I put this together after a discussion on this forum. Note that the Flow provided 8 frame super is 315mm internal width.
7 Likes
Just updated the original image to include the 3 + 6 configuration in the 10 frame super.
Hi RBK. I’ve been busy at wk for the past couple of days and now have a few moments to work through your figure.
I have a spare 8 frame brood that i purchesed last year from a Brissie supplier ( i hung a ‘to let’ out for about 8 mths in the hope a swarm would move in but no takers) … anyway that box’s internal dimensions are 310 mm (i plan to use it as another brood box) and the spare Flow super I have is 315mm. Interesting.
Tomorrow I’ll have a look in the boxes with bees in it and measure up!
Yeah, as mentioned above the 8 frame Flow is 315mm internal width.
It is wider to accommodate the 6 Flow frames and leaving space on the side.
That is one thing that is neglected when people consider inserting the 9th frame, 315mm allows for 9 35mm frames exactly but this doesn’t provide any space to the outside walls of the box. In a standard 10 frame Langstroth, 10mm is provided at each side.
What needs to be considered is that a Hoffman edge only really provides half the space you need between frames, it’s when you push two frames together that the gaps combine to create the correct spacing. If you have a Hoffman frame hard up against the edge of a box, the spacing to the edge of the box is only really half what it should be, I believe this is why Michael Bush suggests shaving (all?) the frames down if installing a 9th frame in the flow box. A rough estimate suggests to fit 9 frames correctly you’d need to shave 2mm (1mm each side) off each frame bringing them down to 33mm, this would result in adequate spacing on the sides to the edge of the box.
Hope that makes sense, I can draw it up in CAD if it’s too ambiguous!
I had an 8 frame box with 9 frames. Me being economical in work ethics (read lazy) I achieved this by taking about 10mm of each of the two outside frames. Can’t remember exactly how much I took off I just sanded them with a linisher until they fitted.
Problems: while initially the frames were easy to move in and out once they were exposed to bees it was another matter. The frames I believe absorbed moisture , as they do, and it all became very very tight. And that they were full of bees and foundation when it became evident, made further work on the frames impossible.
I removed the two outside frames, salvaged some honey and reverted to the 8 frames with a follower board.
I may have persevered with this except I aim to have all my frames X wise and not length wise.Edit: See link here 12 Frames Crossway in an 8 Frame Lang Box
I get it, at least i think i do. 
That sounds like a lot of effort for an extra frame & then it will be a bit of a crush to get the frames in and out… no wiggle room - and as a neebee i need a bit of wriggle room to get the frames out straight and without tears while keeping my cool in the face of 10,000 bees.
I read in one of the posts about the minute difference in the space bees prefer for brood, pollen and honey comb, i can’t recall where i read it or if i read it or are making it up. Any clues?