802 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15 



To tighten the wire, we need a little 

 tightening-outfit. First a nailing-block to 

 drive the 2 cz. tacks in the frame. This is 

 a dressed piece of 2X4 scantling, hard wood 

 preferred, about as long as the bench is 

 wide, laid across the bench, with a pointed 

 end an inch or two projecting — see drawing; 

 then a tightening-board. A piece of board 

 like the wiring-board, or a little larger 

 than the frame, fastened to the bench, will 

 answer. Four pins or headless nails are 

 driven into this to fit the four inside corners 

 of the frame, all slanting a trifle toward 

 the center. A small hammer, a pair of 

 common wire-pincers, a pair of shears, un- 

 less the pincers have a wire-cutter, and 

 some 2-oz. tacks, complete the set. 



Now the operation. Hold the frame on 

 the block as shown in the drawing; drive a 

 tack about yi inch from the hole of the wire 

 end, within -^^ of the head. Give the end of 

 wire one wrap around the tack as tight as 

 3'ou can draw it with your finger, and 

 drive the tack home (head clear in). Move 

 the frame from you and let the other end of 

 end-bar rest on the block and drive another 

 tack the same as the first, yi inch from the 

 hole of the other end of the wire. Lay the 

 frame on the tightening-board, tacks to the 

 right, and step to the left. With your left 

 hand take the slack out of the first wire by 

 drawing the second wire to the right. Grab 

 the second wire, with pincers in right hand, 

 close to the end bar (Fig. 1) ; using the up- 

 per edge as a focus, draw the wire as tight 

 as it will bear. Lay your left thumb, fin- 

 gers inside, on the wire to keep it from 

 slipping back, and release the pincers. 

 Reach over, and with the pincers take the 

 slack out of the second wire by pulling on 

 the third; slip the pincers close to the end- 

 bar (Fig. 2), and use the upper edge again 

 as a focus, drawing the wire as tight as 

 before. Release the left hand; reach over, 

 and, with fore finger and thumb inside, 

 keep the wire from slipping back. Reach 

 back with the right hand, and repeat the 

 same operation at Fig. 3; and while the 

 left hand holds the wire at this point, let 

 the pincers take the wire at Fig. 4, about 

 one inch from the end-bar. After the slack 

 is taken out and wiredrawn tight, make a 

 tight wrap around the tack; this holds it 

 until the latter is driven in. To give the 

 pincers a chance to make this last wrap, 

 the frame must be lifted an inch or so from 

 the board. 



Just how tight the wire can be drawn, 

 and how to manipulate the pincers when 

 winding the wire around the tack, can not 

 be explained on paper nor even in verbal 

 conversation. It requires some practical 

 experience. We have to break a few wires 

 before we get the idea. 



On paper this operation seems like a 

 lengthy job; but it does not take nearly as 

 long as it does to write it or read it. With 

 a little practice, and if done in a systemat- 

 ic way, a person can go over a stack of 

 frames in a hurry. 



La Salle, N. Y. 



[Whether of not you should draw 3'our 

 wires taut will depend on the weight or 

 heft of foundation used. Wax 8 or 9 sheets 

 to the pound will buckle in the drawing out 

 if the wires be drawn taut. Sheets 6 or 7 

 feet to the pound will draw out into good 

 combs as flat as a board, whether the wires 

 be drawn taut or not. But a tight wire 

 will not begin to stand the strain of one 

 drawn moderatelj' loose. The reason of 

 this is obvious. If it is stretched to half its 

 breaking strain, a little more strain will 

 break it, like a slam or bang in an extract- 

 or. If there is no strain on the wire, and 

 it is drawn tight enough to take out all the 

 slack, and a little more, it is easy to see 

 that it will stand a good deal more strain 

 than if it be drawn up more nearly to the 

 breaking-point. 



But there is another factor to be consid- 

 ered. The tighter the wires are drawn, 

 the heavier the foundation required. I be- 

 lieve it is possible for one to use a very light 

 grade of wax by using wires drawn to the 

 proper tension — not too taut. Foundation 8 

 or 9 feet to the pound is certainly cheaper 

 than 6 to 7 feet; and if looser-drawn wires 

 will stand a greater strain, and if j^ou get 

 as good comb with lighter foundation, you 

 are saving in your pocketbook and getting- 

 good and stronger comb. 



Some six or seven years ago I conducted 

 a series of experiments in this matter of 

 wiring and the degree of tension that could 

 be placed on the same. At first I drew mj"- 

 wires tight, and put in heavA' foundation, 

 or what we then called "medium brood." 

 All went well. Later on I used the same 

 tension of wiring, and used light brood. 

 Then the trouble began. The foundation 

 buckled or bulged in between the wires 

 slightlj' — not seriously, but enough to show 

 that I was getting somewhat of a corrugat- 

 ed-roof effect. Some one, I am not sure 

 who, said if I reduced the tension of the 

 wires so that they could sag a little bit with 

 the foundation, the combs would come out 

 true and nice, and they did. That person, 

 if I remember rightly, was Geo. E. Hilton, 

 of Fremont, Mich. If so, he can corrobo- 

 rate by his own experience the matter cov- 

 ering seme years before that time. We had 

 been using perpendicular wiring, and Mr. 

 Hilton took occasion to compliment me for 

 recommending horizontal wiring in opposi- 

 tion to the views of my respected father. 



All foundation, in proportion to its weight, 

 has a tendency to stretch a little in draw- 

 ing. The stretch is downward a very slight 

 amount. If the middle supports or the wires 

 will allow no sag, there is pretty sure to be 

 a wavj' appearance to drawn comb. 



It would be very interesting to know how 

 heavy j^our foundation was where the wires 

 were drawn up like fiddle-strings. I will 

 bet a cooky that it was medium brood; and 

 if so, I can readily understand how 3-ou 

 got nicely built-out combs. Try the exper- 

 iment again with light brood, on a warm 

 day, or in a strong- colony, and see what 

 you will get. — Ed.] 



