To help you build a British National hive (BNH), the following tables break down and provide instructions on how to cut and build the floor of the hive. The frames and other pieces of the British National require a number of tricky cuts, including dado and rabbet cuts.
Lumber in a store is identified by its nominal size, which is its rough dimension before it’s trimmed and sanded to its finished size at the lumber mill. The actual finished dimensions are always slightly different from the nominal dimensions. For example, what a lumberyard calls 1 inch x 8 inch lumber is in fact 3/4 inch x 7-1/4 inch, and 1 inch x 10 inch lumber is in fact 3/4 inch x 9-1/4 inch.
In the following table, each Material column lists nominal dimensions, and each Dimensions column lists the actual, final measurements.
| Quantity | Material | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1" x 10" cedar | 18-1/8" x 2" x 3/4" | These are the side rails. Dado 3/4" wide by 3/8" deep along the entire length of each side rail. Rabbet one end of each side rail 3/4" wide by 3/8" deep. Be sure to rabbet opposite ends. |
| 1 | 1" x 8" cedar | 17-3/8" x 2" x 3/4" | This is the rear rail. Dado 3/4" wide by 3/8" deep along the entire length. |
| 1 | 1" x 8" cedar | 16-5/8" x 7/8" x 3/4" | This is the entrance reducer. Cut one notch centered on one side of the entrance reducer (3/8" deep by 4" wide). |
| 1 | 3/4" exterior plywood | 17-3/8" x 17-3/4" x 3/4" | This is the actual “floor.” |
![[Credit: Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design]](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6634a8f8dd9b2a63c9e6be83/669d65f996cbfeacbf7b4e80_356557.image0.jpeg)
