Shopsmith Forums

Drum sander would not normally be my tool of choice for this I'm going this way because it is more likely that you have this tool in your collection then it would be to have the router setup I would use.

Before I take the shopsmith vertical I adjust the distance between the headstock and the table such that I don't have to mess with it after it is vertical. In this case this works out well.

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Next I lower the drum so that it will sand the full depth of the hole plus a little.

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So I can come back to this location I set the depth stop here.

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With the wood in place I can quill feed to the depth stop and start sanding. If I stop for repositioning or to check progress it is easy to now return to the same quill position.

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Not going for perfect just nicer then before. This looks good enough.

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Believer it or not we are almost ready for assembly!

Ed

This is strictly optional but l like to break the sharp edges by rounding them over. Sharp square edges can easily be damage and don't hold paint well so there is more then just looks involved. I'm not talking about round all edges, just select ones and always on the outside of the box.

You could do this with sandpaper, hand held router, or as I did, use a router table. Here is my setup:

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I have the fence setup so the bearing on the router bit is not in contact with the workpiece. The bit is a 1/4" round over not cutting full depth.

A few notes to remember, first you always do the end grain first then the cuts with the grain. You start on the right side and move to the left side. The ends of the cuts will come out better if they are supported.

This is a cool way to make a push block that provides the support at the end of the cut you need. A scrap of wood our of the scrap pile. A 1/2" drill bit and drill, a purchased "peg" then drill a through hole in the scrap, The peg has a tapered section so it holds in the hole when pushed in. The through hole allows you to flip the scrap over for additional support surfaces.

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It should turn out something like this.

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It is used to push the stock through the cut and rides on the fence and against the workpiece.

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With this done we are now totally ready for assembly!

Ed

beeg wrote:Did ya click on his link in the first post?

I just finally got back to this post - I searched the pdf and nothing regarding hummingbirds.

Great thread, and excellent instructional photos. Thanks for posting.

This has been an excellent thread, Ed. Very informative, well organized and well documented. The supporting photo images are superb.

Hi,

As promised it is assembly time.

Glue, nails and that is about it. My kit for this was some Titebond III glue, my go to glue for a project like this. I'm using a nail gun shooting it for added strength and so I don't need clamping. The assembly goes really fast with a nail gun. If you can add one or two to your shop.

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Just that fast!

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Checking for square.

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Good enough!

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Measured and cut the bottom so it is just a little loose to aid in drainage...

With the bottom installed it is ready for paint, just the outside mind you and it starts with an under coat.

Did some one mention some of the "extra" lumber I had left over? I'm going to make believe that I heard some one ask about that.

I really had three projects going on at the same time. I'll show you one of the extra wood projects next to the #10 nest box. It is a #1 from the same set of plans.

The hole is sized for a wren or chickadee. I hoping it will be a wren, just love to here them sing. I grew up with wrens outside my bedroom window every summer... takes me back to the days of old.

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It will be a few days or longer until I have time to finish the project up and get back to a few of the questions that have been asked. Feel free to ask more, I'll get to them when I can.

Ed

One of those rare days when I got more done then expected, one of the extra's was a coat of undercoat on the nest boxes.

The #10 will end up gray, the #1 will be St. James yellow with a white top. Weather permitting some primary paint will be added tomorrow.

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Ed

On the first picture, (post #32) I see that you have a router table set up that can accommodate the new fence system ... wow, I am please to see this ...
did you buy some extra parts of the fence system in order to do this ?
By the way, thanks for this post and the pictures are all great. Nice wood work also.

A quick note, it's important to cut a number of kerfs below the entrance hole. These kerfs are cut horizontal to the box. The kerfs should be approximately 1/8"-1/4" in depth. They should be cut at about 1/4" intervals.

These kerfs act as a "Ladder" for the young birds to climb out of the box.

In lieu of these kerfs, hardware cloth can be stapled to the inside of the box. Again, below the entrance hole.

For the Wooduck sized box, fresh wood shavings should be placed in the bottom. This should be done each spring. The old shavings should be removed prior to the new shavings being installed.

For the Bluebird sized box, the old nest material should be removed each spring or fall.

Great project!

Lodgepole wrote:A quick note, it's important to cut a number of kerfs below the entrance hole. These kerfs are cut horizontal to the box. The kerfs should be approximately 1/8"-1/4" in depth. They should be cut at about 1/4" intervals.

These kerfs act as a "Ladder" for the young birds to climb out of the box.

My first thought was to use a biscuit jointer for this task.

Yes sir please tell us about your router table set up