DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner: 25 Ways to Build a Self-Reliant Lifestyle (34 page)

3 Secure the two insert panels
upside down on a flat worksurface and use them to register the side panels so you can trace the panel locations onto the end panels. Center the end panels against the ends of the side panels, making sure the overhang is equal on each side. Outline the side panel locations, remove the end panels, and drill pilot holes in the outlined area.

4 Attach the end panels
to the side panels with glue and 2-1/2" deck screws driven through the pilot holes in the end panels.

5 Cut the parts for the frame
that fits around the top of the hive box and fasten them with glue and 1-1/4" deck screws. The top of the frame should be slightly more than 3/4" above the tops of the side panels to provide clearance for the top bars, which will rest on the side panel edges.

6 Attach the legs.
First, cut 36"-long legs from 1 × 4 stock and place them over the box ends as shown in the diagram on
page 127
. Mark cutting lines where the leg tops intersect with the bottom of the frame. If your hive will be on grass or dirt, leave the bottom ends uncut to create a point that will help stabilize the hive. If your hive will be on a hard surface, cut the ends so they are parallel to the tops and will rest flush on the ground. Attach the legs with two or three 3/8 × 2" galvanized lag bolts fitted with washers and nuts.

7 Drill entrance holes
and attach the box bottom. On one side panel, drill three 1"-dia. bee entrance holes 2" up from the bottom of the hive. One hole should be centered end to end and the others located 3" away from the center. On the other side, drill a 1"-dia. hole 2" up from the bottom of the hive and 5" from each end. Attach a steel or plastic mesh bottom with roofing nails or narrow crown staples.

8 Make and install the lid.
You can design just about any type of covering you like. Here, a frame with a gable peak is made from cedar stock and then capped with beveled-lap siding (also cedar). The overlap area where the siding fits along the peak ridge should be sealed with clear exterior caulk. Add the inserts and top bars and then fit the lid frame around the box top frame.

When NASA scientists of the 1950s needed a revolutionary
source of power for their spacecraft, they had to look and think beyond the earth. Their challenge was monumental, yet their solution poetically simple: They would find a way to tap into the most abundant, most accessible, and most reliable source of energy in the universe—the sun.

Made with lightweight materials
and highly durable materials, today’s low-profile solar panels are ideal for discreet rooftop installation.

Producing your own electricity with photovoltaics, or PV, is certainly one of the most exciting and rewarding ways of going green. And in addition to electrical power, homeowners everywhere are using the sun to heat water for their showers, heating systems, and even swimming pools. The economic benefits can be significant, and when you consider that supplying the average home with conventional power creates over three tons of carbon emissions each year (over twice that of the average car), the environmental benefits of pollution-free solar energy are nothing to squint at.

This chapter introduces you to the most popular solar options for supplementing your existing systems or even declaring energy independence by taking your home “off the grid.” As solar technology continues its journey from the space program to suburban rooftops and beyond, anyone serious about climbing aboard will find a vibrant new marketplace that’s more than ready to help.

New solar products
have made it easier to be green in urban locations. Here, slim solar panels are secured to a homeowner’s balcony in the city.