Shopsmith Forums

I have long recommended building bird houses as great early learning projects for those newish to woodworking. Materials can be about anything and cheap / free. Errors need not be a worry since most birds can't use a steel tape or a level. If things go bad, call it rustic...
I have been super busy working on my retirement boot / shoe repair / leather work shop and only have woodshop time in making simple stuff for it lately. It is time however to take a little time from that and make a batch of bird houses. I hope everybody is busy making bird houses. Unlike the human world there is not a glut of available housing for birds so we need to be on a building spree.
Note too that wives / S-others usually approve of bird houses and will accept that as an excuse to spend a lot of time in the shop.


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robinson46176 wrote:I have long recommended building bird houses as great early learning projects for those newish to woodworking. Materials can be about anything and cheap / free. Errors need not be a worry since most birds can't use a steel tape or a level. If things go bad, call it rustic...
I have been super busy working on my retirement boot / shoe repair / leather work shop and only have woodshop time in making simple stuff for it lately. It is time however to take a little time from that and make a batch of bird houses. I hope everybody is busy making bird houses. Unlike the human world there is not a glut of available housing for birds so we need to be on a building spree.
Note too that wives / S-others usually approve of bird houses and will accept that as an excuse to spend a lot of time in the shop.


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BUT, but I don't believe there are any birds here in the Tucson area that will rent a bird house if I put one up. They'll carve an apartment complex in my saguaro cactus though.

I have mostly dove's, cactus wrens, woodpeckers and quail. I love to listen to the quail as they gather in the early morning to begin their morning sojourn through the wash (dry river bed to most).

I hate birds...

Why on earth would I invite them into my yard???

If you happen to be traveling or living in Northern WI
and
you want a cheap rustic birdhouse
and
can afford spending $3.00.

Stop and see my brother, he has about 1500 of them to sell, this past winters "keeping busy" project.

I think he is adding some toy cars this year, but only a hundred or so, soooo shop early.

Ed

dusty wrote:BUT, but I don't believe there are any birds here in the Tucson area that will rent a bird house if I put one up. They'll carve an apartment complex in my saguaro cactus though.

I have mostly dove's, cactus wrens, woodpeckers and quail. I love to listen to the quail as they gather in the early morning to begin their morning sojourn through the wash (dry river bed to most).

Build one without an entry hole and put a sign on it "for rent to woodpeckers"...


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dusty wrote:BUT, but I don't believe there are any birds here in the Tucson area that will rent a bird house if I put one up. They'll carve an apartment complex in my saguaro cactus though.

I have mostly dove's, cactus wrens, woodpeckers and quail. I love to listen to the quail as they gather in the early morning to begin their morning sojourn through the wash (dry river bed to most).

Build "lower" houses.

I got a call from my 6 year old granddaughter last Wednesday night," Grandpa can you bring some wood over to our house and build a bird house? " Me " right now?" Kora " Sure, we have new paint and we want to paint a bird house!" I begged off until the next day and hustled one to have when she got off the bus on Thursday. First words out of her mouth were " Did you get the bird house made? " She and her little sister painted it and took it home that night. It will stay inside and be a catch all box. Great fun!

terrydowning wrote:I hate birds...

Why on earth would I invite them into my yard???

So they will make a mess of everything with their droppings.

I may just try my hand a t Owl carving to try and keep the birds and squirrels away!!

terrydowning wrote:I may just try my hand a t Owl carving to try and keep the birds and squirrels away!!

I'm with you on the squirrels - mangey critters they are, furry tailed rats, that will eat almost anything and gnaw their way through everything to get to something to eat. Only good squirrel is one shot in a hickory nut grove, floured and fried then finished cooked in a good rich gravy.