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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
Estimated
Project Time: 2 days
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| Tools and Materials: |
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Wood and wire mesh, cut to size (see Cutting List)
Protractor or combination square
Handsaw, saber saw, or circular saw
Power drill and bits
Clamps
Glue
1/2" and 3/4" brads
Staple gun and 1/4" staples
1-1/4" and 1-5/8" deck screws
Wood plugs to fit countersinks
Chisel
Sandpaper
Table saw
Band saw, scroll saw, coping saw, or saber saw
Paintbrush
2 wood balls, 3/4-inch diameter
Vise or adhesive tape, as needed
Pencil, ruler, and paper
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2 screw eyes, 5/8-inch diameter
Chain or plastic cord
Paint, stain, or water sealant
Cutting list:
2 pcs. 3/4 x 4-1/2 x 17" (for front and back)
2 pcs. 3/4 x 3 x 14-1/4" (for sides)
2 pcs. 1/4 x 1/2 x 3" (for long floor cleats)
2 pcs. 1/4 x 1/2 x 2-1/2" (for short floor cleats)
1 pc. 1/4 x 3 x 3" plywood (for floor)
1 pc. 3/4 x 5-1/4 x 5-1/2" (for long roof piece)
1 pc. 3/4 x 4-1/2 x 5-1/2" (for short roof piece)
2 pcs. 3/4 x 2-1/2 x 3" (for feed chamber hangers)
1 pc. 1 x 1-1/2 x 6-1/2" (for ridge board)
2 pcs. 3/8-inch-thick plywood, cut to shape (for gable trim)
2 pcs. 3/8-inch-thick plywood, cut to shape (for heart trim)
4 pcs. 1/8 x 1-1/2 x 5" hardboard (for roof trim)
12 wood dowels, 1/4" diameter x 2-1/2"
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2 pcs. wire mesh, 2" x 12" (for front and back)
2 pcs. wire mesh, 2" x 8" (for sides)
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Thistle seed is a delicacy that will attract chickadees, goldfinches, pine siskin, and other small birds. But there is a drawback to thistle--the seeds are so tiny that most bird feeders can't contain them properly and they end up pouring out onto the ground. To eliminate this problem, this thistle seed dispenser is lined with a fine wire mesh, or screen, that holds the seeds without spilling them. Little birds can pluck the seeds one at a time from the minute screen openings. The screen also discourages bigger birds and squirrels that would otherwise intimidate the smaller birds. Another practical feature is the "keyed-in" roof. Two dowel-and-ball "keys" tightly lock the roof onto the dispenser's feed chamber. Pull out the key, and the roof comes off the feed chamber for easy refilling.
To make the bird feeder, follow the instructions below. Use a wood, such as redwood, cypress, white cedar, or western red cedar, that is recommended for outdoor use. Do not use pressure-treated lumber because the chemicals used on it may be harmful to the birds. As you are making the feeder, refer to the Feed Chamber Layout (Fig. 1) and the Overall View (Fig. 2) for additional guidance.
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1.
Prepare the Feed Chamber Parts
Cut the front, back, and sides to the dimensions in the Cutting List. Use a protractor or combination square to lay out the 45-degree roof angles on the front and back pieces. Make these cuts with a handsaw, saber saw, or circular saw. Drill three 3/4-inch feeder holes in the front and back, and two similar holes in each side piece, as shown in Figure 1. Drill the holes at a slight downward angle so that the thistle won't spill as the seeds fall out from the screen. Drill 1/4-inch holes for the perches 1 inch below the lip of each feeder hole.
Clamp the feed chamber front and back together, making sure all edges are flush, and then drill a 3/8-inch dowel-keyhole through both pieces as shown in Feed Chamber Layout (Fig. 1).
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2.
Attach the Floor Cleats
Cut the floor cleats to the dimensions in the Cutting List. Center the long cleats across the front and back and the short cleats across the sides, 1/2 inch from the bottom as shown in Figure 2. Attach the cleats with glue and brads.
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3.
Assemble the Feed Chamber
Cut two 2 x 12-inch pieces of wire mesh for the front and back sections and two 2 x 8-inch pieces for the side. Staple the pieces in place, as shown in Figure 2. Clip openings around the perch holes so that the perches can poke through the screen.
Cut the 3 x 3-inch floor from 1/4-inch plywood. Attach the two sides to the front and back pieces, with the floor in place, using glue and countersunk 1-1/4-inch screws on the sides and glue on the floor cleats. Insert wood plugs into the countersunk holes to conceal the screws. After the glue has dried, trim the plugs flush, using a chisel, and then sand them smooth.
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4.
Assemble the Roof and Feed Chamber Hangers
Cut the long and short roof pieces to the dimensions in the Cutting List. Attach the long roof piece over the short one, using glue and two 1-1/4-inch screws. (Position screws so that they will not interfere with the screws that hold feed chamber hangers in place, as well as the screws that hold the ridge board to the roof in Step 5.)
Cut the 3-inch-long feed chamber hangers from 1x3 scraps. Use a protractor or a combination square to lay out the 45-degree peak cuts at the top of the pieces. Clamp the pieces to a work surface, and then make the peak cuts, using a circular saw or handsaw. Place the feed chamber hangers 2-7/8 inches apart to fit inside the feed chamber. Center the roof over the hangers and fasten it with four countersunk 1-1/4-inch screws driven through the roof into the hangers. Use two screws for each hanger, positioning them as shown in Figure 2. Fill the holes with wood plugs.
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5.
Cut and Attach the Ridge Board
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Rip the ridge board from a piece of two-by stock to the dimensions in the Cutting List. Then use a table saw to make the notch in the bottom of the ridge board. To do this, first set the blade tilt angle to 45 degrees. Set the blade height to 3/4 inch and position the rip fence 1 inch from the base of the blade minus the blade's kerf as shown in Figure 3. Because some models of table saws have blades that tilt to the right from the operator's view, remember to position the fence accordingly based on your table saw model. Then, using a push stick, run the ridge board blank through, making the first cut.
To finish the notch, flip the ridge board over and place a sacrificial piece of stock against the operator's end of the ridge board (to prevent the triangular waste piece from shooting back at you once it's cut free). Then, again using a push stick, run the ridge board through a second time, thus completing the notch (Fig. 4).
Attach the ridge board with two countersunk 1-5/8-inch screws driven into the roof. Fill the holes with wood plugs.
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6.
Install the Dowel Key
Position the roof assembly over the feeder. Using the dowel keyholes you already made in the front and back pieces (Step 1) as a guide, drill 3/8-inch holes through the feed-chamber hangers.
To make the two dowel keys, you'll have to drill into the two 3/4-inch wood balls and attach the dowels. Wood balls are available at most hobby stores and home centers. Clamp a ball in a vise between scraps of wood, and then drill a 1/4-inch-wide hole, 3/8 inch deep; repeat for the second ball. (If you don't have a vise, you can drill a 3/4-inch hole in a scrap piece of wood, put a ball in the hole, and tape the ball in place. Then drill the 1/4-inch hole through the tape and into the ball.)
Cut two 2-1/2-inch lengths from 1/4-inch dowel material. Glue the wood dowels to the balls and place the dowels through the two keyholes to see that they hold correctly. Remove the "keys" and the roof assembly.
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7.
Cut and Attach the Trim
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Refer to the Heart Trim Pattern and the Gable Trim Pattern (Figs. 5 and 6). Each square on each grid represents 1/2 inch. Using the dimensions represented by the grid, create a template for each piece at the actual size.
On a band saw or table saw, resaw an appropriately sized piece of hardwood to a width of 3/8 inch (the dimensions should be big enough to accommodate your enlarged patterns). If you prefer, you can use plywood but to prevent delamination make sure you seal the edges of the plywood once the pieces are cut. Cut your 3/8-inch material into two equally sized sections, clamp them together, and tape both the heart and gable trim templates on top. Then with a scroll saw, coping saw, or saber saw, cut out the hearts and gable trim pieces together. On the gable trim, use a 7/16-inch drill bit to create the tight curves in the heart shapes.
Cut the four 1-1/2 x 5-inch roof trim pieces from 1/8-inch-thick hardboard. Attach the gable, heart, and roof trim to the roof, using glue and brads.
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8.
Finish the Feeder
Cut ten 2-1/2-inch-long perches from 1/4-inch wood dowels. Set the perches into their holes, using glue. Paint the feeder, if you like, but if you don't paint the project, at least seal the edges of the plywood or hardboard to prevent delamination. Put two screw eyes into the ridge board, attach chain or plastic cord to the screw eyes, and hang the feeder.
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