Screen Bottom Board Making
I've always made my own screened bottom boards, and spent lots of time trying to come up with a design that's simple and easy to make quick. I counted 4 variations on my hives right now, all subtly different, but I think the easiest and my fave is the following, and cheapest.
First, you need the right sized screen. Its 1/8" wire hardware cloth- and I found it hard to find. Big box stores don't have it, and you cant use window screen- too small. I found a hardware store in Snohomish that carries it, for about 3 or 4 bucks a foot for a 36" wide roll. This is important.
This base is built out of 1x2, pretty much. The better the wood, the stronger the base, but I use pretty cheap stuff and it seems fine. It really isn't under any stress- the super above it taking all the bending load and just sits on this.
There are 4 pieces for the bottom, all out of 1x2, and 3 pieces out of 1x1 for the top, and a 1x3 or anything for the landing board. I like the landing board to have a slope to it, but this makes boardman feeders, which I use, awkward. Still- a slope is better I think, less bees upside down trying to get out of rain puddles.
Plus another 1x2 piece for the drawer. Below is an image. Very simple.
The lower side pieces have a 3/8" x 1/2" dado in them (see A on second image), which i do with a couple passes with a table saw. The front piece doesn't, and the back piece doesn't. I use to cut one in the front, and bevel it so the drawer wouldnt get hung up, but its not worth the time.
I start by screwing (pre-drilling and counter sinking of course) the two sides to the back piece. Then- and I think this is my own special contribution to screened bottom boards- I cut the hardware cloth to fiit with an inch overhang in front, bent a neat 90 degree angle in it at the front edge, about an inch back, and I lay it over the three sided frame I made, staple it on three sides, with the bend over the front (at F below). I staple it into the ends of the side pieces.
This made a very neat little entry- without metal sticking up, or a bump.
Then I put the front piece on and screw it on.flip it over, and staple the screen on the backside of the front piece.
Then I screw down the top spacer pieces (or staple them- but I make them 3/4" tall and think I might sometimes want to switch these to 3/8")
Then I screw the landing board through the back of the front piece (I know, seems flimsy, but I have never had a problem- just dont lift a hive by the board!).
Last is cutting a nicely fitting piece of corrugated plastic and making a drawer pull that it fits into, with a cabinet knob. I staple the plastic through the bottom of the wood, as it will pull off otherwise.
That's it. I paint mine.
If you can use something bigger than 1x2 even better, it gives more meat to the flange at A- but really- i have never had a problem (though I don't move my hives).
The bottom image is another version- more rabbetting, and stouter. But this first one is quicker- and that seems to be more and more important as I find I have way too much to do and not enough time to do it in.
First, you need the right sized screen. Its 1/8" wire hardware cloth- and I found it hard to find. Big box stores don't have it, and you cant use window screen- too small. I found a hardware store in Snohomish that carries it, for about 3 or 4 bucks a foot for a 36" wide roll. This is important.
This base is built out of 1x2, pretty much. The better the wood, the stronger the base, but I use pretty cheap stuff and it seems fine. It really isn't under any stress- the super above it taking all the bending load and just sits on this.
There are 4 pieces for the bottom, all out of 1x2, and 3 pieces out of 1x1 for the top, and a 1x3 or anything for the landing board. I like the landing board to have a slope to it, but this makes boardman feeders, which I use, awkward. Still- a slope is better I think, less bees upside down trying to get out of rain puddles.
Plus another 1x2 piece for the drawer. Below is an image. Very simple.
The lower side pieces have a 3/8" x 1/2" dado in them (see A on second image), which i do with a couple passes with a table saw. The front piece doesn't, and the back piece doesn't. I use to cut one in the front, and bevel it so the drawer wouldnt get hung up, but its not worth the time.
I start by screwing (pre-drilling and counter sinking of course) the two sides to the back piece. Then- and I think this is my own special contribution to screened bottom boards- I cut the hardware cloth to fiit with an inch overhang in front, bent a neat 90 degree angle in it at the front edge, about an inch back, and I lay it over the three sided frame I made, staple it on three sides, with the bend over the front (at F below). I staple it into the ends of the side pieces.
This made a very neat little entry- without metal sticking up, or a bump.
Then I put the front piece on and screw it on.flip it over, and staple the screen on the backside of the front piece.
Then I screw down the top spacer pieces (or staple them- but I make them 3/4" tall and think I might sometimes want to switch these to 3/8")
Then I screw the landing board through the back of the front piece (I know, seems flimsy, but I have never had a problem- just dont lift a hive by the board!).
Last is cutting a nicely fitting piece of corrugated plastic and making a drawer pull that it fits into, with a cabinet knob. I staple the plastic through the bottom of the wood, as it will pull off otherwise.
That's it. I paint mine.
If you can use something bigger than 1x2 even better, it gives more meat to the flange at A- but really- i have never had a problem (though I don't move my hives).
The bottom image is another version- more rabbetting, and stouter. But this first one is quicker- and that seems to be more and more important as I find I have way too much to do and not enough time to do it in.
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