576 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Sept. 15 



bottom. The idea is to have a channel just 

 wide enough for the strip to slip in; and then 

 when a piece is sawed off it will drop out of 

 the way and make room for a new portion 

 of the strip. 



So the sides are nailed to the center part 

 of the box, the bottom bein^ about 3 inches 

 short at one end, and less tTian a foot at the 

 other. From this end measure back a dis- 

 tance of 17?s inches; and from the same start- 

 ing-point, 1S"'4 inches. If any thing, the 

 measurements should be a trifle short rather 

 than the least bit too long. The lines will be 

 a little over one inch apart; and since we ai'e 

 going to make saw-cuts down to the bottom- 

 board at these points, there will be great 

 risk of having one or both of these pieces 

 knocked out; so, before sawing you had bet- 

 ter buttress them up with strip's of wood at 

 least half an inch thick. This done, run per- 

 pendicular lines across the face of the sides, 

 and also across the edges, then carefully saw 

 down to the bottom-board. Then nail tem- 

 porarily a bit of wood across the ends of the 

 boardsso as to form a stop for the strip. 

 Now test your distance, say with a top-bar — 

 that is, make one. When cut, the piece will 

 drop down. Measure it; and if all right, 

 fasten the end piece with screws, as the 

 bringing forward of the strip has a tendency 

 to knock off the stop-block. If the bar is 

 found to be too short, one can pack paper 

 between the stop-block and the end of the 

 box. 



Once the top-bars are all cut, proceed alon^ 

 similar lines with the bottom-bars. The end 

 pieces should be cut at the other end of the 

 miter-box. 



To put the pieces together accurately and 

 speedily you will need a form — that is, a jig, 

 in which the parts can be held firmly while 

 they are being nailed. Luckily this is easy 

 to make. The framework consists of two 

 pieces of "s lumber 5'sx22, one of which 

 stands perpendiculai' to the center line of the 

 other. On one face of tlie upright piece is 

 nailed the smaller pieces that clamp the frame 

 in position. 



Having got the two principal parts, take 

 the one intended for the upright and draw 

 on it the lines that will represent the outside 

 edges of tlie end-bars. These, of course, 

 will be 17 -'s inches apart Next get two 

 pieces of 's-in. lumber — that is, the thickness 

 must be the same as the width of the frame- 

 bars, and not less than 5 '4 inches long. Ex- 

 actly 5 inches from one end in each make a 

 half-check j. in. wide. The top-bar will rest 



in these while 

 being nailed 

 in position. 

 Nail these 

 pieces in 

 place as 

 shown in Fig. 

 1. 



Still using 



">i-in. lumber, 



, which are to 



the end-bars. 



Place the end-bars in position to get the dis- 



tance; bring the guides up snug, but not too 

 tight, and nail. 



Then make two thumb-pieces, not thinner 

 than 's, and fasten with screws. Lastly, nail 

 the upright to the base. 



In making a frame, first nail on the bot- 

 tom-bar, then the top. Begin by putting the 

 end-bars in the jig, then turn tne thumb- 

 pieces as shown in the drawing, and nail on 

 the bottom-bar, using 1 \ thin cement-coated 

 nails, two at each end. Now turn the frame 

 over, resting the bottom-bar on the base- 

 board of the 

 jig, and the 

 upper ends 

 of the end- 

 bars will 

 come flush 

 with the 

 check that 

 was made in 

 the upright. 

 Drop the top-bar into place, where it will be 

 held in correct position by the lugs of the up- 

 rights. Nail, and your "frame is finished, 

 except the spacing-staples. Fig. 2. 



For putting together Root's 5- s-in. frames 

 I use a jig that is even simpler, and exceed- 

 ingly convenient. So pleased were the boys 

 over it that it has been named by them Todd's 

 "Reversible," because all tlie pieces can be 

 put together in any position, and one can 

 drive all the nails by reversing the frame. 



Malce a board "sx5-'sXi7-'s. The length 

 must be exact and the ends perfectly square. 

 Brace each end by a piece ">x5'sx'2, taking 



care that the 



FIG 



3 



FIG. 1 



make two pieces about 2x3>: 

 be used as inner guides for 



edges be per- 

 fectly flush. 

 Then make 

 four pieces 

 'sX2x3, and 

 nail two at 

 each end, as 

 shown in Fig. 

 3. When 

 FIG- 3. properly fit- 



ted they will grip a frame tightly. 



To use, set on edge in front of you. Lay 

 a top-bar in position on the bench upside 

 down; then the end-bar; last of all, the bot- 

 tom-bar. Nail the latter, reverse the jig, 

 keeping the same side toward you, and nail 

 tlie top^bar. Remove the finished frame and 

 proceed with the next, using the jig as it is, 

 tor, of course, it is always ready. 



To ensure the frames always being made 

 one way I have marked on tlie face of the 

 board a'description of the end-bar that comes 

 in contact with that spot. 



The same jig ought I fancy, to be as prac- 

 ticable for larger-sized frames. Anyhow, I 

 find it a great comfort for the ones I use. 

 Victoria, B. C, Canada. 



[Only those who have used jigs or forms 

 for work where a number of parts are made 

 exactly alike can realize their advantage. 

 Usually an unskilled workman can do better 

 and faster work with a form than a skillod 

 workman can without one. — Ed.] 



