,5 
novice’s ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
FIG. 1. 
A,B,C and D,E, P are each sheets of tin 
cut off to 16% inches allowing 6 inches 
from center to first cornor, and 2 
inches each for spaces at A, C, P and D, 
and % inch turned at right angles to hold 
the wire cloth or metal bars represented 
by the dotted lines. G and II are strips 
14 inches long (same as width of sheets 
A, B, C and D. E. F,) and % inch broad, 
bent lengthwiso so as to form grooved 
pieces that, when soldered in place, hold 
the two largo sheets in place and leave 
room to drive a % 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, % inch diameter, one 
0 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 34 inch broad longthwise 
from one of the sheets, and, with a tin- 
smith’s folder, fold them longthwise, 
leaving the two edges abont % inch apart. 
With a pair of plvers bend the following 
figure from these strips, soldering on a 
piece as you bend them up, and havo all 
the spaces exactly one inch, and rods 
just ten inches long. 
M l-t 
I 
I 
When you have completed two of these, 
having sixteen spaces, they are to be put 
across from A to C and from 1) to I 1 ', 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 littlo close to 
each other the bars will stay in place in 
the corners A, C, D, P against the % inch 
edge while being soldered, which may bo 
done very rapidly, for fastening the inch 
pieces that connect the bars makes all 
strong. Now cut four pieces lj^xlo 
inches with a narrow fold on one edge. 
These are to connect A, D, and C, P, at 
both top and bottom and should come 
above the wings enough to be level with 
upper bars A, C, and D. P. 
Now our lrame is ten inches square and 
is all dono 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 leavo 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 oulor 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 to 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, P, 
may be bent nicely with the broad blade 
of a carpenter’s square, after turning the 
K-ioch 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 5 45 
Nine inches Stubbs’ steel 25 
One half day’s work 1 01) 
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 
K-inch rod put in the top ; and bottom 
made of one sheet and part of another. 
This gives us depth of about 10 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 bont in- 
ward until they will clasp the pivot, 
leaving the three corners open enough to 
