Awesome Peter. 5 would do me for now. A cuppa would be waiting for you.
A coffee is my usual fee, I will check him out and let you know, he is a hard bloke in a lot of ways, anti Flow Hives, anti anything that isnât 10 frames, anti this and anti that. I honestly think he has never seen a Flow Hive in use and he just hates them because it isnât him that sells them, you know, an expert in ignorance.
Cheers
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I spoke to him on the phone about 8 frame excluders and he doesnât stock them and wonât!!! He loves to look after his customers needs providing they only want what he stocks.
As an option have a look at the ones that Burnett Beekeeping Supplies have that donât have the wooden edge, which is what I use. If you want the wooden trim that is doable at the local Menâs Shed who do a lot of making of gear for me. I would only need the overall depth measurement to add that to my list of jobs for the guys.
I am wanting to go to 50 hives by December and often at their Morayfield outlet so I can pick them up next time Iâm there. okâŚ
Cheers
After you explained the bee positiveâs priorities, I didnât expect him to carry those 8 frame QX.
Itâs ok, Iâm not too fussed. Initially I was horrified seeing the look through gaps with those metal QXs, but the bees deal with it quickly, filling the gaps. I just like my hives more tidy and tight and believe the beesâ resources could be used elsewhere. But overall, it works ok.
If anybody knows where we can purchase 8 frame size wood rimmed QXs, let us know here on the forum.
Australia is a bit more limited on apiary products than the rest of the world, and imported quality products just cost so much more. Iâm not talking Chinese items here.
Even reputed beekeeping shops here sell cheap Chinese stuff, to make a dollar. Understandable, but Iâm not happy with that trend.
The only good quality gear is sold by lyson.
My beekeeping family in Europe wouldnât even get Chinese products offered on google.eu
I must ask them.
A double honey sieve I purchased here for $39.95 I saw the EXACT one for $4.95 on a Chinese owned site selling in Australia a few days later.
Iâm sure mine is Chinese, as when I left it sitting on a plate of honey, the honey discolored. That sieve canât be food grade stainless steel and shouldnât be allowed on the Australian market.
Ok, rant over. It just all came to me seeing we canât easily get wood rimmed QXs here. 
I must be easily pleased. It took me a while to work out what you mean by âlook through gapsâ. Just use them & donât worry about them. The main issue with QXs is when the queen gets through. It does happen with wire QXs.
I have no issue with the range of beekeeping equipment available in Australia. If you canât buy it from the likes of Burnetts or Penders, you probably donât need it.
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His attitude and business practice is why I drive past his place 15 minutes away and drive for an hour to Burnett Bee Keeping Supplies at Morayfield. Friendly staff, good products, reasonable prices and Aussie made if they can buy it and they know bee keeping gear inside out. I have never gone there and found they are out of stock which is a big plus for them and they ship Australia wide⌠Sorry if this sounds like a paid advertisement, it isnât, it is just how I find them.
Re the gap around the QX it might be worth trying foam rubber single sided sticky tape (the stuff used to stop drafts around doorways). I have used it sometimes on old boxes to get another season from them and found the bees show no interest in it.
Food grade 316 stainless steel wonât discolor in use or affect the honey but the much cheaper lower grades will and something to steer clear of. Again China is copying the sieves and making the sieves in lower grade stainless steel. As you canât see a difference in new sieves and they are not stamped as to the grade, for some reason that defies logic, it is a case of buyer beware.
Cheers
I agree Jeff, we can often over kill a problem that isnât that big an issue. Chasing perfection is often un-productive. Where two boxes donât sit together flat either together or with a QX fitted between them it is generally a poorly made box that makes the gap and not the fault of the QX.
Cheers
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I can see how anyone chasing perfection would not like those galvanized QXâs. For me, a perfect QX is one that keeps the queen in the brood box.
Itâs where the metal overlaps on the corners, plus the spot weld that distorts the corners a bit.
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That is a good tip Jeff, I measured my stainless steel QX with my verniers and it is .75mm thicker at the corners compared at mid length, so even a worker couldnât get thru that gap. I havenât got a gal QX to measure it. The only issue I have with a stainless steel QX is that SHB can escape from bees chasing them by hiding in the folds at the edges where the wire is held. I us my heat gun when I have a QX with a build up of wax on it to melt the wax and have it run into the void to fill the gap.
Cheers
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