Brown Bird FeederDetail
Finally made it to the wood shop to prototype my birdfeeder. First time using the band saw...gotta say I enjoyed the wood shop a lot more than I thought I would. Cannot wait to get back in there. I'm working on formatting my design to enter it into the contest @ Ample Sample. Check back for blue prints you can use and make one yourself!
Supplies:
-Plywood stencil (this is the variable of my prototyping experiments)
-18" carpet square
-Screw nut (size 10-24)
-Round head phillips screws (size 10-24 x 1.25")
-Utility knife
-Band saw
-Tape Measurer
-Pencil
-Protective goggles
-Industrial hole punch (optional, but makes it easier to insert screws and for circular cut outs, see Brown Bird Feeder)
18" Carpet Square
Thank your for the donation Joyce!
Thank your for the donation Joyce!
4" Plywood Stencil one of many prototypes
Blue Bird Feeder
Made with 3" arc stencil
The blue bird feeder follows the original design. I found while the shape is closest to the original scale model I did with foam, the hole size is smaller than expected. This model is for small song birds. Sorry ravens and pelicans. The carpet is much less flexiable than the foam but despite its rigidity it is incrediably delicate. The glue/backing of the carpet will fall apart with moderate handling so I had to punch the holes for the screws further from the point than I planned. This is the primary reason for small holes. Other types of carpet my be more plyable/strong and prevent this from happening.
Brown Bird FeederMade with 3.5" arc stencil with circular holes
With the 2" arc (which refers to the height of the arc I made on the stencil) there is hardly any space for a bird beak! To improvise, I added circular holes to allow access. This combined method allows for better seed access, however, it's essential that this feeder is under an overhang to prevent this feeder from turning into a planter. Unless this is what you want.
Tan Bird FeederMade with 4" arc stencil
I made this one on a whim to just see what a huge hole would look like. It's not practical as a bird feeder but makes an interesting study of the other extreme.
Proposed Bird Feeder Placement@CCA SF Campus
I'm proposing that these bird feeders are used outside of the SF CCA campus under the sign's protective overhang. I'm a little worried about the high afternoon winds turning these into bird seed fireworks. On second thought, for small hole models this may allow larger birds to get to the seeds. A mini Darwin's finches moment.
Let me know if you have any feedback before I submit my entry!
Let me know if you have any feedback before I submit my entry!
Posts
Looks great Jac! How easy is it to disassemble and wash the bird feeders though? I just was thinking that, well, when birds eat, they do something else too, and it would help if you could wash that off somehow.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I really like the design of the bird feeders. They're definitely not the kind you see every day. How about a hummingbird feeder with flower designs on each hole and nectar sitting inside the carpet in a dish? Hunningbirds are attracted to red and brighht colors, and it probably wouldn't be too hard to super glue a flower onto a hole, but it might break they minimalism of the design. Maybe bright red carpet would work? With yellow around the pin-sized holes for the hummingbirds' beaks?
I could also see this good for ground birds like quail, since most bird feeders aren't designed for them. They usually have to peck at the seeds lying on the ground, but with this resting there, instead of hanging, they could have a steady supply of seed that's not dependent on it getting knocked off a hanging feeder.
It could also act as a possible nesting site for a particularly small and brave bird. Just some ideas I came up with while reading your post. Glad you're enjoying school so much!