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CHAPTER 1

Before We Begin

Being prepared is important for building a successful project. This means having a safe work area, using safe methods and the proper tools, and having the materials you need on hand. If you read more than once that safety is first and foremost, it's because it can't be stressed enough. This chapter is a rundown of all the tools and materials used for the projects that follow. The project instructions are written for those with a basic level of knowledge about working with wood. If your experience is less than basic, so to speak, see Getting Help on page 13 for some ideas on places to start.

Safety First and Always

The one thing that should constantly be on your mind while doing any of these projects is safety. I could devote this entire book to the safe use of power tools and equipment, but that would leave no room for projects. Here are some tips:

* Know your machinery; read and reread the owner's manuals.

* Use all tool guards and safety devices. Some pictures in the book show tools with guards removed for clarity. In these cases, the tools were turned off and unplugged, and the photo was set up to show a particular step. Always use the guards that came with your machinery.

* Wear ear, eye, and dust protection or a respirator. Many people protect their eyes, but not their ears. Constant, loud, high-pitched noise can damage your hearing. Anything can cause injury, from a flying nail sent your way by a glancing hammer blow to a piece of wood caught by a bound-up saw blade. Cutting pressure-treated and other woods can produce harmful dust. Protect your lungs from sawdust, fumes, and other hazards by using an appropriate dust mask or respirator.

* Wear gloves as appropriate. You should always wear gloves when cutting screen and sheet metal. As a general rule, you should not wear gloves when operating power tools. A drill bit or other rotating part can easily snag a cuff or fingertip of a glove and pull your hand into the moving parts.

* Don't wear jewelry or loose clothing.

* Keep your work area clean.

* Don't work when you are tired or distracted. You shouldn't be thinking about your upcoming vacation or what you need to add to your grocery list while you're pushing a board through a saw that's spinning at 3,500 rpm.

The Tools

I've tried to minimize the number of tools and techniques needed for these projects. If you have tools other than the ones listed, by all means use them. Whatever makes the work go easier and faster is fair game. For example, I usually use a shaper to cut rabbets on the ends of my boxes and for frame rests, but here I used the single blade on a table saw to be sure that it could be done with the simplest of setups. I also kept my dado blades packed away in the drawer. What follows is the mainstay of what I used to make everything.

Measuring and Marking

After planning your project, the next steps usually are measuring and marking the stock to be cut. This critical step must be done accurately. After all, the straightest saw cut on a line that's marked in the wrong place will not make for good work. As always, high-quality tools are a pleasure to use and will last for generations. Take your time and start off on the right foot, and your project will go smoothly.

Tape measure. I use a tape measure for quickly checking if a board is long or wide enough to use, or to measure for a rough cut. Other than that, it sits on the bench most of the time, and I use a scale instead.

Scale or ruler. For most measuring I use a 24" rigid aluminum scale. It has accurate markings and is my go-to tool when setting the fence on my saw or measuring something to cut. It's long enough to measure any piece of wood for beehive building and I wouldn't be without it.

Combination square. Though not essential, this is helpful for setting stops and saw blade heights. It also provides a quick way to draw a measured line down the side of a board for a nail or screw guide. A square with a protractor head lets you measure and mark angles as well.

Compass. This is great for drawing circles when laying out slots, but you can often find something the right size to trace around for a circle, and none of the round cuts we will make are critical.

Prick or center punch. This is used mostly for marking metal to keep the drill bit from wandering when you start a hole, such as with the extending pole for the swarm catcher or some of the sheet metal parts.

Dial calipers. I use calipers for measuring something with a close tolerance, like checking the size of unmarked drill bits. I also used them for measuring the spacer and frame guides for the frame assembly fixture.

Pencil and marker. I prefer mechanical pencils because you can renew the point with a simple twist of the barrel. A marker is handy for marking screen.

Cutting and Shaping

Cutting tools have come a long way. Carbide cutting edges on saw blades and router bits hold their edges many times longer than high-speed tool steel. Even today's handsaws have blade configurations that allow them to cut much faster than their older counterparts. No matter how advanced tools get with computerized controls, the old standbys still get the job done.

Handsaw. A good standard handsaw comes in handy for rough-cutting long boards for easy handling when you don't want to bother dragging out a circular saw and extension cord.

Keyhole saw. A keyhole saw has a long, narrow blade that tapers to a point. I use mine to cut out the slot in my inner covers.

Hacksaw. Hacksaws are used primarily to cut metal, but a new blade will give a really smooth cut in wood. I find myself using it for things like cutting the small stops for the foundation board or the angles on strips for bee escapes. Of course, a coping saw or fretsaw will also work for small wood parts.

Miter box. The miter box has been around for a long time. It's a hand-powered version of the miter saw. You set a backsaw (a small handsaw with a rectangular blade that has a stiff spine to keep the blade rigid) in the box and can accurately cut boards square or at angles easily by hand. Simple miter boxes have fixed slots to guide the blade for 90-degree and 45-degree cuts, while adjustable miter boxes can cut a full range of angles. A miter box is great for parts like the risers on hive stands or the angled strips on the bee escape boards found in this book.

Tin snips. Snips are necessary for cutting sheet metal for hive tops and feeders, and to cut screen for various projects.

File. A mill-bastard file is a good general-purpose file for deburring metal after you cut it. A wood rasp can be used to round over the corners of boxes and covers.

Sandpaper. I don't mention sanding often in the instructions, but a quick once-over with a piece of 100-grit paper will quickly smooth edges and prevent splinters in your fingers.

Fastening

Most of the advances in fastening have been made in the categories of screws and adhesives. If you've ever driven a number of slotted screws with a standard screwdriver, you know why the word "frustration" is in the dictionary. Today's modern deck screws are corrosion-resistant, need no pilot hole (in many cases), have self-countersinking heads, and can be driven with one hand, using a power drill or driver. There also are a number of waterproof glues at our disposal.

Of course, the hammer and nail will never go out of style, and clamps allow us to perform tasks that would require many extra hands.

Hammer. A well-made hammer will last a lifetime and is less fatiguing to use than a budget tool since it absorbs shock more effectively. I have more than one size and select the one that's appropriate for the job.

Screwdrivers. Not much to say here. Screwdrivers that fit the screw you are driving are essential. I use my cordless driver almost exclusively, with the exception of installing hinges and other small hardware. Many of the different screws available come with a bit to fit the screw heads right in the box.

Staple gun. I use this with an assortment of staple lengths for attaching the screen on screened bottom boards and inner covers, as well as for installing mouse guards on hives.

Clamps. Clamps have so many uses. I primarily use bar and pipeclamps for clamping pretty much everything that needs to be glued and screwed together. A 24" clamp should cover the biggest projects. Some smaller ones are handy for clamping across 8-frame and nuc boxes. Spring clamps have an endless variety of uses, such as clamping temporary stops. Clamps can hold pieces to the bench so you can safely drill or cut them. You'll find dozens of other uses not listed here. C-clamps are also very strong, and I'm sure you'll find uses for them.

Drilling

Right off the bat I'll say, get yourself a variety of good drill bits. This is one area where the saying "you get what you pay for" really rings true. A good-quality cutter will stay on-center, drill a clean and accurate hole, not overheat under normal circumstances, and stay sharp for a long time. No matter how shiny and nice it may look, a cheap cutter will not be accurate or hold an edge and may even bend or break on first use. Buy good brand names. Besides your local lumberyard or home center, see if there is an industrial supply store in your area. They will have good-quality tools and a full range of bit sizes you may not find in the hardware store.

A set of drill bits. Different bits are useful for so many things. Good-quality brad-point bits are the ticket for wood. They won't walk when you start them, and they cut a clean hole. They also drill through aluminum flashing easily.

Forstner bits. Forstner bits cut around the perimeter of the hole first so they don't leave a ragged hole, due to tearout, when they break through the material. They can also be used to make two or more holes close together for roughing out slots.

Hole saws. Hole saws are used for larger-diameter holes, such as for making escape boards. They typically are used for rough work and can create significant tearout on the back side of the material, but you can prevent this by drilling partway through the material from one side, then completing the cut from the other side. The hole made by the guide bit in the hole saw's center ensures the two cuts are aligned.

Spade bit. Like Forstner bits, spade bits are used for fairly large-diameter holes (over " or so) but aren't quite as clean-cutting. You have to watch for tearout with these; for a clean cut, drill from both sides of the material, as with a hole saw.

Center drill. A center drill is a metalworking bit used to create a guide hole for drilling through metal. First, punch the location of the hole, using a center punch, then drill a guide hole with the center drill. This ensures that the larger drill bit you'll use to make the final hole starts in the right location and, more importantly, that the hole comes out round.

Combination drill/countersink bit. You can buy these individually or in small sets of three sizes. They are great because they drill a pilot hole so that your screw won't split the wood, and they also countersink the hole for accepting the screw head, so the head finishes flush with or slightly recessed below the wood surface. Depending on the type of screws you buy, you may not need to predrill the holes, but it helps.

Power Tools

Now on to the bigger stuff. Again, I didn't use a lot of different power tools, but those listed here are pretty much required to build your hives. Also keep in mind that often there are easier ways of performing many of the operations covered in this book. I'm showing the basic way you can do things using the simplest of tools.

I actually made just about every cut in the book using the single blade on my table saw. Normally I'd use my shaper if I were going to cut a lot of rabbets, but not everyone has one of those, or even a router table, for that matter. If you do, by all means use them and make your work as easy as possible.

Table saw. This is the workhorse of the group. A good saw with a cast-iron table is hard to beat. I have a Craftsman 10" saw that I bought secondhand in the mid-1970s, and it's still going strong. Mine is mounted on a heavy wooden table and has an induction motor with belt drive. It's not a Cadillac, but it gets the job done. I would avoid buying a new saw with light plastic housings and direct-drive motors, if possible. They are much noisier and vibrate more than heavier-duty saws, and often they don't have the capacity needed to cut larger pieces safely. If money is a big concern, shop for a better saw secondhand.

Drill and driver. While a drill press would be handy for many of the drilling operations in the book, I stuck to using a hand drill to be sure everything could be done that way. I did go cordless, though.

It's most handy to have a drill for drilling pilot holes (and other holes) and a driver for driving screws, so you don't have to keep changing bits between operations. But if you have only one tool, all drills and most drivers can be used for both drilling and driving. You can buy drill bit sets with hex shanks for use in impact drivers. One advantage to these is that it takes about 2 seconds to change bits, and there's no chuck key or loosening and tightening of drill chucks to deal with.

Miter saw. A powered miter saw is a real workhorse in the shop. When set up with an adjustable stop, it can't be beat for cutting multiple parts to length or for cutting accurate angles.

Circular saw. I occasionally use one for cutting plywood into more manageable sizes, or right to size with a guide board clamped to it. With a good guide, the circular saw can manage many of the cutting tasks generally relegated to the table saw.

Jigsaw. You'll use this for cutting holes, in place of hole saws or larger Forstner bits, and also for making slots.

Router. A router can cut rabbets and dadoes that you might otherwise cut on a table saw, and it can round over edges for a professional look. I used mine for making the winter cover and demonstration hive.

Electric brad nailer. While also not a necessity, a brad nailer sure is handy for attaching things like slats on the slatted racks, filler pieces on bottom boards, and wedges when assembling frames. I have an Arrow brand nailer that I love. It takes about 10 seconds to switch nail sizes. Be sure to wear eye and ear protection while using this tool. An assortment of wire nails and a hammer will also serve the purpose, so don't run right out and buy a nailer if you won't have other uses for it.

Extension cords. Always use extension cords that are heavy enough to carry the load you will put on them. This is indicated by the cord's amperage rating, which should be marked, and your power tools have nameplates that specify how much amperage they draw. If you are working outside, be sure to plug the cord into a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlet or use a GFCI-protected cord to reduce the risk of shock due to moisture and other fault situations.

Materials

Honey bees can and have been kept in almost anything imaginable, from clay pots to straw skeps and hollow logs (bee gums). However, in the United States, bees must be kept in a hive with removable frames so they can be inspected for disease. You can use all kinds of materials to build your bee equipment, from rough-sawn lumber to milled wood from the lumberyard, leftovers from a construction site, or a barrel cut in half and used for a top bar hive. There are even hives made out of Styrofoam.

For the projects in the book, I stuck with standard materials you can pick up at any well-stocked lumberyard. If you want to substitute with salvaged materials or extra supplies you have lying around, great. I do it all the time.

Wood

Almost every project in this book was made with pine, readily available at your local lumberyard, with a good amount of scrap wood salvaged from various places. Cedar, though more expensive, is a good choice for its natural resistance to rot.

Lumber Dimensions

If you're new to woodworking, it's important to know that usually there's a difference between the nominal size of a solid-lumber board (what it's called) and the actual size (what it actually measures to). The nominal comes from the board's original rough-sawn size, while the smooth milled piece you buy often is smaller. For example, the actual dimensions of a 1×3 are about "¾ × 2 ½". The actual size of a 2×4 is about 1 ½" × 3 ½". Most of the lumber in this book is "1-by," or about ¾" thick.

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Excerpted from "Build Your Own Beekeeping Equipment"
by .
Copyright © 2013 Anthony Pisano.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
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