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British Standard Frame & Frame Part Designations

This list covers most possibilities. The 14" x 12" 'Extra deep' or 'Deep Standard' as opposed to 'Standard Deep' (215 mm or 216 mm) type of frame does not fit with this classification. However the top bars and bottom bars from the chart below will fit. The sidebars are 254 mm long and some manufacturers make the Hoffman wings deeper on this size of frame than on the 'S2' type of sidebar.

FRAME TYPES
Pattern	Top bar	Sidebars	Bottom bars	Notes
DN/1	T1	S1	B1	Not self spacing
DN/2	T2	S1	B1	Not self spacing
DN/2a	T2	S1a	B2	Equal width all round
DN/3	T3	S1	B1	Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack
DN/4	T1	S2	B1	Attracts brace comb
DN/5	T2	S2	B1	Recommended for brood use
DN/6	T3	S2	B1	Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack
SN/1	T1	S3	B1	Not self spacing, recommended for honey storage using castellated spacers
SN/2	T2	S3	B1	Not self spacing
SN/2a	T2	S3a	B2	Equal width all round, Results in less brace comb
SN/3	T3	S3	B1	Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack
SN/4	T1	S4	B1	Recommended for honey storage
SN/5	T2	S4	B1	Makes supers heavier for lifting
SN/6	T3	S4	B1	Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack
SN/7	T2	S5	B2	Tendency for heavy propolisation on edges

FRAME PARTS
Pattern	Length	Width	Thickness	Notes
T1	432	22	18	Wedge construction
T2	432	28	18	Recommended for brood use, Wedge construction
T3	432	22	9	Not recommended
S1	216	22	9	Seems cheaper, but requires spacers
S1a	216	28	9	Results in less brace comb
S2	216	*	9	* 35, 36.5 or 38 mm widths, Hoffman style
S3	140	22	9	Seems cheaper, but requires spacers
S3a	140	28	9	As above, but less brace comb
S4	140	*	9	* 35, 36.5 or 38 mm widths, Hoffman style
S5	140	42	9	Manley type
B1	356	8	6	Recommended for honey frames
B2	356	8	12.5	Recommended for brood use

All Dimensions in mm, lower portions of Hoffman frame sides 28 mm width. (Some old production will be found to be 22 mm width.)

All sidebars centrally grooved 3 mm wide x 3 mm deep to accept foundation.

Type SN/7 is also known as 'Manley type'.

My personal preference... for brood T2, S2(35), B2... for super either SN/1 (with castellated spacers) or SN/4(35) self spacing (which will still fit 11's castellations if required). I also use SN5(38) (not because of any particular benefit, but due to availability of parts). Also some of my SN/1 frames have 28 mm wide S1a sides.
For drone production I use T2, S2(38), B2.

I used to manufacture (at APEX Enterprises) A top bar similar to T3 type, but 28 mm wide, grooved hardwood (this was designated type T2B in APEX lists) it did not suffer from waxmoth attack and is a good alternative to the T3 type giving maximum brood area. I have used this type of bar (without other frame parts) for cut comb production using supers (ekes) of only 75 mm height.
APEX Type 2B Topbar compatible with B.S. frames

APEX Type 2B Topbar compatible with B.S. frames

I also used to manufacture various types to special order...One that was made in large quantities was similar to the T1 top bar, but 15 mm depth with a 3 mm x 3 mm central groove instead of "wedge" construction. These were used, by many other beekeepers, for cut comb production using starter strips of foundation fixed into the groove by melted beeswax.

More information on type T2A and T2B top bars.

PLEASE NOTE ! Not all manufacturers use all of the above part designations. The designations themselves were generated by the beekeeping equipment trade and are not part of the British Standard itself.

					Written... Summer 2000, Revised... 07 November 2001, Upgraded... 09 September 2004,

British Standard Frame & Frame Part Designations

Written... Summer 2000, Revised... 07 November 2001, Upgraded... 09 September 2004,