# Making a Birdhouse



## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Well you guys ask and here it is. It is going to be fairly long. Starting out I use for the body a 2 X 2 sqaure by 4" long. For the top I use 3 X 3 by 3 to 4 inch long piece. Not critical. My birdhouses are from 4" to 5 1/2" long when completed. Anyway mount the body block between centers and turn it to round. I use a 1" roughing gouge for this. Once I get it rounded down to about a 1 5/8" and remember these are not critical measurements. As can be seen in the next picture you can use a forstner bit to hollow the body. I do this to make them lighter. I generally hollow to 1 1/2" to 1 3/4". Most time right at 1 5/8". If I have the time and not under the gun to get a lot done I will use my hunter tool and hollow them. Once that is done then I start shaping the bottom. Don't do this before you drill or hollow or well you know. It will break off. Once I have it shaped and down to fairly thin I will part it off with a thin parting tool. Out of the piece left in the chuck I make a jam chuck to reverse the body on. I use a calipers and mark the size just slightly smaller. Then with a bedan tool I sneak up on the size where it is a snug fit and won't come off. I then finish the bottom and sand. The body is done for now. 

Next comes the top. Put between centers and turn round. Once there I again take the calipers and get the size of the body. I go 1/16" smaller so I can sneak up on a good fit. I hollow out part of the inside again to take off some weight but you don't need much. I don't hollow out much closer than 1/8" from the line I made. I then take a square scraper and start making the ledge or lip for the body to fit against. Again sneaking up on the size so you get a fairly snug fit. If it is a little loose It is going to be glued anyway but I do like mine snug not tight. Once I get this I finish forming the top and part off. I again use the piece still in the chuck as a jam chuck. Reverse the top and finish. I sand to 400 grit most times. 

From there I go to the drill press and drill a 1/2" hole with a small forstner bit. Just below it I drill a hole that a 3/16" dowel rod fits in for the perch. Once this is done I then put some Titebond III in the perch hole (medium CA would work) and glue the perch in place. I make the perch about 1 1/4" to 1 3/8" long most times 1 1/4". Once that is done I take the top and put glue where the lid fits in making sure to get some on the side of the lip and bottom. Fit the body in and press. You don't need clamps. I just sit it upside down in a lid off a spray paint can and let dry. I then take some #20, 21, 22 or 23 gold wire I think I got at wal-mart. I bend a 1 1/2" or so piece over a rod and pinch the ends with a pair of pliers. You have to hold the pliers pretty tight. Pull up and twist the wire. You will get a hanger like I am showing. Drill a hole in the top of the cap just so the twisted wire fits in. Put some medium CA glue on the wire and insert in the hole. Let dry for a few minutes. Get your rattle can Lacquer out and give it 2 to 4 coats or more if you want more shine. I put my coats on every 30 minutes using the Deft lacquer. 

Anyway that is how I make'em. Really simple and easy. Kids love'em and so does the wife. My grandkids ask me for one every year so they can have a collection of them different every year. This year will be their 4th house. Enjoy and hope this helps. 

I will post the rest of the pictures and label it part 2.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

*Making a Birdhouse Part 2*

Here are the rest of the pictures to follow along with. Hopefully this can go above with the rest of the sticky posts.


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello BernieW 
That is great. looks good on that fence. What type bird is that for?


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Thanks for the photo tutorial Bernie. You did such a good job, I made a sticky post of of the 2 threads to make it easier for everyone to find.

Great job!


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks Bob. I had a PM from a member hoping it would be put in the sticky bin. He is wanting to make one for his wife who he says hasn't had much to smile about since having a stroke in August. He wants to make her one cause she likes birds and thought it would give her a smile. I hope so to. I hope this will help anyone trying to make these as they are pretty easy after the first one. 

Thanks Dutchman. They are just for decoration or ornaments for Christmas trees. Actually they are hanging on my wife's quilt rack. Kids love'em.


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## Electron (May 22, 2008)

Well Bernie, it's been hard work dragging a photo-shoot from you, but you really have made up for it with this thread. I shall be very surprised if miniature birdhouses don't appear all over the world as a result.

Harry


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

That's a great way to start a wood collection. Make a bird house in each species, a lot less boring then the 3" x 6" x 1/2" samples I keep.

The bird houses would be a little more difficult to store, but it would be neat to hang them all up in a room at once to sample all the woods you have collected. I would need about 1100 of them!


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## kolias (Dec 26, 2008)

Excellent idea, thanks for sharing


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## Buddie (Jan 25, 2009)

Good Post, Nice Birdhouse!


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks. These are fun to do and easy to do.


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