NOVICE'S " GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



FIG. 1. 



A,B.C and D,E, F are each sheets of tin 

 cut off to 1634 inches allowing G inches 

 from center to first corner, and 2 

 inches each for spaces at A, C, F and D, 

 and VI inch turned at right angles to hold 

 the wire cloth or metal bars represented 

 by the dotted lines. G and H are strips 

 14 inches long (same as width of sheets 

 A, B, C. and D. E. F,) and K inch broad, 

 bent lengthwise so as to form grooved 

 pieces that, when soldered in place, hold 

 the two large sheets in place and leave 

 room to drive a M inch steel rod in cen- 

 ter for shaft, or simply a pivot pushed in 

 a couple of inches at each end and sol- 

 dered will answer. Two pieces of 

 Stubbs' steel rod, M inch diameter, one 

 (! and one 3 inches long, make beautiful 

 bearings. 



Now then, metal bars for the comb to 

 rest against we think cheaper and better 

 than wire cloth and this is the way we 

 make them : 



Cut 18 strips \i inch broad lengthwise 

 from one of the sheets, and, with a tin- 

 smith's folder, fold them lengthwise, 

 leaving the two edges abont % inch apart. 

 With a pair of plyers bend the following 

 figure from these strips, soldering on a 

 piece as you bend them up, and have all 

 the spaces exactly one inch, and rods 

 just ten inches long. 



-■• \l 



I 



" I 



I 



I 



I , 



" I 



I 



" I 



I 



I 



I 



I 1 



When you have completed two of these, 

 having sixteen spaces, the}' are to be put 

 across from A to C and from I) to F, and 

 soldered securely, leaving, of course, one 

 bar an inch above the sheets of tin and 

 one the same distance below, as these 

 sheets were but 14 inches. 



If the wings are bent a little close to 

 each other the bars will stay in place in 

 the corners A, C, D, F against the \i inch 

 edge while being soldered, which may be 

 done very rapidly, for fastening the inch 

 pieces that connect the bars makes all 

 strong. Now cut four pieces l}4xl() 

 inches with a narrow fold on one edge. 

 These are to connect A, D, and C, F, at 

 both top and bottom and should come 

 above the wings enough to be level with 

 upper bars A, C, and T>. F. 



Now our irame is ten inches square and 

 is all done when we affix some secure 

 loops or stirrups at the lower ends of our 

 comb cases to allow the frame of honey to 

 rest just one inch below the lowest bar, 

 which will leave the top the same dis- 

 tance above, for the machine is made 

 just right for our Langstroth frame, so if 

 you use a different one you can vary it 

 accordingly. The lower bar is not suffi- 

 ciently strong to attach strip of tin men- 

 tioned to hold the comb frame, so we 

 prolong the outer end and bring it across 

 the corner from I to J, (see fig. 2,) and the 

 other end is soldered to the wing near the 

 shaft, thence across t» the next wing and 

 then across to the metal bars to form the 

 support for the opposite comb frame ; a 

 20-inch strip % broad being used, and a 

 similar one on the opposite side, these 

 strips being carried across about two 

 inches from the corner at I and L. 



We should have mentioned that the 

 corners in the sheets at A, C, snd D, F, 

 may be bent nicely with the broad blade 

 of a carpenter's square, after turning the 

 li-'nach fold, for the blade to rest against, 

 as the blade is just two inches wide. 



To cut the various strips used, a pair of 

 " squaring shears," such as most tin- 

 smiths use, greatly facilitates the work 

 and does not bend or curl the pieces as 

 they are taken off. 



The above completes the whole of the 

 inside work and foots up thus : 



Three sheets tin at 15c $ 45 



Nine inches Stubbs' steel 25 



One half day's work 1 00 



One quarter pound solder 10 



$180 

 To make the can, take four of the 

 remaing sheets of tin and put them 

 together longest way up and down with a 

 14-inch rod put in the top ; and bottom 

 made of one sheet and part of another. 

 This gives us depth of about 19 inches 

 and diameter of about 17. 



In the center of the bottom solder a 

 small piece of steel saw plate, and on this 

 a blank iron nut, with a hole in it, to fit 

 our steel pivot; the longest piece of steel 

 being used for the bottom bearing. 



The short pieoo is to be used for the top 

 after having soldered on one end a fixture 

 made as follows: A three-cornered tin 

 tube, % inch long, and % on each side, 

 is made, and then each side is bent in- 

 ward until they will clasp the pivot, 

 leaving the three corners open enough to 



