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Materials:
- 1"x8" cedar - one 8' board [Note: You can also use pine.
It's not as weather resistant as cedar, but will still give years
of service.]
- 3' and 5' lengths of threaded galvanized steel pipe
- Galvanized 4" flange
- Galvanized cap
- Galvanized coupling
- 18 - 1 1/4" zinc-plated wood screws
- Slinky
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Tools
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Countersink bit
- Drill
- Hand saw
- Speed square
- Sledgehammer
- Pipe wrenches or tongue-in-groove pliers
- Optional: Finder-driver bit
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Tools you might not be familiar with
Countersink bit |
Finder-driver bit |
Tongue & groove pliers |
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Steps:
Cut
off any bad ends before cutting the pieces for the feeder.
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Mark
the board for ripping at one and one half inches using a speed
square. |
'Rip' a board to one and one half inches using a rip saw. |
From the 8' cedar board, cut the following:
- Two 24" lengths to form floor of tray
- One 18" support piece
- Two edge-pieces measuring 1 1/2" by 16"
- Two edge-pieces measuring 1 1/2 by 24"
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Use
a shorter piece to support and tie the two floor pieces together.
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| Lay the two 24" lengths side by side. Center the 18" support
piece on top of the first two pieces. |
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Using a countersink bit, drill a 1" deep hole at each corner
of the support piece. A countersink bit carves out extra wood
to make room for the head of the screw. If you don't countersink
the head of the screw, the metal will force the wood fibers
apart, splitting the board at the ends, and compromising the
durability of your project.
Drive a 1 1/4" zinc screw into each of the holes. If you have
trouble keeping the drill steady, try using a finder-driver
bit. It takes care of the aiming, so all you have to do is push.
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Pre-drill
before attaching the sides or ends. |
Attach
the sides at three locations. |
Attach
the end at four locations. |
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Turn the assembly over. Attach the edge pieces, screwing
them together at the corners - remember to countersink!
Drive two additional screws along each of the short sides
to join the edge-pieces to the floor of the feeding tray.
Drive three more screws along each of the long sides to connect
the edge-pieces to the floor.
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Drill
4, half-inch holes - one in each corner. |
Drain
holes are necessary to keep the seeds dry. |
Top
of completed tray. |
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Drill four 1/2" drainage holes in the floor of the tray.
Drainage holes keep the seed from getting moldy or starting
to sprout in the tray. Smaller drainage holes get gummed up
with seed, so 1/2" holes work best. |
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Center
the flange on the bottom of the feeder. |
Use
a slinky as an alternative to a cone to deter squirrels. |
Place
the flange over the end of the slinky. |
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Attach
the flange with screws over the end of the slinky. |
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| Mount the threaded flange in the center of the base of the
feeding tray, securing one end of a Slinky under two of the
flange screws. |
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Screw
the three quarter inch pipe into the flange. |
Galvanized
flange and pipe attached to the tray. |
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Screw the 5' galvanized pipe into the flange.
Turn your feeder right side up.
The Slinky hangs down the length of the pole, making an ingenious
squirrel-discourager.
(Mind you, it won't do much good if you set up the feeding tray
too close to the house.
The squirrels leap off the roof and land on the tray. I indulge
them, since they are barefoot.) |
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| To mount your feeder in the ground, screw the threaded cap
onto the 3' length of threaded galvanized pipe. Pound the pipe
two feet into the ground using a sledgehammer. Remove the cap
and replace it with the coupling. Then screw the pole-mounted
feeder into the coupling and tighten the coupling using a pair
of pipe wrenches or tongue-in-groove pliers. |
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Finished birdfeeder with slinky, pole and coupling. |
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| Remember to put some seed out just before it starts to get
dark, around 4:00. The littlest birds have to eat late in the
day in order to survive the coldest nights. Throw out the odd
peanut for the squirrel. Or even the normal peanut. |
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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