Woodworking 101. Always wanted to start woodworking but afraid you might cut off your fingers? Start small with a simple but beautiful bird feeder! It's easy to build a simple bird feeder that's perfect for a wide variety of common birds. All you need are a few tools and a little bit of lumber.
Materials
You can make a birdfeeder out of just about any kind of wood, including 2x4s or plywood. Cedar, mahogany, oak and other hardwoods are all great choices, but they may not be available at your local home center. To find the best selection of lumber, visit a dealer who specializes in hardwoods.
Tools
For a sturdy birdfeeder that will last a long time out in the elements, use biscuits, dowels or screws. You can nail a birdfeeder together, but over time it will start to come apart. Our size 10 biscuits are perfect for a small feeder, or consider using ¼ dowels. If you want things to be as easy as possible, you can simply screw your birdfeeder together and can cover the holes with hardwood plugs. Although the plugs aren't necessary, they look much better than exposed screws.
A miter saw or a good handsaw is a must for this project. You'll also need a circular saw or table saw to cut a couple of the parts to width, plus a biscuit jointer or drill/driver and clamps.
How to Build It
Step 1: Mark and Cut the Parts
Start by measuring and marking the parts. You want two sides, a front, back, bottom and two top pieces. Cut everything to length with your miter saw according to the cutlist below.
| Quantity |
Part Name |
Width |
Length |
| 2 |
Sides |
5 |
8 |
| 1 |
Front |
1-1/2 |
6-1/2 |
| 2 |
Back |
1-1/2 |
6-1/2 |
| 1 |
Bottom |
5 |
5 |
| 1 |
Roof A |
4 |
6-1/2 |
| 1 |
Roof B |
5 |
6-1/2 |
Step 2: Clip the Corners of the Sides
To give your feeder an angled roof, cut 45-degree miters in the corners of each side piece. You'll attach the roof pieces to these angles later. If you've ever had trouble setting up your saw to cut a perfect angle, you might want to invest in a digital angle finder. It's an inexpensive tool that will help you set your table saw, miter saw and other equipment to the correct angle every time.
Step 3: Cut Dowel Holes or Biscuit Slots
If you're going to use dowels or biscuits to assemble your birdfeeder, now's the time to cut the holes. Use a dowel jig for quick, accurate dowel holes.
Step 4: Assemble
With the joinery done, you can assemble the project. Glue and clamp the whole thing together in one step.
Attach the sides to the bottom.
Add the front and back, and then the two pieces that make up the roof.
Clamp everything together and allow the glue to dry. If you use screws, there’s no need for the clamps.
Step 5: Hang and Fill
Now that you have an assembled bird feeder, it's time to put it up. Install a small eye screw in the roof and thread some twine through it. Tie the twine around the branch of a small tree and you're good to go. Fill the feeder with food (up to the front and back edges) and wait for the birds!
ANOTHER GENIUS DIY TIP FROM GENERAL TOOLS!
Ingenuity is at our core of every tool we make. With General in your tool belt, you can proudly take on the title of “Genius At Work”. Check out generaltools.com for all your precise tool needs.
