Materials and tools required

I'll be making the hive from mostly from 18mm (approx 3/4 inch) plywood. You could use 12mm (1/2 inch) plywood instead, but you'll have to alter some of the dimensions. I went with 18mm thick because it is widely available, strong, and relatively cheap to buy in 2.4m x 1.2m (8 foot x 4 foot) sheets.

Before I start the actual construction details I just want to quickly go through the tools I'll be using. First of all handtools. Nothing unusual here, pretty basic kit:

• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Carpenter's Square
• Saw
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Sanding Block

Now the power tools. This is where it gets a bit more complicated (and expensive!). The absolute essentials are an electric drill (corded or cordless, which may also double up as a screw driver), and a hand held circular saw (in theory you could get by with a hand saw, but you would quickly get fed up sawing strips of plywood).

The metal guide (called a rip fence) is used to cut strips of wood to the required width. If the rip fence does not extend out far enough to cut the width you need, you can remove it and clamp (or temporarily nail) a straight edged piece of wood to the sheet of plywood to act as a guide.

If you've never used one of these saws before, please BE CAREFUL. I can't be held responsible for severed fingers! Always work on a sturdy table or work bench and clamp your work so it doesn't move when you are cutting.

It is REALLY uiseful to have a mitre saw as well as it helps keep all the cross cuts square and saves a lot of arm ache! Personally I'm pretty hopeless when it comes to making a square cut with a hand saw. You could of course use the hand held circular saw to do the cross cuts, but it is easier and quicker with a mitre saw.

These saws are quite expensive, and you'll need some kind of workbench to permanently mount it on, but if like me you like working with wood and building beehives (or chicken coops...) you will find it very useful, and you'll wonder how you ever managed without one. If you do buy one, go for the best quality you can afford, and one that will cut the widest section possible.