Comb Board Gantt

Welcome to the Comb Board Gantt

Basic Idea:

Visually organize your hive conditions, treatments, harvesting, and more! Track observations, actions, and/or plan maintenance months in advance. This ecosystem is modular and expandable, and I also hope to publish the CAD source files sometime in the future!

Note: Although this product is not intended to live near a bee-hive (ideally in you bee-keeping command center), the nature of the Comb Board Gantt is simplicity, and as such it is compatible with any bee-hive's and bee-keeper's setup! Feel free to deploy it anywhere that best fits your needs!

Instructions:

1. Choose a Setup level and print the files.

2. Assemble them in rows to make a Gantt Calendar

3. Use a sharpie to number of the weeks of the Year across the top of the panels, then write attributes down the side of the panels. 

4. Obtain your choice of color-coded pins and start tracking your bee-hive conditions over the coming weeks!

5. Expand the Gannt Calendar by starting a new row of panels per bee-hive or use the expansion panels. There is no one set solution, so build your Comb Board Gantt out the way that best fits you and your bees!

Bill of Materials:

• Foam board scrap ~ 30x16 inches

• Decorative materials (if desired)

• Comb Board Gantt parts and accessories

• Handful 3/4" pins with 3/8" head (or whatever you have laying around that fits the description)

  • I found that Roofing Nails (3/4" or 1-1/4" shaft length) work best being cheap and readily available

• Paint - Acrylic or aerosol - minimum three colors (I used blue, yellow, and red Acrylic)

Setup 1 - Basic:

Print a single panel per hive and track overall hive condition over 52 weeks, placing one nail per cell per week.

Print only the Comb Board - Header.step

Setup 2 - Normal:

Boards are split into 4 quarters of the year (13 weeks). You will need four panels for a complete year to track four attributes per hive colony. I suggest tracking Queen Status, Hive Condition, Treatments, and Maintenance with the following Legend.

Print the following:

• Comb Board - Header.step, 

• Comb Board - Expansion 1,

• Comb Board - Expansion 2 & 3 (optional)

*Matching Comb Board Legend coming soon!

Setup 3 - Advanced:

Define your own rules and method for organization!

Print the following:

• Comb Board - Header.step, 

• Comb Board - Expansion 1,

• Comb Board - Expansion 2 & 3

• Any Remixes, remakes, accessories you make!

• Start a new Gantt for another hive, or utilize even more expansion cards!

Instructions for Printing:

1. Print the files with these minimum settings:

• 10% adaptive cubic infill

• 2 perimeters is sufficient

• 0.4mm max layer height

• Enable and auto generate supports (minimal required)

Instructions for making your Comb Board Gantt:

1. Obtain a sheet of foam roughly 30in x 16in and cover and/or decorate with your desired style (I used an old tee-shirt over a scrap of 2" insulation board).

2. Obtain a box of roofing nails or similar sized pins and apply colored paint (Blue, Yellow, Red is a good starting point).

3. Print the parts

4. Use the nails or pins to secure the Comb to the board and begin planning and tracking your hive adventures!

Happy Printing and Beekeeping!