Hi Allen & all

> 5.7mm is *much* bigger than any US comb I have heard about,
> but is a size made by Thorne to this day AFAIK.
>  I wonder if Thorne made a conversion error.

The 5.7 mm foundation was originally made as 'honey storage' size cells
using an extra set of rollers. Worker sized foundation was also made and as
far as I know it was 5.3 mm.

I have been told, by a 'saw doctor' that the worker sized rollers were
damaged due to a wide bandsaw blade falling in the machine. The Saw Doctor
remembered the occasion quite vividly and showed me some scars on the back
of his legs caused by the freshly cut teeth of the blade as it fell.

The adoption of the 5.7 mm size for worker foundation was mainly due to the
influence (read 'pressure from') a friend of  mine, Beowulf Cooper, who was
pursuing large sized bees by using a 5.9 mm sized foundation.


Best Regards & 73s, Dave Cushman... G8MZY
Beekeeping & Bee Breeding Website
Email: [log in to unmask] or  [log in to unmask]
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman & http://www.dave-cushman.net

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