After making a second Bat House, I got a 16 ft., 4x4 treated
post and placed this one so that it overlooked my driveway and parking
area. After attaching the Bat House and
setting the post, I thought I was finished.
I went in the house, sat down in my recliner, and turned on the TV. From this chair I have a window just to the
right of the TV that I can see the trees outside and watch for squirrels. When I looked out this time I was surprised
to see that I had set this new post about 10 feet from the house but it was right
in the middle of the window, and would obstruct my vision of the trees. I was very disappointed, but not about to go
back out and move the post. So I did
what some call "when life gives you lemons, just go make lemon
aid". In this case I pondered
"what can I do to change this, because I hate where I placed that
post". After much thought I decided
to mount a 1/2 in. dowel on the post so birds might land there and I would be
able to observe their beauty. Well that
lasted about 2 weeks and finally I realized that the birds were not going to
just flock to the roosting position without some type of incentive.
The best incentive would definitely be food. So I decided to place a bird feeder on the
post. My younger daughter had been in a
summer workshop and as a project, they made bird feeders. I love the design and decided to use it as a
model. The only problem with the one she
made was that it had a wooden piece that you would turn to the side to fill the
seed. After many years that 2 in. square
piece of wood fell off and needed repair.
I also noticed that the wooden roof of that feeder was deteriorating
from winter, summer, rain, and sun. So I
got out my aluminum roof flanging and made a top for the feeder with a sliding
piece to allow the filling with seed.
This
is what I wanted to copy for my new bird feeder, with some adjustments. I wanted a larger capacity so I made it a bit
wider. I wanted a longer life, so I used
barn cypress and a fully fitted metal top.
So after I took all the measurements of length, width, and angles, I
started my new feeder.
The
first thing I did was to make a template for the sides with notes on it for
angles, holes to drill, size, and other helpful information.
Then
I started on the bottom by cutting a piece
6 1/2" x 8". Next I
wanted the lip around this bottom to be about 1" tall and only 1/2" thick,
so I cut enough stock to make these pieces.
I wanted the birds to be able to grip the top of this lip as they would
a rounded branch, so I needed to round over the top. To do this I made a jig for my band saw.
I
took a piece of 2x4 to my table saw, tilted the blade to a 45 degree, adjusted the height, and made
the first cut close to one edge. Then I
turned the piece around and adjusted the fence so as to complete the second cut
and make the "V" that I wanted.
Next I used my band saw to cut out a rectangular opening where the blade
will be positioned. Now I clamped that
to my band saw and positioned it so I could chamfer the corner edge on both
sides of the top of the lip pieces.
Next
I took those pieces to my bench top belt sander to round over the top.
Now
I was ready to cut the ends to length with 45 degrees and glue them into
place.
All
glue used on this project is Gorilla Glue.
It is a polyurethane glue and will not deteriorate from rain water.
Next
I cut the sides. Each must be 5
1/2" wide and 8" tall, with the slope for the roof at 25
degrees. After I ensured that the two
were precisely the same dimensions, I set the miter gage for the table saw for
12 1/2 degrees.
I flipped the side around
and aligned the corner with the blade again to make the cut for the other groove. The same process applies for cutting the two
grooves in the other side.
Now
the grooves are ready to accept the plastic rectangles and the sides are ready
to attach to the bottom.
I
carefully centered the sides on the 8" length of the bottom so that they are only 6 1/2" apart and marked the position, then glued the sides to
the bottom.
Once
the glue had set for about an hour, I used my countersink drill bit and
predrilled holes for 2 - 2" decking screws on each side.
Next
I cut two pieces of plastic 6 7/8"x 5 1/4" on my table saw. These will slide down in the grooves on the
inside of the sides. Making sure that
they will fit and not bind in the grooves, I placed one in and marked where the
bottom of that plastic piece made contact with the top of the lip.
Then
I took my mallet and a 1/2" chisel and notched the lip until the plastic
would slide down low enough that the top was even with the top of the side
where the groove held that piece of plastic. I noticed that there was an opportunity for the seed to accumulate
in the trench created by the rounded lip and the side piece, so I used the chisel to
remove the wood between the two notches for the plastic.
This
I made into a slope of about 30 degrees so the seed would track away from the
side as the level dropped down and the feeder became empty of seed.
Then
I placed a piece of wood on the top just to ensure that the top of the plastic
would not be in conflict with the roof.
Now before I put the top on the feeder I must complete a few 'get ready'
things. From a wire coat hanger I cut
two 10" sections that will be installed for the hanging harness.
Each
of these have an end that will prevent them from pulling through. I used my needle nose pliers and after
gripping the wire perpendicular to the pliers, I wrapped the wire around the
pliers so as to make a full circle. Then
I bent the wire perpendicular to that circle.
These
wire pieces will go through holes near the peak of the roof and must be
installed before the roof goes on the feeder.
Now
I can cut the two pieces of 1/2" plywood for the roof. These are 10" x 7" each. The 10" run from side to side. One of these will have the fill hole for
seed.
This
hole will be 1 1/4" x 1 1/4", centered from side to side and 1"
from the top. I drilled a 1/4" hole
and used my Jig Saw to cut the square.
After
I cut the square out, I realized that I needed to match this position in the
metal top, so I added this to my template as a guide for later.
Also
I had to tilt my table saw blade about 32 degrees to trim the top edge of the
roof. This will make the two sides have
the correct angle and prevent a gap across the top ridge.
Now
I put glue on the top of the sides and attached the roof with two 1 5/8"
decking screws. Be sure to dry fit the
roof pieces so that the ridge will be in the best alignment. I also bent the two wires slightly just to
prevent them from sliding back into the interior of the feeder.
I
used a piece of aluminum roof flanging 20" wide to cut the piece for my
top cover. This piece should have a
1" extra boarder to allow the bending which is how it is attached to the
feeder. Final measure for my feeder was 16"
long and 12" wide. Using my awl, I
marked lines 1" from the edge on all 4 edges.
Next
on one of the 16" sides, I cut the corners with a tab to fold inside when
the metal in fitted to the top. Be sure
that the tab is hinged on the 12" side.
This will make the tab fold so that it lays against the longer side and
this will prevent the tab from causing you problems when you slide the feeder
in and out of the folded sides while fitting and bending.
Now
I can make 90 degree bends on one
12" side and the 16" side with the corners cut. This will look like the start of a pan when
it is finished. Place the feeder, upside
down, into this pan and snug it to the corner with the two raised edges. Now carefully tilt the feeder onto the other
area and ensure that the line is accurate for the folding of the other edge on
that side. It could be slightly over or
under the original 1" mark and should be adjusted as needed so the top
will fit as snuggly as possible. I also
marked the point at each end of the ridge so I know where to cut and bend for
the ridge. Next I remove the feeder and
bend a 90 degree on the opposite 12" side.
I
made an angled cut at the ridge mark so that when I bend the ridge, the edge
will not cause problems.
I
used a 1/2" piece of plywood to position in the corner so I could complete
the second 90 degree bend on the part of the metal that wraps under the
roof. This I did on one of the 12"
sides and half of the 16" side.
When this was completed,
I
once again placed the feeder upside down into the metal and checked the fit, as
well as the markings for the ridge. I
removed the feeder and made the bend of about 50 degrees on the ridge
line. Now I placed the metal back on the
feeder and checked the fit. At this
time, before the top is fully attached, I need to cut the square into the metal
that will match the filler hole in the wood roof.
This
is when the template really helps.
After
I mark the square, I use my DREMEL tool with a cutting disk.
Once
I am satisfied with the metal and the fit, I am ready to complete the bending
for the rest of the edges. I placed the
feeder in the metal upside down and worked around the other edges bending and
tapping with my 90 degree edger (same one I used for the roof on the Bat
Houses) and my mallet. Also cutting the
corners, ridge mark, and insuring a tight fit.
I
cut 1/2" slits on each side of the filler square, and then I cut a piece
of metal 2 1/4" by 4". This
will be the slide that covers the filler hole.
Once it is cut,
I
round two of the corners, and I used some wide mouth wielding pliers to fold
the top over about 3/8" onto itself twice as a handle.
Next
I position the slide where it will be located and insure its position. Then I marked the ridge at both sides of the
slide
for the slot that will allow the slide to be
inserted. This cut is made with my
DREMEL tool. Be sure that you favor the
other side of the ridge for this slot.
Now
the slide can be inserted into the slot and eased down until it makes contact
with the two slots. If the slide is
difficult to mate with the slots, then you might use the wide mouth pliers and
just very slightly bend the bottom of the slide upward.
Here
you see the slide in harmony with the intended positioning.
At
this point the feeder is finished, but I had to make it ready to be joined with
the 4 x 4 post. I cut two pieces of
treated wood 3/4" x 1 1/2" about 12" long. I used a piece of 4 x 4 post to mark where to
drill 1/2" holes 1/4" deep.
Then I cut two pieces of 1/2" dowel rod about 4" long and two
pieces of 1/2" PVC pipe 3 3/16" long.
I
drilled through the ends of the 12" long pieces with a 5/32" bit and into
the ends of the dowels, so I could put a 1" pan head screw with a small
washer that will secure the ends of that assembly on both sides of the outer
dowel.
Next
I positioned the assembly to the bottom of the feeder to be sure that it is
square and centered, and predrilled the holes for some 2" deck screws.
Now
I must make a hanging assembly by first curling the ends of the wires that
extend from the sides of the feeder,
and
then attaching another wire curled in the middle and hooked on each end.
I
predrilled and screwed a 3/8" hook into the post. Then I found an old pulley and a long piece
of 1/4" rope. Once I attached and
secured the feeder to the post, I needed to adjust the hanging device in order
that the feeder would rest in a good horizontal position.
This
required me to adjust the side closest to the post to be shorter than the other
side.
I
cut two pieces of 1" x 1" stock.
One was 6" and the other was 8". This gave me a place to tie the other end of
the rope and a take-up reel for when the feeder is raised to the maximum
height.
As
a last minute effort I made a 16" length from 1" x 1" stock and
rounded the outer ends as a dowel for a perch stick for the birds. This I mounted under the bottom of the
feeder.
Now
the bats and the birds will share the same post. Bat house faces one direction and the bird
feeder faces the other.
There
have been no complaints from the birds, as of yet.
Good luck, Bob
Set the filler in the feeder, pull the
plastic slide, and when this is empty I can pour the seed from the can into the
filler to complete the filling of the feeder.
A HELPFUL ADDITION:
After
I finished my feeder and once the birds got acclimated to it, I realized when I
went out to fill the feeder the second time that there was no table or place, other than the ground, that I could put the bird seed that I was holding in my
hands. I could not even use my hands to
let the rope out that allows the feeder to descend down to my level where I could fill it again.
I got this plastic filler from a garden
center. It is kind of like a funnel but
has a sliding piece so you can fill it with seed and then once you put the
small end into the filler hole, you pull the sliding piece and it allows the
seed to fall down into the feeder. My
problem was that I had this full of seed and as you can see this can't be set
down because it does not have a flat bottom.
So I cut a piece of treated 1 x 6 board
about 8 inches long, cut a square hole in one end, centered, about 2 inches
from the end. This I attached to the
post with a couple of hinges.
Next I added another 1 in. piece across
the end which will butt to the post and support the board when it is in the
horizontal position.
I added an eyelet to the post, and a
small hook on the board so this shelf can be raised and held in the vertical
position when not needed.
When I lower this shelf, I can set the
plastic filler and the extra coffee can, both full of bird seed, and my hands
are free to lower the feeder.