Simple Bandsaw Birdhouse

Greetings!

After searching and creating several projects on this site, I finally got around to taking some pictures of the process and am going to try my hand at publishing my first instructable...bear with me. Hopefully this will be a simple and affordable way for someone to make a fun and pretty cool bird house (biased opinion). Some of the pictures did not turn out as well as I'd hoped, but I think they will be adequate to get the directions across. So...here goes something

Supply and Equipment list is definitely open to variation

-Block of wood (preferably with at least one semi-flat side) I used a piece of firewood from a maple tree at my house that had to be taken down after a lightning strike. Turns out much of it had beautiful spalding and now I use it for projects more than I do for campfires.

-Bandsaw with enough clearance for thickness/height of wood

-Drill or Brace

-Spade bit or hole saw for size of bird you are wanting in the nest (I used 1 1/2 inch spade)

-1/8th inch bit for pre drilling to prevent cracking

-Countersink bit

- Wood Glue or approved substitute (screws or nails could work as well)

-Clamps/Something heavy to squeeze glue joint

-Several screws (length will be based on individual need, I used 4 three inch long decking screws)

-Several feet of some type of rope or other hanging option

I chose to leave my nest free of finishes, but if you want it to last longer an outdoor finish or paint will definitely increase its lifespan.

This doesn't have to be anything pretty to start with but it will help if you have a flat side to start with. I used a half piece of firewood that was about 7 inches tall but you really could use any size up to the height that your bandsaw can accommodate.

You can mark your piece of wood (I chose not to) and cut out the basic shape of your nesting box. In the two pictures you can see that I basically cut a shell of 1-1.5 inches off of the outside of the piece of wood. I then later use this piece as the roof. Take your time and let the bandsaw cut. With something this thick it is important that you don't rush.

Next, cut off about one inch thick pieces on either end of the block of wood. Again you can mark them but its not really necessary and only leaves something to sand off later. Set these pieces to the side as they will be glued on later.

I left about a one inch thick wall and removed the inside piece. It works really well to cut your cavity s

Put a bead of glue in the gap (work in with a small paint brush if necessary) and clamp.

The next step is to glue on the top and bottom pieces that you cut off in step 3. This is one step where I would possibly make an adaption on later models. Either top or bottom could be made to open and close giving ease of clean out if that is necessary. I am planning on my house being replaced every few years so I will not be cleaning it out or putting any type of finish on it. The greener the better!

Depending on the size of the bird you are hoping to nest, you can determine your entry hole size. I am hoping for bluebirds or wrens and went with a 1.25 inch hole.

Sand as needed..if you want.

You can get creative at this point and reuse some or all of the cut off pieces to create a roof , however, you really "wood" not need to (see what I did there, Dad joke, ha ha). I used four, 3 inch screws to attach the top. I drilled a pilot hole with a 1/8th inch bit and countersunk for the screw heads so I wouldn't crack the top.

I used about a 3 foot piece of rope to create a way to hang the house but this could be done many ways.

Again, if you wanted this to be a bit more durable it could be painted or finished with a spray on outdoor finish. I am hoping to let mine decay and disappear within a few years so, bam, done!

Hang it up and hope the birds like it as much as you do.