aluminum hive top covers

[Riverrat]

I have an opportunity to buy a brake press and tooling(used for bending metal) for a very good price.  How many of you out there that build your own equipment would be interested in purchasing the metal top cover bent and ready to install on your top cover. I am thinking of building these of aluminum so there would be no rust.  This is one of many projects I am looking to do with the new machine in the shop. Now let the panel of experts here on the forum speak.  Maybe you have other ideas for tools and equipment that I can use to justify to my wife I need another piece of equipment in the shop

[LazyBkpr]

   A roll of flashing is around 70 bucks.. seems expensive until you figure you can get like 27 covers out of the roll, then they cost about two and a half bucks each..  BUT, you NEED that many of them to make it worthwhile, AND you have to bend them etc...   Being the lazy fellow I am (when my wife is not looking) I just quit using them and painted the tele covers well. Figuring to replace them when they start to go bad is as cheap as the cover..   BUT, if I had a good supplier I would consider it. The only issue I see would be shipping..   Shipping about anything really stinks!  I can sell a complete hive for about the same price I can ship it for...
    So a lot will depend on your ability to get the material at a good price so it can be shipped at a still good price..    Dont think your that far away. I might be able to drive there and back for the price of shipping 50 of them..   Let us know what you figure out!

[Bakersdozen]

Now let the panel of experts here on the forum speak. 

Not an expert, but if I understand correctly, your customers would be those beekeepers that build their own equipment.  As I rely on kits for my equipment, that rules me out.  I wonder if you could make an arrangement with someone that builds and sells wooden ware? 
Hey Riverrat, the Kansas Honey Producers meeting is coming up and I believe it's in Wichita.  You might make some connections there.

[Perry]

Well, I am too far away, but here is some information from up here.
I can get the metal covers from Manitoba already bent for $5.95, but add shipping and taxes and it is well over $10. I opted to go with a local shop that bends me galvanized (the new galvanized looks nothing like the old mottled stuff, it's shiny) for $10.50 a piece plus 15% tax. If you were closer.........

[G3farms]

you getting a plain brake or a finger brake?

I have been keeping my eye out for a cheap finger break, thinking about making one just for tops.

[Riverrat]

Its an old flywheel brake that uses the dies. You know the ones when you hit the trip and it has to cycle through even if your arms in the way

[LazyBkpr]

Its an old flywheel brake that uses the dies. You know the ones when you hit the trip and it has to cycle through even if your arms in the way

   SO, in effect, it is not a finger break it is an ARM break....     Haahahahahah...   Well, you have to admit that WAS better than Archives!

[Riverrat]

^^^^^^^ ^^^^^

[apisbees]

Making for the home built crowed not all the covers are going to be the same size. Some beekeepers like there covers tight so they are less likely to blow off some like them loose for ventilation. So a one size fits all will not work. In taking orders where the customers are providing the measurements, Their tape measure and yous had better read the same. Hopefully their saws cut square. I know from experience that if you bend the sides up 1/16 of an inch to deep that the cover will be an 1/8" to small. If you could supply the covers and have the customer build his wood top to fit inside your cover it will save a lot of hassles.
This is what i used for making metal covers. A roll slitter to cut the roll to the required width. I built a cutter to cut the top blanks to length out of a plainer blade that they use in saw mills to peal veneers from trees for the plys in plywood. Next hand cut the corners and bend it with the break that was on the back side. installed a back stop so the covers edges could only be slid into the break so far so to not over bend a side that would effect the top size.

[lazy shooter]

Dang Apis, you are the complete beekeeper.  You even know how to make inexpensive hive tops.  Is there no limit to your knowledge?

[Bamabww]

My local supplier sell the telescoping top covers with stainless steel, assembled and painted for $14 tax included.