Being a beekeeper also often means you are frugal by nature and tend to make do, or find unusual items to fit a need rather than pay for manufactured item (and pay shipping) in order to save money. Having a table saw sure makes building your own brood boxes and supers real tempting. I build some, and I buy some, it just depends on whether I have the time available to build them. When I make them it is important and sometimes difficult to find decent straight #2 pine at the local lumber yards. Secondly, I have to buy enough lumber to make atleast 8 boxes in order to be cost effective.

Besides the typical deeps and mediums (or shallows if you use them) you can also make boxes for other purposes, like a feeding box for winter placed above the brood chamber or possibly even a fan box if you think the solar ventilators are effective.

**Pause for a word from the safety guy in me – table saws are dangerous even with all the guards in place. Please be careful.**

Regardless the purpose, I use a simple rabbit joint on the end boards – 3/4″ wide by 3/8″ deep on the sides, and 5/8″ wide x 3/8″ deep on top for the frame support. I have adjusted my width on the end boards and cut a 3/8×3/8 on all ends of all boards and glued and nailed but did not find that it offered any additional strength in the end. It also did not aid me in assembly in any way either. See the comparison picture below.

I use Titebond II waterproof glue, and coated, counter sunk, deck screws for assembly. After it is put together I tweak it as needed and check it with a square, and set it out of the way to dry.

For the boxes where I wanted a bottom installed, before assembly I cut a 5/16″ groove 3/8″ deep on all 4 boards, and cut a 1/4″ plywood insert to fit. After assembly 3 sides of the box, I slide the plywood in and secure the last side. I do not glue the insert as I want it to “float” for expansion/contraction reasons.

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