Author Topic: DIY Bottom Boards (Read 15761 times)

Perry · « **on:** December 07, 2013, 07:49:02 pm »

These will be pictures of my solid (basic) bottom boards. (Apologies to the SBB folks, I stopped using them)

Rip some pine into 7/8" thick x 2" wide strips.
Cut them into lengths of 22" (sides) and 16 3/4" (ends).
Then, using dado blades (stacked just over 3/4"), cut some troughs down the length of each pieces, leaving 3/4" on one side, and 1/2" on the other. Make your cuts 7/16" deep.

Then, on the end piece (16 3/4") cut in from both ends 7/8", 7/16" deep. You should end up with ends looking something like this.

Lay out your pieces and glue and screw them together. I find pre-drilling the screw holes helps avoid splitting.

Now you want to find some 3/4" t & g and cut a bunch 15 3/4" long.

At his point I usually rip off the tongue of the first piece and just start stacking them in the frame you've just built. Sometimes a rubber mallet helps persuade them. You can lay glue in the trough if you want to.

I then just put a screw in the end of each piece through the side rails and.........it's done!

Like anything, if you're making one, why not make a few? The time involved in setting up is minimal and the material isn't that expensive.

G3farms · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2013, 08:09:49 pm »

wow just wow..............I just now realized when I saw that tongue and groove board of all of the oak hard wood flooring I see going into the dumpster at all of job sites I go on. I know that would make them heavy but who carries around bottom boards all of the time. Last job would have made 20 bottom boards easily. :roll: :roll:

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2013, 08:46:59 pm »

You got it G3, those 1 x 6 tongue and groove were all the scrap end pieces off of a roof that was boarded in. I almost got 50 BB out of them. :mrgreen:
One person's garbage......... :lol:

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2013, 02:42:22 pm »

hrm... I wonder how happy the wife would be if I used the OAK flooring we've been saving for the last 12 years??

On an aside... I really cheap out on bottom boards.. I use 1/2 plywood, cut 3/4 strips and nail top and bottom to both sides.. with glue of course.. then paint them heavily with the exception being under the brood chamber... They last nearly as well as the fancy ones... the only advantage I suppose is that they cost me about three dollars each to make, so replacing them when they start to get bad doesnt break the bank.. so far the bees have not complained.. :?

blueblood · « **Reply #4 on:** December 23, 2013, 09:41:21 pm »

I bet if a bunch of old tongue and groove wood flooring would make good bottom boards too.

Perry · « **Reply #5 on:** December 24, 2013, 02:32:52 pm »

If you've got it, why not? Nothing to lose except maybe a bit of wood for the old wood stove.

blueblood · « **Reply #6 on:** December 24, 2013, 03:04:58 pm »

I will have to keep my eyes peeled for free flooring being thrown out.

DLMKA · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2014, 10:10:00 pm »

I went to the local lumberyard today on my lunch break looking for some carr siding (knotty pine, tongue and grove material, 3/4" thick). Told the guy I'd even take culls of they have any since I'm just cutting it up anyway. The stuff normally sells for $0.75 linear foot, I got a twenty 6' boards for $0.25/linear foot. Assembled width is 6 5/8" I can get 4 pieces to length out of a board and it takes all 4 pieces (rip some off the last piece) to get a full bottom board. I figured it up and it will cost me just a shade over $2 to build a bottom board and I got enough for 20.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #8 on:** January 08, 2014, 10:47:57 pm »

Nice! Thats the SCORE of the day

Perry · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2014, 05:48:48 am »

If you went to the "bee store" and bought them, they'd probably cost you around $15!
Good score is right.

Barbarian · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2014, 07:40:24 am »

Perry You seem to have abandoned alighting platform. Reasons ?

I prefer hives without alighting boards.

Will your next step to have a floor so that your frames can be "warm way" ?

Perry · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2014, 08:09:40 am »

Quote from: Barbarian on January 09, 2014, 07:40:24 am

Perry You seem to have abandoned alighting platform. Reasons ?

I prefer hives without alighting boards.

Will your next step to have a floor so that your frames can be "warm way" ?

When taking into account the side rails being 22" long, combined with the 1/2" addition of the remaining rabbet joint on the back piece, it leaves 2 1/2" of a landing platform out in front of a standard 20" langstroth box.
At one time I actually made hive stands with a large sloping landing pad incorporated into them, but far too much work for the little value I found in them. Bees seem to be able to work with a knot hole in a tree effectively, so I figure a standard ramp of 2 1/2" works just as well.

Barbarian · « **Reply #12 on:** January 09, 2014, 12:39:43 pm »

Oooops......... Sorry Perry

I'm not used to these Langstroth components. I was thinking the floor front was more complicated.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #13 on:** March 05, 2014, 06:14:06 pm »

Picked up some wood yesterday.. Sheet of 1/2 plywood was $15.68 1x8x12 was $5.89

One sheet of plywood will make ten bottom boards and leave one 14 inch piece left over. So 5, 16 1/4 pieces by 4' long.. The 2x10 I used cost 9.00. So around 30 bucks total not counting glue.

Ten more bottom boards ready for paint at a whopping $3.00 each!
Gotta love being able to do it yourself!

Perry · « **Reply #14 on:** March 05, 2014, 07:29:43 pm »

Hey Lzy, Nice looking bottoms. Did you sand them?

Also, I see they are solid across the front below the landing. Why is that?

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #15 on:** March 05, 2014, 10:52:55 pm »

Yep, plywood likes to give off large splinters so I sand them before painting.
I use 3/4 by 1.5" boards around the bottoms.. I say its to add strength, but in reality it just means less cutting rip a 2x to 3/4 and nail it on.
I haven't had any of the ply warp on my own bottom boards, but when I build for other folks I like to make em well. those ten are for an order of 18 I am putting together.

Perry · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2014, 07:06:06 am »

I have just had so much trouble with the plywood de-laminating, especially along the front. I wonder if stopping it short, and using a board for the exposed porch would help?

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #17 on:** March 06, 2014, 09:23:02 am »

As time passes I may have that problem as well Perry. I have a couple of these that are three years old, most of the rest are only going into their second year. At $3.00 each I certainly won't complain if The ones I use only last 4 years. But, it will mean I have to do something different to sell.

I build the bottom boards for the end tables using the method you show with the grooved side bars. It makes one STOUT bottom board, and I have to say you have my respect for taking the time to do them that way. I am terribly afraid my reputation would be forever sullied if I made something that well!!
TIME is the main factor, because cost for the wood for the two different methods wouldn't be more than a couple dollars difference. However.. if these begin to delaminate.... Ask me again in two or three more years!!

apisbees · « **Reply #18 on:** March 06, 2014, 09:45:18 am »

When you start hauling hives in and out of orchards and have summer yards for the honey flow and being the hives back so they are closer to home in yards that have good winter accessibility to them, You will soon appreciate the migratory covers and bottom boards. The length of the bottom board should be determine by the hive cover. For migratory covers you want them to be 1/2" longer inside than the hive body so it can be slid forward to open the top entrance in the inner cover and back to close it off when moving the hive. The outside length of the cover is 22" long. If the bottom board is built the same length as the cover then when the hives are loaded on a truck or trailer the hives will be supported at the bottom board and also the covers so it will be less likely that the boxes or covers will shift. Bottom boards built with 1 1/2" X 2 1/2" dunage under each end and a rim of 3/4" on the top allows for the easy use of a hive or super truck to move hives with. With dunage on the bottom of the bottom board and cleats on the top and ends of the covers the hives will stack easily to allow a greater # of hives to be loaded for transport. the bottom dunage allows for easy sliding of the strapping under the hive for binding the hive for them.

minz · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2014, 03:51:15 pm »

I built a bunch (dozen) bottom boards with a split down the center to use with a split deep last year and did not have good luck wintering in them at the home apiary. I did do ok with them in two remote locations but am almost thinking of going back to the SBB.
Advantage, is that the solids I use hemlock I got at $0.40 a bf. And do not need to buy that expensive hardware cloth.