Rick constructs tbh's with the sides cut as shown in this drawing:
The handles provide lifting for moving the hive, but perhaps more important they provide places where bars with drawn combs can be placed to work on them or hold them while other combs are being examined.
Rick also suggests that a piece of 1x3 inch wood about 12 feet long could be cut into pieces which would extend about 8 inches beyond the ends of hives that don't have handles. The pieces could be glued and screwed to the sides of the hive near the top, but leave enough room for any telescoping cover you may be using. He suggests that an additional piece be glued and screwed to the inside of each handle, and that the bottoms of this piece and the handle be rounded for comfortable lifting. With the piece glued to the inside of the handle, the space between the handles should now be the same as if the handles had been made as a part of the hive sides.
Woodworkers ( Rick's profession) certainly develop some wonderful ideas. Perhaps we'll be hearing more from him.
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