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The Halfcomb cassette was designed to be used in the classic standard 4 3/4" comb honey super (for basswood sections).
A specialized conversion kit was designed to support, position and provide bee space and ventilation in the 4 3/4" super. We do not make or sell either of these components of the Halfcomb super. The 4 3/4" super shell is commercially available; the conversion kit can be purchased (ask your distributor) or made on the bench, or have made, according to the specifications (See Halfcomb Super).
Simplified Super Conversion
However, for the “do-it-yourselfer” especially, a different corner support can be fashioned on all four bottom corners of the super which provides sturdy and precise positioning in a foolproof manner while allowing the followers to be of simplified design.
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Fig. 6: Simplified Halfcomb Super (Bottom View)
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Then new corner supports on all four bottom corners are fashioned in-place using 2 3/4" squares of sheet metal (10 ml or less) as follows:
(Note: any sheet metal, including aluminum or flattened metal food cans can be used)
a.)Position the metal squares (1) on the super bottom corner and nail solidly with 6d sinker nails. Pierce
the metal with a larger nail if needed. Hammer flat as required. It is the solidarity of the 6d nails, not the metal rigidity, that provides solid support.
b.)Bend the inside corner down along a straight line from wood to wood using pliers.
c.)Hand-fold the inside corner under and crimp the metal fold with pliers to about 3/32", which elevates the cassettes and followers to provide correct super bottom spacing.
With these new metal supports on all four corners, it is not necessary to nail any of the followers in place
inside the super; they are free standing to be put in place each time a super is loaded. However, instead, the five (5) 3/8" spacers are nailed, either to the super wall or the follower.
The procedure for loading the super is unchanged. The only difference is that the former fixed followers
are now free standing (unattached) and of simpler design.
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