Cut List for a Double-Screened Inner Cover

Building Beehives For Dummies

To build a double-screened inner cover for a bee hive, first break it down into its individual components The following tables provide instructions on how to cut the individual components for each type of double-screened inner cover: the ten-frame Langstroth hive, the eight-frame Langstroth hive, the nuc hive, and the British National hive.

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 5/4 inch by 3 inch lumber is in fact 1-1/8 inch by 2-1/2 inch.

In the following tables, each Material column lists nominal dimensions, and each Dimensions column lists the actual, final measurements.

Double-Screened Inner Cover for the Ten-Frame Langstroth Hive
Quantity	Material	Dimensions	Notes
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	19-7/8" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the long rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 2-1/4" x 1" notch at both ends of the long rails.
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	13-3/4" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the short rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 3" x 1-1/4" x 3/8" entrance notch centered along the edge of one of the short rails. This is most easily done with a chisel or a router if you have one.
2	#8 hardware cloth	17-1/4" x 13-1/2"	This is the screened top and bottom.

Credit: Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design

Double-Screened Inner Cover for the Eight-Frame Langstroth Hive
Quantity	Material	Dimensions	Notes
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	19-7/8" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the long rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 2-1/4" x 1" notch at both ends of the long rails.
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	11-1/4" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the short rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 3" x 1-1/4" x 3/8" entrance notch centered along the edge of one of the short rails. This is most easily done with a chisel or a router if you have one.
2	#8 hardware cloth	11" x 17-1/4"	This is the screened top and bottom.

Double-Screened Inner Cover for the Nuc Hive
Quantity	Material	Dimensions	Notes
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	19-7/8" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the long rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 2-1/4" x 1" notch at both ends of the long rails.
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	6-1/2" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the short rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 3" x 1-1/4" x 3/8" entrance notch centered along the edge of one of the short rails. This is most easily done with a chisel or a router if you have one.
2	#8 hardware cloth	6-1/4" x 17-1/4"	This is the screened top and bottom.

Double-Screened Inner Cover for the British National Hive
Quantity	Material	Dimensions	Notes
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	18-1/8" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the long rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 2-1/4" x 1" notch at both ends of the long rails.
2	5/4" x 3" clear pine	15-5/8" x 2-1/4" x 1-1/8"	These are the short rails. Rabbet both sides of the inside edge 1" wide by 1/8" deep. This cut will accommodate the thickness of the hardware cloth. Cut a 3" x 1-1/4" x 3/8" entrance notch centered along the edge of one of the short rails. This is most easily done with a chisel or a router if you have one.
2	#8 hardware cloth	15-1/2" x 15-1/2"	This is the screened top and bottom.

About This Article

About the book author:

Howland Blackiston has been keeping bees for almost 40 years. He has appeared as an expert on CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Discovery Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio, and other broadcast outlets, and has written numerous articles on beekeeping. Howland has been a keynote speaker at conferences in more than 40 countries.