British Standard Frame & Frame Part Designations
This list covers most possibilities.
| FRAME TYPES |
|---|
| Pattern | Topbar | Sidebars | Bottombars | Notes |
|---|
| DN/1 | T1 | S1 | B1 | Not self spacing |
|---|
| DN/2 | T2 | S1 | B1 | Not self spacing |
|---|
| DN/2a | T2 | S1a | B2 | Equal width all round |
|---|
| DN/3 | T3 | S1 | B1 | Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack |
|---|
| DN/4 | T1 | S2 | B1 |
|---|
| DN/5 | T2 | S2 | B1 | Recommended for brood use |
|---|
| DN/6 | T3 | S2 | B1 | Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack |
|---|
| SN/1 | T1 | S3 | B1 | Not self spacing, recommended for honey storage using castellated spacers |
|---|
| SN/2 | T2 | S3 | B1 | Not self spacing |
|---|
| SN/2a | T2 | S3a | B2 | Equal width all round, Results in less brace comb |
|---|
| SN/3 | T3 | S3 | B1 | Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack |
|---|
| SN/4 | T1 | S4 | B1 | Recommended for honey storage |
|---|
| SN/5 | T2 | S4 | B1 |
|---|
| SN/6 | T3 | S4 | B1 | Not self spacing, Suffers badly from wax moth attack |
|---|
| SN/7 | T2 | S5 | B2 | Tendency for heavy propolisation on edges |
|---|
| FRAME PARTS |
|---|
| Pattern | Length | Width | Thickness | Notes |
|---|
| T1 | 432 | 22 | 18 | Wedge construction |
|---|
| T2 | 432 | 28 | 18 | Recommended for brood use, Wedge construction |
|---|
| T3 | 432 | 22 | 9 | Not recommended |
|---|
| S1 | 216 | 22 | 9 |
|---|
| S1a | 216 | 28 | 9 | Results in less brace comb |
|---|
| S2 | 216 | * | 9 | * 35, 36.5 or 38 mm widths, Hoffman style |
|---|
| S3 | 140 | 22 | 9 |
|---|
| S3a | 140 | 28 | 9 |
|---|
| S4 | 140 | * | 9 | * 35, 36.5 or 38 mm widths, Hoffman style |
|---|
| S5 | 140 | 42 | 9 | Manley type |
|---|
| B1 | 356 | 8 | 6 |
|---|
| B2 | 356 | 8 | 12.5 | Recommended for brood use |
|---|
| | | |
|---|
All Dimensions in mm, lower portions of Hoffman framesides
28 mm width.
All sidebars centrally grooved 3 mm wide x 3 mm deep to
accept foundation.
My personal preference... for brood T2, S2(35), B2... for
super either SN/1 (with castellated spacers) or SN/4(35) self spacing
(which will still fit 11's castellations if required). I also use
SN5(38) (not because of any particular benefit but due to
availability of parts). Also some of my SN/1 frames have 28 mm wide
S1a sides.
For drone production I use T2, S2(38), B2.
I used to manufacture (at APEX Enterprises) A topbar
similar to T3 type, but 28 mm wide, grooved hardwood (this was designated type
T2B in APEX lists) it did not suffer from waxmoth attack and is a
good alternative to the T3 type giving maximum brood area. I have
used this type of bar (without other frame parts) for cut comb
production using supers (ekes) of only 75 mm height.
I also used to manufacture various types to special order...One that
was made in large quantities was similar to the T1 topbar but 15
mm depth with a 3 mm x 3 mm central groove instead of "wedge"
construction. These were used, by many other beekeepers, for cut comb
production using starter strips of foundation fixed into the groove
by melted beeswax.
future drawing
Revised... 07 November 2001
