> maybe there are other
> reasons not to use rough boards for hives but not the one you mention above. Especially
> if Jim thinks he would have to spend the extra money to have the boards planed for him to
> be able to use the wood.
 
Well, resale is a factor.  I bought a bunch of hobbyist-made outfits
when I was building up and although every one seemed to think he had
a better way, they all wasted good material by not sticking to
standard dimensions and practice.  Most of it has been burnt by now.
None of it fit with the other stuff.
 
Bees will accept anything, but for efficient use, standards and
consistency are very valuable -- for the sake of the people who have
to use the equipment.
 
Boxes, just the way the factories make them, last 50 years or more if
you take care of them (maybe less in some areas where damp is a
problem), so usually lasting is not a big problem.
 
If you want to make the boxes out of rough lumber -- strictly for
yourself, by all means go ahead, but know your work will be likely
thrown away when it eventually goes into someone else's hands.
 
In my experience anyhow.
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0
Internet:[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, & Art <http://www.internode.net/~allend/>