[blueblood]

Hi guys/gals, just returned from the Home Depot and wanted to share a couple of things that may help someone in the future. My goal was to pick up a sheet of 1/2" plywood for the nuc box plans and to take another look for an affordable flashing for telescoping lids. I plan on making them again if I can find a cheap weather cover. Here it goes:

1. 15/32 is all your gonna find in plywood at Home Depot or at Lowes and it's just gonna have to do. I will adjust for the 1/32" difference. The industry as I understand it, saves a ton of money making the 15/32 plywood versus the cost involved in shaving that 1/32" off.

2. As for flashing, I found this to be quite humorous but a shame. Although it worked out fine for me in the end. Home Depot sales 1' x 2' aluminum sheets near lumber on an end cap with other metal sheets, decorative sheets etc. for $10.98/sheet. This is not enough material anyway. Now, if you walk to the inside edge of the store in the roofing materials, you will find aluminum flashing in rolls of 20" x 10 feet on a bottom shelf for only $12.98 (just 2 more dollars!). I can cover just about 5 telescoping lids for that which helps place the lid under the price of ordering one now. It pays to look around a little bit before you buy. I have seen this in stores so often.

Hope this helps someone....Dave

 

[PerryBee]

Good tip, that's how we can all save a little $$$$.

 

[Iddee]

They also have it in 25 and 50 ft. rolls. Even cheaper, per foot.

I have bought it at Lowes in 24 in. X 50 Ft. With it, you only have to cut the with for the 5, 8, or 10 frame box. The 24 in. is correct for all three boxes.

 

[blueblood]

Cool...I will have to check Lowes for the next roll. Depot only had the 20" in 10 and 25 foot. My plans for the lid are 18-1/4" x 22" which will leave a good overlap. I am still too cheap to by a hand brake to bend the edges down. I just use a hammer and a 2x4 or other edge. Maybe I will have to ask for one to be placed in my stocking this year...

I have said it already, but I absolutely love those plywood nuc plans. I had the sheet cut in half horizontally leaving me with two 4x4 sections..which worked out just fine for the plans. I did notice there was only 1-13/16 left at the bottom of the sheet when I was finished cutting all the top pieces. The plans call for the cleats to be 1-7/8." Most likely due to kerf. I doubt a 16th will cause any issue, but I cut some cleats as specified out of the other scraps left over. I spent about 15-20 minutes cutting the pieces and It will probably only take me an hour to glue and brad nail together minus painting time. They are great!

 

[PerryBee]

I remembered seeing this (a long time ago on another forum ) and thought it was cool. Hope it's OK to post it here.
(credit to David LaFerney)

 

[Zulu]

Perry that is cool

 

[Zulu]

Perry that is cool

1/2" does exist , just not at big box stores, The 15/32 works just fine, don even have to make any adjustments, just cut to std plans

 

[blueblood]

That's a cool idea Perry! Thanks for sharing that.

Zulu, I discovered I didn't have to adjust like you said. That 32nd difference can occur anyway depending on how thick my pencil line is and where I cut on it. So, I didn't sweat it..

 

[PerryBee]

32nd of an inch? :shock:
Depending on how thick my pencil line is? :shock:
Are we talking bee boxes here or a piano? :lol: You guys are goooooooooooood! :thumbsup:

 

[blueblood]

Perry...ha! I'm weird about that stuff but my wife would tell ya I'm careless with other things...like stacking my dirty clothes 5 feet from the hamper..hehe! I kid ya not, I sharpened my carpenters pencil 3 times while cutting those nucs...and, I am very clear that the bees could care less :wink:.

 

[Zulu]

As I tell people when building some things, ......you ain't building furniture.....


But on the lathe, I work to thou's at times, so can be accurate when needed.

 

[G3farms]

Pencil line width, now that brings back a memory of my Daddy teaching me how to cut the line in half with a hand saw. An old carpenters trick to win a bet. My Grand Daddy was a union carpenter that finished out the insides of ships at one time.

 

[Marbees]

:goodpost:

 

[bamabww]

Perry, those photos are very helpful, thanks so much.

 

[ablanton]

I remembered seeing this (a long time ago on another forum ) and thought it was cool. Hope it's OK to post it here.
(credit to David LaFerney)

You have no idea how much easier you just made my life!

 

[reidi_tim]

As I tell people when building some things, ......you ain't building furniture.....


But on the lathe, I work to thou's at times, so can be accurate when needed.

I will have to side with Dave on this one because I'm so OCD with woodworking:twisted:. We bought a cnc router 2 years ago and never made the last payment because they where not able to keep the machine within my tolerance +,- .25mm. alot to ask from a wood working machine but hey don't tell me it can do something and not make it do it.

 

[blueblood]

Ha! .25mm...now that is ocd...hehe...Thanks for your support sir!

 

[Bens-Bees]

1. 15/32 is all your gonna find in plywood at Home Depot or at Lowes and it's just gonna have to do. I will adjust for the 1/32" difference. The industry as I understand it, saves a ton of money making the 15/32 plywood versus the cost involved in shaving that 1/32" off.

Dave,

1/2" would be 16/32, so if they are selling 15/32 they are 1/32 thinner than 1/2" already so if you make adjustments to the plans you would want to go 1/32" smaller rather than larger since 1/32" larger would put you 1/16" off with the differences between the two adding up.

 

[blueblood]

Ha! I knew that didn't make sense how I described that...I meant to explain how some plywood is sanded or not and how that 1/32" is the difference between the two..Either way, the difference is so "nominal" I did not even notice any problems, gaps or anything else when I put them together...

 

[BoilerJim]

Perry, I use the same method of bending my metal tops. Like you, I saw it on another thread and it is really cool (and cheap - like ME) to use. :thumbsup: