Bubble Bubble

I have a former chicken stock can full of linseed oil and beeswax in a kettle of water on the stove.  I used a couple of spoons to keep the I'm making the finish that goes on the outside of the hive.  I just need to let it cook for another five minutes or so before bringing it out to the barn.

Yesterday, Julie and I went to a fabric store, and picked up some heavy pillow ticking to glue along the inside seams of the roof for the hive.  I also did some final trimming of the board that closes the base of the hive in winter, as well as the top of the hive legs so that the roof would sit a few inches lower.  Everything that is exposed to the elements needs to have the linseed oil and beeswax finish applied.

Progress

Top bar hives have a long history in Africa.  The top bar hive that I am building is considered a Kenyan top bar hive, since it has sloping sides.  Vertical sides would make it a Tanzanian top bar hive.

Its essentially a long trough with a lid.  There are two boards called follower boards, that conform to the shape of the inside of the hive, and can be moved by the beekeeper to adjust the amount of space that the bees get to use.     There are narrow wooden bars, with a groove in the bottom filled with beeswax, that span the trough, and are where the bees will build their comb.

In winter, the unused portion of the hive outside of the follower boards will be filled with some natural insulation, to reduce heat loss from the hive.

Yesterday, I cut boards for the sides and end of the hive, along with rough cutting a section for the follower boards.  Since I'm using six inch boards, I started gluing them edge to edge last night, doing the section for the follower boards and the ends.  Today I'm gluing the long boards for the sides of the hive, and am heading out to the barn to cut the follower boards to shape.  When the follower boards are complete (they need a top bar glued to them), I'll use them as the base to form the rest of the hive.