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Background for those who stay upstairs: I used to help my Grandpa on his bee farm (he had a large scale operation), so its something I always wanted to get back into, but only on a home level, not commercial. Years slipped by and when my 17 yr. old son expressed interest in it I pulled the trigger and ordered some bees.
Equipment wise I'm starting from scratch. Its been long enough that I don't remember how my Grandpa's hive shop was set up. So if any of you are into that, I'd be interested in seeing pictures of any jigs if you would like to share them.
There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring - Carl Sagan
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Location: Central Kentucky
There is an outfit in Clarkston KY (40 Min from me) that makes everything related to bee keeping. They sell unassembled kits that may possibly be cheaper than purchasing and milling the material. You can get the kits for boxes and trays.
Kelley's Beekeeping
http://www.kelleybees.com/
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Hives easy, lots of plans on the net. Frames are a PITA and I wouldn't ever mill them out again. Assembly no problem but the amount of effort to make a frame is NOT worth the effort and I am the cheapest guy in the world.
There is a lot of stuff that has happened since you were a kid and if you aren't up to speed spending some time on Beesource.com would be a great investment and save you a lot of learning. Its not like the good old days. I have gone through 6 hives. My dad had a hive that took care of itself for years with no maintenance. I feed heavily and still lose them, not to mention the treating for voroa mites.
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Have you considered going top-bar and frameless? That is what I'm using.
ron
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I make about 15 of these a year and sell out very quickly. Everyone around here love the top bar hives.
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Tell me more about the top bar hives?
Where can I find plans?
Duke
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http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/dc...2377-1.jpgHope this works. Not sure about posting photos. I make these, I like the window. You can see their progress.
"There are no great men. Just great challenges which ordinary men,out of necessity, are forced by circumstance to meet."
Admiral William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr.
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There is a forum at biobees.com
ron
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I might do a top bar in the future. Just going conventional Langstroth for now.
There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring - Carl Sagan
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Like sonofbluegrass said, biobees.com has plans. In fact, those are the same plans I used when I started making top bar hives. I find that everyone just love the hinged roof. When you are tending the hive by yourself, it can be a bit difficult to lift the roof off and put it back on, especially when it's 48" long. The lid is allowed to hinge back a bit past 90 degrees which allows for easy removal of the top bars and the legs are wide enough to keep the hive stable with the lid open. Here is a picture of the top bar style I make. I like the wedge shape comb building guide and from what I'm told, the bees like them too. But it's very important that when you set the hive out, to get it level. The bees build their combs down straight and if the hive isn't straight, it will be more difficult to remove the top bars with the comb attached.
