#1 By: Aaron Makaruk, September 13th, 2013 03:23
What are the different options for coating and protecting the hive wood/exterior from the elements?
#2 By: Aaron Makaruk, September 13th, 2013 03:24
Carnauba (/kɑːrˈnɔːbə/ or /kɑːrˈnaʊbə/, carnaúba, Portuguese pronunciation: [kaʁnɐˈubɐ]), also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the palm Copernicia prunifera, a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Piauí, Ceará, and Rio Grande do Norte. It is known as "queen of waxes" and in its pure state, usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown flakes. It is obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm by collecting and drying them, beatin Carna...
#3 By: Aaron Makaruk, September 13th, 2013 03:24
Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree (Vernicia fordii). As a drying oil, tung oil hardens (dries) upon exposure to air. The resulting coating is transparent and plastic-like (a property exploited in most of its applications) which include wood finishing and the composition of oil paints and printing inks. Related drying oils include linseed, safflower, poppy, and soybean. The oil and its use are believed to have originated in an Th...
#4 By: Aaron Makaruk, September 13th, 2013 03:25
Linseed oil, is a colorless to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum, Linaceae). The oil is obtained by pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction. But the oil is heated and treated with chemicals which makes it unfit for human consumption. Due to its high levels of α-Linolenic acid (a particular form of omega-3 fatty acid), Linseed oil and flax seed oil are both derived from the same plant, namely the flax plant. Both oils come from the d...
#5 By: Aaron Makaruk, September 13th, 2013 03:25
Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols. Small amounts of beeswax have food and flavoring applications, and are edible in the sense of having similar toxicity to undigestable plant waxes. However, the wax monoesters in beeswax are poorly hydrolysed in the guts of humans and mammals, and are therefore of no significant food value. The wax is formed by worker bees, which secrete it from eig...
#6 By: Jonathan Minchin, October 29th, 2013 15:46
Lindseed Oil is what we used for the OS Warré hives, it was also recommended to us by Beekeepers. It seemed to be quite good for the first 5 months but now the rains have come on strong the Okumé Ply wood is beginning to get mould patches. If used I recommend to apply it liberally and use many coats of it!
#7 By: Aaron Makaruk, October 29th, 2013 16:07
Thanks Jon - I would love to see photos of the hive after being exposed to the weather. You mentioned that the linseed lasts for 5 months - have you recoated since, and are you continuing to see weathering? I'm setting up an experiment in my backyard of two versions of the CTB v2.0 side by side - one with coating and one with a linseed coat. We'll see how they vary - more on that later.
#8 By: Jonathan Minchin, November 11th, 2013 07:25
Hi Aaron. Here are some photos of the OS Warré prototype hive made with Okoume plywood, after about 9 months. As you can see there is a buildup of what looks like mildew on the exterior. I have been able to remove most of it using sandpaper. I believe the fungal buildup on the outside is not so much of a problem and can be prevented and remedied by more layers and possible regular maintenance application of Lindseed oil.
However there has been quite a high level of corruption to the Ply on the roof as the veneer layers begin to separate. This I think is due to expansion and contraction through cold and hotter temperatures, night and day, and to water that has penetrated the wood.
#9 By: Mark Milotay, November 13th, 2013 16:04
I use a mixture of boiled linseed oil, beeswax and citrus oil. I am quite happy with the finish it gives.
#10 By: mothermos, November 16th, 2013 15:13
I used a 20:1 mixture of raw linseed oil to beeswax, as recommended by the Barefoot Beekeeper. It sheds water nicely and has held up so far. Boiled linseed oil has some nasty solvents in it, so I stayed away from that.
The "pure raw linseed oil" that we found at the hardware store said that it contains no additives, yet it still has the "causes cancer/birth defects in California" warning—really confusing! Next time I might opt to get food-grade flaxseed oil, which I believe is essentially the same thing.
#11 By: Wagner Pierre, November 17th, 2013 15:54
I built my beehives with Meleze wood. Which is resistant to rot. So I have no need for external treatment. I only apply beewax on the INSIDE of my warre hive, so that the condensing humidity falls down through the mesh floor.
It is a bit more expensive thought. About 100€ for a four element Warre Hive.
#12 By: Andrew Hydle, December 13th, 2013 12:04
I just finished building a top bar using pine. I then boiled eucalyptus leaves to lightly stain the roof (In future hives I am going to try another plant since eucalyptus is too light) and then I boiled some raw linseed oil, added turpentine and beeswax to seal. It came out quite nice.
#13 By: Aaron Makaruk, December 15th, 2013 19:59
That sounds incredible - nice work - we'd love to see pictures of the process and results.
#14 By: luc pintens, January 21st, 2014 03:33
Plywood may be cheaper than plain (massive) wood.
Try to find the most sustainable material for your weather pattern. In wet Belgium I use 2,5 cm thick pine planks.
#15 By: Gustavo Arriaga, March 11th, 2014 12:09
How about Danish Oil? It is REALLY easy to apply and provides decent water resistance. Not sure whether any of the ingredients (vary by manufacturer) would be harmful to the bees.
#16 By: Cody Harrison, May 1st, 2014 17:10
What did you use for the non-linseed coating?
#17 By: Cody Harrison, May 1st, 2014 17:14
Where did you find the Meleze wood? Is it available in 4'x8' sheets?
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