232 THE bee-keeper's guide; 



which shall be straight when thus riveted. These dimensions 

 are for frames eleven and one-fourth inches square, outside 

 measure, and must be varied for other sizes. Instead of the 

 iron and strap, some use two pieces of wood with a central 

 pivot. The upper ends of these levers are united by a strong 

 elastic cord, so that the lower ends are constantly pressed 

 against the side-pieces of the block. Recently we have used 

 in such blocks, both for frame and section-making, a single 

 hard-wood strip, a little shorter than the distance between the 

 strips e and e. This is pivoted at the center to the center of 

 the block. This is a very simple way to hold the side-pieces 

 firmly against the strips <?, e. We have only to turn this lever. 



To use this block, we crowd the end-bars of our frames 

 between the steel springs (Fig. 98, b, b) and the square strips 

 (Fig. 98, <?, e) ; then lay on our top-bar and nail, after which we 

 invert the block and nail the bottom-bar, as we did the top-bar. 

 Now press down on the strap (Fig. 98, a), which will loosen 

 the frame, when it may be removed all complete and true. 

 Such a gauge not only insures perfect frames, but demands 

 that every piece shall be cut with great accuracy, and some 

 such arrangement should always be used in making the 

 frames. 



The above description and Fig. 98 are for Gallup frames. 

 For Langstroth frames the hard-wood strips would be eight 

 and five-eighths (8)^) inches long, and the distance between 

 them would be sixteen and seven-eighths (16^) inches, that is, 

 if the frames are made of pieces one-fourth of an inch thick. 

 To make reversible frames we use two such guides. Wire nails 

 are very excellent for making frames, and just the thing for 

 the pivots in reversible frames. 



When the frames are in the hive there should be at least a 

 one-fourth or three-eighths inch space between the end of the 

 frame and side of the hive. As before stated, the space below 

 the frame may be one-half inch. A much wider space on the 

 sides than that given above is likely to be filled with comb, 

 and so prove vexatious. The wide space below gives no such 

 trouble, and in winter it is desirable, as also in case the hive 

 shrinks. It is very undesirable to have the frames reach to 

 the bottom of the hive. 



