Hi! I just received my 2+ and was wondering what the recommendation is for tung oil-should I assemble the hive and then apply the oil, or apply the oil prior to assembly? Thank you!
Both variants should be fine. Just make sure to not paint the insides.
I have put mine together before painting them, but kept out the clear plastic windows. The idea was to not get paint on the parts that go together.
It is generally a lot easier to coat after assembly and it also ensure that the joints are also protected. We recommend to paint the roof inside and out with at least 2 coats of water based exterior house paint too.
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So do you not paint the inside as well?? Wouldn’t that let moisture affect the inside exposed wood??
No, because within a month or two, the bees will have waxed the inside, so that it is virtually waterproofed. Clever little beings, they are! 
Sorry, I think some how I got answers on 2 questions which ended up sounding the same…
Do you paint or stain or whatever you want everything BUT the inside of the brood and super??
Cheers
I do, stain/seal the outside of everything, but not the inside. My hive roofs have never leaked, so I don’t treat the inside. I also do the staining/painting/sealing after assembly, because no matter how careful you are, the finish will add thickness to the joints, and they won’t go together easily if you do the panels before assembly. Just my experience, and my father was a professional paint technician 50+ years ago, so I had some exposure to trade secrets!
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Yes, don’t paint or stain inside the supers or brood boxes. It’s more natural to do that and the paint only
serves to protect the outside from the elements. The inside is sort of like a simulated tree trunk.
So my understanding is…
Put the flow hive together.
Take roof off
Paint complete outside only x 2 plus drying time
Paint whole roof section x 3 plus dry time
Put roof back on
Does this sound right? Then it can sit in my shed, basically till spring/summer because thats when my bees arrive…
Cheers
Nick
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Sounds good to me
I assembled the hive stand, laid it on it’s side, poured tung oil on thickly and smeared it all over the timber letting it soak in, turn it and repeat for all four sides. Then I assembled the brood box, laid it on its side and more heavy application of tung oil, then same for the super, and I then painted the roof with two coats of outdoor house paint in a light colour. All coats were on the outside only.