6 Pack Hummingbird Feeder Filler

I've tried many hummingbird feeders over the years, and this is by far my favorite. Its durable and works well. They come in packs of 4, so you can place them in a variety of places, and see which locations the birds frequent the most. You can also easily view the contents, which is good here in Arizona where the heat tends to make the nectar go bad rather quickly. Once the liquid is cloudy you know its bad.

One drawback to these is they are a pain to fill one by one, especially when you have 12!

They are small enough to need a funnel and with the hanging loop at the top of each bottle you cant set it down after filling.

1. Feeders (4 Pack)
2. 1-1/2" PVC (3 Feet)
3. PVC End Caps for 1" Pipe
4. Hot Glue
5. 1/4" Barbed Elbows
6. 1/4" Tubing (7/16" Outer Diameter)
7. Self Tapping 3/4" #8 Screws
8. Duct Tape

Interestingly, 1" PVC End Caps fit rather snugly inside 1-1/2" PVC Pipe. (With a little persuasion!)

1. Cut a length of 1-1/2" pipe to 5.75"
2. Insert a 1" End Cap and drive it inside to a depth of 1"

1. Drill 6 3/8" holes equally spaced radially 2" down from edge on the same side we inserted the cap from. The holes should go through the pipe and the end cap installed in the previous step.
2. Cut 6 1" lengths of the 1/4" tubing and insert into the barbed elbows.
3. Set the barbed fittings aside for now

1. Wrap the center post with duct tape to about 1/10" thick
2. Arrange the 6 PVC pipes that serve as the holders and secure with large rubber bands
3. Cut small pieces of plastic that's the same thickness as the layered tape. Shown above are standard size zip ties. This sets the proper gap.
4. Apply a good amount of hot glue to the area between each of the 6 holders
5. Let the glue dry and then remove from the center post
6. Clean off the excess glue

Add one #8 screw to each holder 1/2" above the bottom surface. This allows the feeder bottle to be captured while not obstructing the large hanger loop on the top of the bottle, so the bottles can be held upside down in the holders and not fall through.

Insert the barbed fitting by hand. No glue needed.

There are a few different ways to complete this project. You can leave the center post and outer 6 pack ring separate and simply use it for filling only. I chose to go a step further and assembled the two parts with a sliding bolt. The result is that the center post can move up and down and also rotate, but the two parts are now a single assembly. This way I can use it to gather the feeders, bring them inside, refill them, and then carry the filled ones back outside.

It would be much harder to document the second method, but if anyone is interested enough to want to build it that way just contact me and I'll explain it.

TIP: Be sure to flush it out with water after each use or the sugary water will gum up the lines.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my Instructable. Please send me any questions or comments you might have. I try to answer them all. Stay safe and healthy! Happy Bird Watching!