Making Beehive components with Festool

[billlbee]

I am researching the feasibility of milling my own hive components through the Festool system. I have not yet purchased any Festool equipment and am looking for affordable solutions to get me started.

A typical hive body is made from 3/4" pine. The box is 16.25"wide x 19.75"long x 9.625"tall. There is a dado at the top of the short ends that is .635 x .375"
The joinery utilized is typical box joint with 1" wide pins. Assembly is gluing of joints, followed by nailing for additional connection support and clamping of joint while glue dries.

So, I am looking for ideas that may achieve a similar outcome to provide me with a way to build my hive bodies using Festool equipment, without purchasing every tool that Festool offers (as much as I would like too!!!!)

Would love to hear the thoughts and ideas of the very creative and enthusiastic people on this forum.
Are there any fellow beekeepers here?

 

[Kev]

Hi Billibee,

I don't have any bee keeping experience. Just been looking at some of the box assembly methods on the web ... most of the ones I saw (brief search) we're finger jointed boxes, nailed through the fingers to secure.

Assuming you were going to follow this method and assuming you were sourcing sized lumber, you need a saw for 90 degree cross cuts and either a flexible router table or a finger joint jig, router and guides.

In reality I don't see the box as anything different to a drawer box and any of the assembly methods could be leveraged.

The Festool stuff that would be ideal for you (in my opinion) isn't available in the US ... the VS600 has been discontinued, and the CMS router table isn't available yet.

So I'm not much help  [unsure]

 

[billlbee]

Thanks for the reply Kev.

My original hope was that I was going to purchase a TS55, MFT/3 and an OF 1400 and some clamps, which puts me right near the $2000 US mark. Can't really afford more then that right now.

So I am looking for ideas, and they can be outside the box, on some ways that I could mill hive parts. I don't have to use the traditional box joint.

One thought I had was to use a Domino with a mitered edge, however that would put me beyond my current budget.

How feasible would it be to cut 45 miter on four corners of the box, then strengthen the joint by milling a dado in the 45 degree joint, top to bottom, stopping before the end of the part, so it would be a closed dado, that a spline could be inserted. I know, not as good as the domino, but would provide me with a method to use the tools I mentioned?
I would think the traditional box joint provides for less of need for accuracy, as compared the the 45 degree method. But Festool can and would achieve the accuracy needed .... right???

 

[tbellemare]

I have a customer, (who is a beekeeper), that is building bee hives using the Domino. He doesn't want any screws or nails because he thinks it's an entry point for water.

I'll see if I can get him to elaborate on how he's doing it. He just came over the other day and got a whole bunch of 8mm sipo Domino tenons.

Tom

 

[Kev]

If you could stretch things about to get a Domino and weren't fussed about "traditional" methods you'd be sweet.

You could cheap out of DC temporarily if you weren't using Festool sanders ... a clunker would clear router, domino and TS55 reasonably.

Ultimately if you mitre the corners I think they'll need bracing ... not so with Domino joints.

What would be interesting is mitred corners and dominoes through from the outside, alternating faces of entry and therefore locking. That'd be fun to try.

On Tom's site ...

TS55 + MFT/3 combo $1,094

OF1010 $395

DF500 $825

Cheap shop Vac $100

... Getting close - could you stretch?

PS For what you're doing the OF1010 would be more than adequate, but + $100 to got to the OF1400

 

[davee]

I make my own hive componentsusing Festools.  The one I like best however is the Domino!  It works great eliminating the finger joints and providing a very strong joint.  The MFT, TS55 and 1400 also come into play.  I build a simple tapered jig to cut the handles into the side of the hive bodies using the 1400.  I wish I had the MFS but don't yet.  I agree the 1010 would be more than adquate instead of the 1400 (wish I had both).

Last week we caught a swarm and didn't have any extra equipment at the time.  While the bees were in a cardboard box I quickly made the bottom board, boxes, inside cover and lid in a very short time (as the bees were humming away).  For this I made a solid bottom whereas I usually make a open bottom with screen. We'll see which works better.  I typically use pine, but only had a scrap piece of white oak (from a counter top sink cutout) for the base.  These bees are in high style.

 

[billlbee]

Kev...

That is a big stretch!!!!

$2000 is my cap. I do have other routers, porter cable, and already have a fein vac and sander, so for now (I know not all team colors) I could get by with that. While I would not be able to harness the guide system with my PC router(s) I can get them to work.

The idea of alternating through cuts is cool and and look unique from any beehive I have ever seen, although most of mine are painted white, so the view would be lost!

So maybe TS55/MFT3 combo and a domino puts me at $1919 - still going to be a stretch to include clamps and sales tax if I buy local

 

[davee]

In the short term, I'd go with a variant of Kev's and use the fien vac and our existing routers.  Delay the MFT and focus on the TS and Domino.  They are the ones that will give you the most in the short term.

You don't need mitre joints with the Domino - it is plenty strong with only the Domino (plus it lines up any warped boards you might have).  Your idea of a mitre with spline would work, but alot of effort and I think you would grow frustrated.

 

[denovich]

I recently become a hobbyist beekeeper.  At about $10 for an unassembled deep hive body (I'd guess about that's 6bf of pine), I'm not convinced that making my own hives is at all worth the effort (unless I put a high price on my pride).  Additionally, the type of milling that needs to be done is extremely well suited to hand tool work, or tools you might already have.  With chop saw (or hand saw) and a rabbeting plane you've got all you need.  Unless this is an excuse to sneak a load of Festools into your shop, then it's obvious: you need all of them.

 

[Kev]

I recently become a hobbyist beekeeper.  At about $10 for an unassembled deep hive body (I'd guess about that's 6bf of pine), I'm not convinced that making my own hives is at all worth the effort (unless I put a high price on my pride).  Additionally, the type of milling that needs to be done is extremely well suited to hand tool work, or tools you might already have.  With chop saw (or hand saw) and a rabbeting plane you've got all you need.   Unless this is an excuse to sneak a load of Festools into your shop, then it's obvious: you need all of them.

I did see that you can get them very cheap via alibaba.com, but there was a minimum buy of 500.

 

[jmarkflesher]

I make top bar beehives from all reclaimed material (free material). I had pine that needed to be stripped of oil base white (no lead in these boards). The RO 150 did this well. I use over one hundred 2 1/4" sq head drive exterior trim screws in each hive. Top bars are made on a table saw 15 at a time with a jig. Titebond III is used at all joints and is FDA approved for slight food contact. Check out WWW.BACKYARDHIVE.COM  The basket beehive was the first type of hive used as early as 1000 AD. Next was the top bar and this style is still used in many parts of the world. I will try to post pictures for you. I do not use my domino 500 for the hives but I love the tool. MARK  PS  I can now make six in 16 HRS. Most material are free except sanding discs glue and screws. Sell for $300 each. If I can only get more buyers. I need a web site.

 

[James Metcalf]

For every beekeeper there is a diffrent way to keep bees. It is like cooks in the kitchen. You  will enjoy Beekeeping, but it can be hard work if you have many hives. I had bees for about twenty years and a Friend who had around 300 hives. I picked up some tricks from him and a tip on buying from Walter T. Kelly. Kelly started selling bee equipment in 1924. He is long since dead, but the company is in the same place and family run.    kellybees.com is the web site.
I would buy the Festools and make your own supers. Easy to do and you have been thinking about that because I see you have the sizes for the supers and know how much you want to spend on Festools. I would recommend you buy metal spacers for your frames, to keep the proper bee space. I see they are only .70 each. One other idea, The super full of honey will weigh up to 40 lbs. When you break them loose with a hive tool it is hard to pick up with just finger tips in a routed slot in the side of the super. Nail a strip on each side, 30mmx50mm down the length of super and about 2/3 of the way up. Buy those Festools and get started, so the bees are can go to work for you