Special or Unusual Frames
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Unified Frame For British Bee Hives

The term "unified" has been used in other contexts as well as this one.

A creation of Richard Alabone, (the Beesy Frame man), essentially a standard 356 mm (14") wide frame, but deep enough, (360 mm), to fit inside a box formed by stacking an empty shallow super on top of an empty brood box.

Wiring Holes are 1.5 mm Dia. Tolerances are ± 0.1 mm.

Material... Most softwoods are suitable.

  3rd Angle

The Drawing below is for EXTRA DEEP 14" x 12" SIDE BARS... Just use 360 mm as the length instead of 304 mm. The version that Richard produces is made using his plastic frame corners, but the principle can be utilised using "Standard" woodworking methods.

Deep 14 x 12 Side Bars Drawing

There are various ways of implementing this type of frame as there is no commercially produced foundation, readily available to fit it.

When assembled it looks like this:-

Unified Frame Sketch

The left hand sketch shows two panels (A & B) A can be either worker or drone based foundation, whereas B should be worker sized. The bar across the join is formed by two Manley type bottom bars rebated into the side bars.

The right hand sketch shows a possible use of full sheets of Composite Foundation.

I have not tried this unified system for myself, but trials were conducted at "Brooksby Bee Yard" during 1998 & 1999. Results unknown.

Dave Cushman.

Page created Spring 2001

Page updated 06/12/2022

Written... Spring 2001, Revised... 19 February 2002, Upgraded... 12 December 2005,
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