And so, you have my next fixation issue challenge. sigh
It’s an interesting one actually as the supplied Gabled Lid could be classed as a ‘Hybrid Telescopic’ I suppose, as the designers have had to juggle access to the very top of the Flow Frames from the rear and making a lid that fits. Consequently the lid only overlaps (‘Telescopes’) over three sides of the Flow Super. With the Western Red Cedar being such a light timber it wouldn’t take much of a blow to send it flying.
At issue here isn’t the ability to weigh it down (easy fix!) but to make the lid retainer look as classy* as the rest of the set-up. I absolutely welcome input on this.
*Yeah, I know it’s ‘only’ a bee hive - but I’m having way too much fun.
@sciencemaster - Thanks! I did look sideways at the Galvanised ones…but the SS looked so pretty and shiny and… @gullieshighlander - hey there Pete! Many thanks! Have yours arrived yet??? @Jaydub - Thank you sir/m’am! Tempting thought!
Very nice.
One thing Ive wondered ever since I saw a picture of these hives. For such a pretty box I think the screws ruin it. Could the thing be put together without them? Decent glue and clamping? I have a 14x12 brood box put together without a single screw.
I see what you are saying, but the boxes come with holes pre-drilled. If you didn’t screw or nail them, and you have OCD, you would need to fill the holes with a matching colour wood filler - now there’s a challenge! I spent many hours filling and matching colour on a pecan maple banister in our house, it kept me out of trouble for weeks!
The other concern I have is that although Western Red Cedar is very weather and insect-resistant, it is not very tool-resilient. It may be necessary to replace a wall of a box at some point, and if glued, that could be very difficult, or even impossible. I am going to put metal frame rests inside the rebates (rabbets) to protect the hive from my lifting frames, but I am sure I will ding them over time: https://www.kelleybees.com/Shop/13/Hives-Components/Accessories/4599/L-shaped-Frame-Rests
All interesting thoughts though. Time will tell how it goes!
I think the answer is if you have the wherewithal yourself or have access to a craftsman is to buy just the frames and organise a crafted box instead of a mass machined one, especially if you are keeping your colony in your garden and you have to look at it all the time.
Does anyone know the actual depth of the “slider slots” in the Flow SBB? The reason I am asking is that I am about to order some polycarbonate to slide in there and also to use as an inner cover/observation cover (one big sheet, which I will cut up), and I wanted to know whether to order 0.236 inch thick, or the next one down (0.118 inch). I would prefer thicker, so that I can use it as a honey jar shelf when harvesting.
So I measured up for you the bottom slider slot is 6mm so Google tells me that’s 0.236 inches. The photo above shows the top slider slot to be 8mm or 0.314. Hope that helps
Hi Dawn, My guess is they would need to be nominally between 4 and 5mm wide and 9 to 12mm deep. I think you are asking about the width of the slot and I see McFoxdale has given you some actual measurements. The corflute I’ve seen being used in Flowframe bases was 3mm thick. If I were designing a channel for this corflute, I would want it 5mm wide to provide both good clearance and a reasonable guide for sliding the tray in and out.
My first suggestion is that you should go for the .118" polycarbonate. The next size up is very likely to jam in the Flowhive grooves.
My second suggestion is you should buy the thicker sheet and have the edge routed back to 4mm. If I were routing polycarbonate, I would set my router to remove 0.5mm at a time with a feed rate of 30mm/sec.
Don’t know if this helps but good luck with your Flowframe adventures. I’m still experimenting with my screened bottom boards. I’m very happy with the 8 frame unit and now I’m designing screened bottom boards for some five frame nucs. I need the nucs ready to go by the second week in Feb. Their critter trapping trays will be made from 0.3mm soft annealed aluminium flashing. I will post some pics when I get them done.
Using the tray as a support for your honey jars is a great idea; Sir Humphrey might even call it courageous. My three Flow frames are in their boxes in my workshop waiting their turn. I haven’t thought what support thay might need when I’m stealing their honey treasure.
I have some baking sheets (flat baking Trays) from Home Ecco days and they are able to slide under the back of the hive without any added height and can use it behind any of my Flow Hives - Just slide it out and use on the next one
@McFoxdale - thank you so much! Even photos to prove it! Very helpful info.
@Valli - I have never heard of Correx. I have now heard of Coroplast, but I have never used or seen it in the flesh (or plastic, I guess) However, my concern was that corrugated plastic would not hold a 3kg (7lb) jar of honey… I presume your home economics trays would, assuming they fit the slide slot.
@sciencemaster - I wanted the depth (thickness) rather than the shelf width, as I wanted to know the max thickness of Polycarbonate I could use. Now, I don’t have all the lovely fancy tools that you have. My husband would have a conniption if I bought any more! However, I do have a jigsaw, a circular saw, a detail sander and a dremel tool. So I could hand bevel the edge of the polycarbonate to get a good fit without removing too much strength. Thank you for the idea.
Thank you very much to all for the help. Once again, the Flow forum proves just how useful it is!
Wilco. I don’t have the Flow hive yet (February delivery, so let’s say March ), but I do have some other Beethinking cedar hives with a SBB, so I can show pics of those with the polycarbonate fabrications in a week or two.
Thanks so much for sharing your modification etc idea. I love the idea of reinforcing the lower slot and using something tough to slide out as a shelf for harvest time. (I had a metal stand for the hive in my yard, which had extra room already for the shelf. So I won’t be doing that.)
I have modified the lids and the bottom boards of my four normal hives to make them complete SHB (Small Hive Beetle) traps. I found this system so effective that I took out the other internal SHB traps. Both my lids and bottom boards do not require opening the hives/disturbing the bees to check for caught SHB. and change the powder.
I hardly find a beetle on my frames and decided to give the bees shade (as they live naturally) which hasn’t led to an increase in beetles in the hives. The temperature here gets quite high in summer.
I also am concerned about excessive ventilation and the bees sealing up the mesh/propolis mat with propolis.
I do different from your method is:
I’ve replaced the mesh of the Flow Hive with a propolis mat, as I found bees were getting through the non-uniform spacing in the mesh installed in my Flow Hive. I don’t know if it’s uniform spacing generally for others.
I use hydrated lime, instead of DE, as it works just as well and is cheaper ($12 at Masters for 20kg)
I screw on a full piece of wood (painted with bees wax) under the standard FH bottom board
I cut the rebates or slider slots back a little and took the supporting ~1" (25mm) piece of cedar off the bottom at the back, to make a door and used a bit of wax to make sure there was a good seal - minimal ventilation. (maybe not so good for cooler climates, as it’s hard to open it in the cool of the morning and so, I check them in the hotter part of the day)
I bought a $2 plastic tray from Kmart and cut it down and sanded it a bit till it slid well into either of the bottom board slots.
Two minor modifications I did to the lids were:
stapled fly screen over the inner lid central vent, to stop bees building burr comb in the upper lid
drilled a few vent holes in the upper lid, so hot air could vent out and covered those also with fly screen.
Looks great! A great bit of construction. Is the whole thing just sitting on the ground? Or set in concrete? The reason I ask hive thief isn’t uncommon where I’m from and this seems like with a few alterations to be a secure way to leave your hive unattended and secure… Really got me thinking.
Hi Barrie
Sorry for the late reply. I don’t seem to be notified of responses to my posts.
My Flow hive is on a metal stand (so I can put a ring of petroleum jelly around the legs to stop ants) and right next to the shed I live in. I am there most the time and three others live on this property. So I think it is safe enough.
best wishes
I spent many hours filling and matching colour on a pecan maple banister in our house, it kept me out of trouble for weeks!
However, my concern was that corrugated plastic would not hold a 3kg (7lb) jar of honey… 
I presume your home economics trays would, assuming they fit the slide slot.
However, I do have a jigsaw, a circular saw, a detail sander and a dremel tool. So I could hand bevel the edge of the polycarbonate to get a good fit without removing too much strength. Thank you for the idea.
