build comb between the end bar and the wall and getting the combs out is a difficult, bee squishing exercise.

If you look closely the wood is flush with the poly (inlayed)

 

[Philbee 4672]

4 hours ago, Trevor Gillbanks said:

Yes. I understand that.  I was just commenting that the sample poly did not look very dense. More like Chilly bin density.

If it was a full box it could be tossed around the back yard and not be damaged.

The poly is dense enough but would still need a coat of paint inside.

Overall a good product potential, very strong

[Trevor Gillbanks 6647]

8 hours ago, Philbee said:

If it was a full box it could be tossed around the back yard and not be damaged.

The poly is dense enough but would still need a coat of paint inside.

Overall a good product potential, very strong

Thanks @Philbee Sounds very reassuring.

 

 

[yesbut 6056]

I reckon there could be propolis issues

[Philbee 4672]

2 minutes ago, yesbut said:

I reckon there could be propolis issues

Possibly yes

Thats why a canvas or similar  mat would be required.

Theres a lot of changes to be made to this design including the entrance shape.

Im scratching my head as to how they could be made with a lid that is no wider than the box so they could be block stacked for wintering over in 

[dansar 5429]

2 hours ago, Philbee said:

Possibly yes

Thats why a canvas or similar  mat would be required.

Theres a lot of changes to be made to this design including the entrance shape.

Im scratching my head as to how they could be made with a lid that is no wider than the box so they could be block stacked for wintering over in 

I think @yesbut mentioned using locating dowels for the lid. So there is the solution, a solid slab for the roof with a riser glued around the edge to accommodate wax/propolis under the canvas mat and locked in placed with locator dowels at sides. That way all the boxes can be nested together

.

[yesbut 6056]

51 minutes ago, dansar said:

I think @yesbut mentioned using locating dowels for the lid

I never did anything of the sort. I said 4" nails !

[Philbee 4672]

BTW

An ideal and inexpensive Poly adhesive is "Gibfix"

[dansar 5429]

1 hour ago, yesbut said:

I never did anything of the sort. I said 4" nails !

Quite right, but then you wouldn't be  able to get the lid off after you nailed it down......

[ChrisM 1074]

4 hours ago, dansar said:

Quite right, but then you wouldn't be  able to get the lid off after you nailed it down......

haha,

actually for my home made wooden Coates Nuc boxes I use four nails protruding out from the box. In the lid I drill four holes 6.5mm and this works fine for me.

I often stack the boxes to form a big brick arranged to be flying out opposite sides and for each box to keep the surrounding ones warm becasue there are no air gaps.

I use metal roofing tiles on the top 350mm x 1320mm because otherwise rain would go down into the four holes.

emlock around the whole lot..

[Philbee 4672]

Im having a rethink here.

Ive been in the shed and tried a few ideas.

The basis of my concerns are two fold

Firstly I dont have confidence in the one company in the North Island that has a CNC profile cutter capable of cutting these profiles and providing good service.

Secondly I want to see an inlaid timber border and lug recess at the top edge to deal with any propolis/ burr comb/ hive tool leverage as pointed out by the wily Pink Cat.

So a solution could be that the box be simplified to be made from plain Poly planks of minimal cost with a routed or as Ive now done a Dado cut rebate of 45x20mm to accommodate an  inlaid and glued timber

The end timber could have a rebate molded into it.

The only issue I have is that these types of things are simple for a few but not so for many.

[Jezza 376]

On 22 September 2017 at 6:22 PM, Philbee said:

Im having a rethink here.

Ive been in the shed and tried a few ideas.

The basis of my concerns are two fold

Firstly I dont have confidence in the one company in the North Island that has a CNC profile cutter capable of cutting these profiles and providing good service.

Secondly I want to see an inlaid timber border and lug recess at the top edge to deal with any propolis/ burr comb/ hive tool leverage as pointed out by the wily Pink Cat.

So a solution could be that the box be simplified to be made from plain Poly planks of minimal cost with a routed or as Ive now done a Dado cut rebate of 45x20mm to accommodate an  inlaid and glued timber

The end timber could have a rebate molded into it.

The only issue I have is that these types of things are simple for a few but not so for many.

 

@Philbee 

 

Are you still playing around with these?

 

Was it Styrobeck in Auckland that gave you such crappy service with samples?

[Philbee 4672]

36 minutes ago, Jezza said:

 

@Philbee 

 

Are you still playing around with these?

 

Was it Styrobeck in Auckland that gave you such crappy service with samples?

Cant say from memory but the guys name was Shaun I think
My brother is making them currently Im too busy
I will pick it up again later in the season in time to try them over winter.
I may change them a little bit so that the lug rebate runs around the entire top inside perimeter in a piece of rebated timber so that the Nuc box will hold my Half length FD quad frames cross ways

I fill standard supers with these 1/2 frames and they get full of honey and use them in Quad mating nucs.

They might overwinter better in Polys.
so many things to do

 

[Jezza 376]

51 minutes ago, Philbee said:

Cant say from memory but the guys name was Shaun I think
My brother is making them currently Im too busy
I will pick it up again later in the season in time to try them over winter.
I may change them a little bit so that the lug rebate runs around the entire top inside perimeter in a piece of rebated timber so that the Nuc box will hold my Half length FD quad frames cross ways

I fill standard supers with these 1/2 frames and they get full of honey and use them in Quad mating nucs.

They might overwinter better in Polys.
so many things to do

 

 

I waiting for them to finish a mould for wine packaging I need for my business that I adapted from an Australian product. It is pretty close to perfect IMHO, or maybe my not so humble opinion. They liked it so much they offered to pay for the mould's production (and to own it of course)

 

I approved the sample about 6 months ago, I sent the final approval of the CAD drawings about 5 months ago (after chasing daily for about 3 weeks to get the CAD drawing) and I was told a maximum of 3 months. I've been chasing since the 3 months past, and I was told 4 weeks... about 7 weeks ago. I called earlier this week and was told "we're not sure, we can't give you a date" and blamed everything on the tool maker.

 

Mickey Mouse.

 

I'm really started to wish I got the mould made for me on my account...

Edited December 20, 2017 by Jezza

[Philbee 4672]

9 minutes ago, Jezza said:

 

I waiting for them to finish a mould for wine packaging I need for my business that I adapted from an Australian product. It is pretty close to perfect IMHO, or maybe my not so humble opinion. They liked it so much they offered to pay for the mould's production (and to own it of course)

 

I approved the sample about 6 months ago, I sent the final approval of the CAD drawings about 5 months ago (after chasing daily for about 3 weeks to get the CAD drawing) and I was told a maximum of 3 months. I've been chasing since the 3 months past, and I was told 4 weeks... about 7 weeks ago. I called earlier this week and was told "we're not sure, we can't give you a date" and blamed everything on the tool maker.

 

Mickey Mouse.

 

I'm really started to wish I got the mould made for me on my account...

Dont trust them
Bail out of there and I hope you claim copyright on the DXFs
 

[Jezza 376]

1 hour ago, Philbee said:

Dont trust them
Bail out of there and I hope you claim copyright on the DXFs
 

 

Their CAD drawing unfortunately. It's a complicated situation, a 3rd party pays for my packaging and their only polystyrene packaging supplier is Styrobeck, and I have no interest in selling it - they can sell it to whoever they like, but the delay is causing me headaches.

 

For future reference; in your search earlier this year did you come across any polystyrene / CNC companies anywhere in NZ you would recommend?

Edited December 20, 2017 by Jezza

[Philbee 4672]

5 minutes ago, Jezza said:

 

Their CAD drawing unfortunately. It's a complicated situation, a 3rd party pays for my packaging and their only polystyrene packaging supplier is Styrobeck, and I have no interest in selling it - they can sell it to whoever they like, but the delay is causing me headaches.

 

For future reference; in your search earlier this year did you come across any polystyrene / CNC companies anywhere in NZ you would recommend?

Just the one that has a branch in Tauranga and a foam CNC outfit in Auckland CNC profiles or something like that

[jamesc 4146]

9 hours ago, Philbee said:

Cant say from memory but the guys name was Shaun I think
My brother is making them currently Im too busy
I will pick it up again later in the season in time to try them over winter.
I may change them a little bit so that the lug rebate runs around the entire top inside perimeter in a piece of rebated timber so that the Nuc box will hold my Half length FD quad frames cross ways

I fill standard supers with these 1/2 frames and they get full of honey and use them in Quad mating nucs.

They might overwinter better in Polys.
so many things to do

 

so little time to do it in 

[Kevh 11]

These poly Nucs have virtually taken the market in the UK, just paint the feeder and the outside with smooth masonry paint and they are ready to use in UK National frame size, they are also made in Langstroths as well

https://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/nuc-mating-hives/poly-nuc-hive/

[Jeff Twigge 3]

I'm a starter for 100 poly nucs if anyone's interested?

[kaihoka 2904]

What do the poly nucs burn like .? 

[jamesc 4146]

7 hours ago, kaihoka said:

What do the poly nucs burn like .? 

Pretty good I'd say.

[Bush Bee 26]

Burning polystyrene  hives because of afb (or any other reason) has a potential to create bad health, particularly nervous system issues, worse still is any harm caused to third parties.

 A manufacturer, importer or distributor is not going to tell you that.   

Edited November 8, 2018 by Bush Bee
grammer

[kaihoka 2904]

2 hours ago, jamesc said:

Pretty good I'd say.

Because of the destruction requirements for AFB in NZ it never makes sense to me to have anything but the simplest most easily disposable hive gear.

Technoset looks like it would melt first .

I have a few corflute boxes , they will probably make nasty smoke.

And so will plastic frames.

[Josh 376]

On 8/11/2018 at 11:26 PM, kaihoka said:

What do the poly nucs burn like .? 

 

Rinse them out with acetone first