Hi Robin > To simplify carpentry, why are TBH top bars not simply square timber, > rotated 45 degrees to make a corner hang down, trimmed half thru at the > ends to sit flat on the hive sides? The carpentry may be simpler, but the work involved in cleaning up brace comb increases and has to be repeated every time you enter the hive. A conventional bee hive frame requires 43 'cuts' or machine operations to manufacture it's parts, if any simpler way was effective, it would have won through by now. Regards & Best 73s, Dave Cushman, G8MZY http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman or http://www.dave-cushman.net Short FallBack M/c, Build 6.02/3.1 (stable) -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---