It worked! What the heck! Thank you for your instructions
I am ready I have my foundation placed and level now I’m just trying to decide what kind of bees to get 
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@HoneybeeLove your top flow box is on backwards (if you weren’t aware). It should be turned around so you would harvest from the back.
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I know I just wanted to show the color 
i’m probably going to hear about it from everybody aren’t I
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Yes you are 
,nice color 
I’m thinking of painting my hive roof red colour 
I think painting the roof will preserve it and make it last longer I know in my zone 5 with all the different weather we have here in Idaho it wouldn’t last long not being painted. Red is a good choice. I love this paint from Home Depot, has the primer already in it so two coats is all you need. I also put two coats of tung oil on the body of the hive 
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Our new Flow joins “junior” a handmade top bar hive. The Queen Bee ( My wife) hand paints the hives herself)
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Hi and congrats, great looking setup. You say that you wax dipped the hoop pine. I am looking into this but I want to use bees wax to dip mine. Do you know of anyone else using bees wax dipping to seal their hive?
I have a report on wax dipping from N.S.W. DPI but they don’t really push the idea of Bees wax and instead use other types.
I plan to dip prior to construction and then again after construction. Once I’ve done the wax dipping I’m going to paint the exteriors with a specialty paving enamel that will leave the outside with a hardened shell.
How long did you dip it for and at what temperature? Do you know the flashpoint of Bee Wax?
I apologise for all the questions. Just excited to get cracking asap.
Thanks
eMJay
Setup looks gr8! Just one question. What is the shallow box between the bottom board and the bottom brood box and what is its purpose?
Hello there,
I dipped in pure bees wax and gum rosin. 2 parts wax to one part rosin. I think you need to use either gum rosin or micro-crystalline wax and not just beeswax. They help the wax fully penetrate and absorb into the wood- and without them the surface of the box is left waxy. With them the wax quite amazingly all sucks into the timber when you take it out- at first the surface is slick and wet with wax0 then it fizzes and sucks right into the wood leaving the surface feeling dry. There is some limited info about dipping with bees wax at @Michael_Bush 's website here:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesdipping.htm
I dipped mine at around 130 C and for 8 to 10 minutes. It is important the wood heats right the way through to over 100C so the water inside boils ut to be replaced by the wax. I don’t know the flash point of the mix I used- but I am pretty sure it is greater than 140 C ;-). At those temps I didn’t see the wax smoking or looking like it was thinking of boiling over.
Concerning painting: I am not totally sure but as I understand it you need to paint the boxes as soon as they come out of the hot wax and while they are still piping hot. You can do two coats- supposedly the first coat is absorbed and dries almost instantaneously. From what I understand once they have cooled they cannot be painted as the wax rejects the paint. Maybe you already knew that but just thought i’d point it out. I havn’t done any dipping and painting yet- but I think it would be about the best treatment for a wooden hive there could be. Painting white for reflectivity is a good idea- and the box will last for decades.
Another ting: the hoop pine wood absorbed all the wax- I also dipped a cedar hive and cedar reacted differently: it seemed to absorb a lot of wax- but at the end it didn’t all suck back in as it does with pine- and the surface was left looking and feeling more waxy. Looks awesome though- and i am sure it will add a lot of years to the cedar.
Last thing: take care- it can be a bit of a dangerous business!
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Thanks for the reply and the link.
[quote=“Semaphore, post:307, topic:6581”]
I dipped in pure bees wax and gum rosin. 2 parts wax to one part rosin
[/quote]
Yes I read that in the DPI report, but am going to have a go at the pure wax in any case. I am trying to use NO other chemicals inside the hive itself - ‘All natural’ - well, so to speak.
Temperature sounds good, but I am going for 150-160C for 15 minutes. I am going to dip twice (once prior to assembly and once after) as the joints get better penetration and then second dip when assembled just to be sure of a complete seal in the joints. Yes I will be painting after the second dipping as you have stated - while it is still hot. My father was a house painter for 50 years and I picked up a few pointers.
Thanks for the heads up on the amount of wax used. I better get some extra in that case.
I will make up a post when I have completed the whole process.
Thanks again.
Gum rosin is all natural- its pure tree sap/resin mostly from pine trees I think… . I strongly recommend you add it- as you will not get as good a result if you don’t- your boxes will be waxy to the touch- and it’s likely painting will be even harder and maybe impossible. I don’t know but I am also guessing it has preservative and anti-fungal qualities- and it makes the wood harder/stronger. Plus it smells good- and it’s cheaper by the kilo than bees wax! No reason not to add it if you ask me.
I also think you won’t need to dip for that long or twice or that hot: the way I did it my wax penetration was 100% I have sawed and drilled through the wood and the wax has penetrated completely- Michael Bush does his even a bit cooler and his boxes have lasted a decade… Also dipping causes the wood to shrink against the grain- and excess dipping and heat may cause it to warp- and/or be ‘cooked’. One thing to note: if you dip a flow hive- it is quite likely the perspex window will not fit after dipping due to the shrinkage - you’ll need to take off a mm or three from one of the horizontal edges to account for that…
where are you located?
Hi y’all, new to the forum so not quite sure how to post correctly. I am new to beekeeping, my wife and I ordered a gardent hive and I ordered a flow hive super for later or maybe not until next year. I think I am going to give the bees another medium for winter storage (North Carolina) and not harvest anything this year. I only added both boxes for the picture, I built the stand this past weekend and am going to put some kind of mulch uder it (any suggestions?) I made the stand large enough that we will expand to two hives next spring. Pretty excited that we are picking up the bees next weekend.
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I’m pretty sure that the flash point of the rosin is higher than beeswax. Beeswax melts at approximately 145°F (63°C). The flashpoint is 400°F (204.4°C)
Those look like mediums (not deeps) on your hive already, it that correct? Will you use 3 mediums for overwintering? That would seem like a good idea to me.
Nice stand you have made there. If I had a choice, I would put a hard surface under it, like paving. That may not be easy to do, but it is very nice to stand on something really stable when you are lifting heavy boxes.
If those boxes are mediums, what kind of bees are you picking up? Nucleus or package? Most nuclei come on deeps, which is why I am asking. 
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Hi Dawn,
Yes they are mediums, of course I bought the hive kit before reading enough and realizing that 3 mediums would be a good idea for winter. I am going to pic up a package of bees next Friday so I will just buy another medium box there.
I like the idea on the pavers but to get it level I would have to dig out my entire bank. So would stone, gravel, or rock of some sort be better than mulch or bark?
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Personal preference I would think, but I would go with stone or large gravel to discourage other insects. If you are in a windy location, that may be optimal for you anyway. Others may know better than me.
The package will do fine in mediums. Good choice. 
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Hi all. Relatively new to the forum and just thought I would put up a post now that I have a hive up and running in my backyard in Brisbane, Queensland. Thanks to @JeffH for filling my hive with bees and my head with his wisdom!
Not the best photo, but have a small raised garden in the back area of the yard with a heap of space all around the hive for the bees and myself to get to it - fenced it to keep the dog out. Hive is on a shipping pallet raised by bricks with the plan is to set up a second hive next to it at some stage.
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Hi Jeff, many thanks. I hope it all goes well, cheers
So cool Love the colors and flowers painted on the box