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Home > About Our Woodenware
About Our Woodenware
 Click here for NH Sustainable Forestry Initiative Information
Premium wood quality, strict grading procedures, and excellent, consistent fit are the key to our woodenware. Here at Hampshire Hives, we use 3/4" thick, kiln dried Eastern White Pine (EWP) in all boxes and major components of our woodenware. Sourced in New Hampshire, we insist all our pine is harvested utilizing Certified Sustainable Forestry Initiative practices. In addition to EWP, we use 3/8" CDX plywood in our inner and outer covers to ensure strength and durability. All of our peripheral parts; inners, outers, bottom boards, etc...are assembled with high quality exterior grade wood glue and stapled, nailed or screwed as indicated. Telescoping outer covers are capped with 26 gauge galvanized steel covers sourced from a sheet-metal shop just down the road.
Grading:
Most manufacturers use three grades; Clear/Select, Commercial, and Economy/Budget. Our Select grade will have no knots, blemishes or other wood imperfections. Our Commercial grade may include Red knots and/or occasional small, tight Black knots (pin knots). They may also include minor superficial wood blemishes. No knot will impact structural integrity, functionality or durability of boxes or peripheral parts. Our Economy grade boxes will include Red and Black knots, wood blemishes, occasional sap pockets and minor planer irregularities. Commercial grade woodenware is by far the most commonly used. Please call for Select and Economy grade availability and pricing information.
8 Frame Equipment:
Within the woodenware manufacturing world, 8 frame equipment is available in three common widths; 13 1/2", 13 3/4" and 14". We choose to use 14" width as our standard. That little extra space in the box allows for frame spacing, installation of many standard sized interior feeders and is compatible with the new Flow Hive design. If mixing 8 frame equipment from different manufacturers, we suggest you measure the outside dimension of your boxes before ordering to ensure proper fit.
Box Assembly Tips:
All corner box joints are pre-drilled for assembly. We recommend a 1 3/4" 5d Ring Shank. In a short time, the bees will seal all the interior joints with propolis; which weather proofs the joint and adds additional strength. We recommend Titebond II exterior wood glue for assembly.
Painting Tips:
Painting exterior surfaces adds a personal touch to your hive and extends the useful life of the box. We suggest using a quality exterior grade primer followed by a coat of quality exterior grade color on outside surfaces only. White is the "traditional" hive color. However, it really is about personal preference. Latex, oil-based and acrylic paints, as well as urethane and oil finishes are all acceptable. However, ensure all boxes are finished and allowed to thoroughly dry before introducing bees into the hive. Two or three weeks drying time is recommended.
Our Painted Woodenware:
We hand-roll and brush with white latex paint: one coat primer, one coat satin finish. |
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