My first birdfeeder with decorative crosses.

I went to one of those schools that virtually eliminated shop unless you were one of the troubled kids who needed to learn a trade, long story short, I’d never previously made a bird feeder. The impetus to build this was a visit to a shut-in who’s been in the nursing home for the last 9 years and her old feeder looked like it was falling apart so I told her I would make her one. I was supposed to have this finished last week and have visited her then but a string of funerals delayed both.

The whole thing is white oak with the exception of the dowel, it’s mystery wood from the neighborhood ace hardware, and the seed stops and crosses which are purpleheart. The whole thing is held together with titebond 3; all of it was from the scrap pile except the plexiglass.

The dimensions are all out of my head, I didn’t even look at a feeder or measure one before starting. I don’t own any as I like my berry bushes so I prefer not to encourage them coming around with feeders. The main basis of measurement was that ACE’s smallest sheet of plexiglass could be cut up into 6 12×6” pieces at the store, the result at 14.5” total length may be a bit much but I rather like it. I sloped the roof to 30 degrees since that usually works well with rain and the plexiglass to 7 degrees. Didn’t know if it was necessary to bother cutting the 7degrees but I liked the look so I did. Similarly I put the two 45 degree blocks on the inside ends to add strength and keep the seed from collecting in the edge, might be a useless thing but I figured I’d put them in anyways. The crosses were an early thought as this was going to a parishioner and woodnutbutter’s recent ranting decided me on them. The whole thing was finished with 2 coats of spray gloss polyurethane. Used fishing line to hang it up outside for the spraying to keep the wife happy.
Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed it.

-- --Rev. Russ in NY-- A posse ad esse