Inside the Big Hive ...

There are two independantly motorised wheels. Each one contains 5 scenes and rotates from scene to scene when a button is pushed.

Wheel 1 layouts:
The Workers' cycle

Each scene has a number of 'character' bees. The 'anonymous' bees are all pretty much identical. The construction of the bees is based on a body cut from heavy card with computer generated artwork, wings of stiff clear plastic with printed textrure, and legs and antenna of black electrical wire.

The wings are joined to the body with a small spring, and the body is fixed to the backing with another spring.

A sample scene (1 of 5) from the worker cycle wheel.

The backing in translucent yellow acrylic with a hex pattern. The disk containing the text is for example only.

Additional lighting comes from the viewers' point of view, supplied by 2 x 10w halogen lamps on a concealed dimmer, mounted inside the viewing tube and masked from the viewer.

CAD image of 'birth' scene [mid left]
Phote of the completed scene [low left]

Worker wheel Scene 2 - The Nursery

The cells are back lit and the upper cells are empty and attended by cleaner character bees wielding dustpans and brushes.

A larva can be seen in the lower cells where there are 2 nurse characters. One has a spoon and tray of Royal Jelly, the other has just a spoon.

The filler text replaced with: "Keeping the hive clean and feeding the babies is a job for young bees."

Worker wheel Scene 3 - Making Honey

This scene uses forced perspective to make the hive appear much deeper. The bees are carrying trays of pollen and an outside bee is half in the entrance to the hive, having just deposited its load.

The yellow objects on the floor are intended to represent piles of pollen. We could also have carafes or buckets of nectar being carried.

Filler text replaced with: "Old worker bees collect nectar and pollen from the flowers. Young bees then turn the nectar into honey."

CAD image of 'making honey' scene [up left]
Photo of the completed scene [low left]

Worker wheel Scene 4 - The Entrance

This scene uses forced perspective from inside the hive toward the entrance. Through the door can be seen a threatening wasp-like intruder.

The wasp is backlit through a sky blue filter and the hexagonal cells are applied to translucent yellow acrylic which is also backlit.

The filler replaced with: "Intruders like honey too but guard bees keep them outside. Bees fan the hive with their wings to keeep the hive cool."

Worker wheel Scene 5 - Gathering nectar

This scene should come as a suprise - different colours and a bright outdoor scene.

The back wall is translucent sky blue acrylic.

The filler text replaced with: "A Worker visits up to 1000 flowers each day. She produces 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime."

"Between scenes" space on the wheels.

Construction of yellow acrylic with computer cut letters.

Wheel 2 layouts:
The Queen's cycle

Queen wheel scene 1 - Mating

Scenes on this wheel are lit from the front and also from the left side.

Queen wheel scene 2 - Laying

The cells are lit from behind and those without caps have translucent backs and will contain an egg.

Queen wheel scene 3 - Feeding

The yellow hexes at left are translucent and lit from behind.

Queen wheel scene 4 - Washing

Queen wheel scene 5 - Scent



Other Honey Farm pages:
Overall design
Big hive design and mechanicals
Shelves and graphic panels
Game/donation box