As you're handy with a table saw, I suggest you cope with beekeeper's back by thinking laterally.  There are 2 possible methods that spring to mind although there may be others.

1. Try top bar hives. Usually they aren't as productive as the stacking box type, but this year, with very unusual weather, my TBHs have been doing better than conventional ones. The advantage is that you can arrange each hive so that the bars are at navel height, or whatever suits you, and that you need to lift only one bar at a time.  I'm not keen on the plywood trapezoidal type, much preferring my own design of a hemi-cylinder, the top bar forming the diameter.  The top bar is the same length as in conventional hives so that it is easy to take a nucleus for example.

2. Turn your deep boxes on their sides. Cut matching holes top and bottom so bees can go up and down. You'll need to blank off what it now the bottom and will become the rear of the boxes and provide 'cupboard doors' for the front of each box. Again you need only take out one frame at a time, this time horizontally.  I have seen this sort of arrangement in a bee-house in Slovenia and there is a photo in 'Getting the Best from Your Bees'.

Chris

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