Perhaps you recall from a previous post that I intend to establish a bluebird nesting box trail along some of the trails on our property.  Since that posting, I have made substantial progress in my commitment to build 100 bluebird nesting boxes.  As you can see from the photograph above, I have completed 25 of the boxes.  You can also see that the boxes take up a good deal of room in the shop, which is why I decided to build the boxes 25 at a time.

In all crafts, the rule of thumb is to measure twice, and cut once, thus avoiding errors and material wastage.  In the design of the nesting box that I am using, there are 30 specific measurements that are required in order to build the box.  The measure twice rule thus makes  60 measurements per box.    Since I am building 100 boxes, a total of 6000 accurate measurements are required.  UNLESS…..

UNLESS I were to spend a little bit of time up front to build an accurate set of templates and jigs for this project, which is what you see in the photograph above.  After the initial templates are built, the tape measures and rulers can be put aside, and the parts for the 100 bluebird nesting boxes can be build with complete accuracy and no wastage.

By providing holes in the templates where all the screw pilot holes need to be located, it is a simple matter to use an awl (shown above) to mark accurate drilling locations for each hole.

Besides cutting and drilling templates, I made and labeled a complete set of jigs and stop blocks to use on the table saw, one of which is shown in the photograph above.  Now, without any measuring at all, I can easily set up the machine to make the accurate and uniform cuts I need for this project.

Building the nesting boxes in batches allows me to produce all the parts I require for the project with a minimum of machine set up time.  For example, in the photograph above you can see that I am using a 1 1/2″ diameter hole saw to cut the entry hole for the nesting box.  Using this hole saw requires the drill press to be set to a slower speed than for the other drilling on the boxes.  Instead of changing the machine speed (which involves realigning two drive belts) repeatedly for each nesting box, I can simply set the machine up once and drill all the 1 1/2″ holes at the same time.

The assembly phase of the project is made simple by the use of a couple of assembly jigs that I fashioned for this project.  By building reusable positioning blocks and jigs, I can position parts accurately for fastening with screws, knowing that each screw is located exactly where I want it to be.

The completed nesting boxes are now ready to be installed in the field.  I think steel t-posts are the quickest and most durable method for mounting the nesting boxes.  The photo above shows how simple it is to put a t-post into the ground, using a t-post driver made for just this job.

After the t-post is in the ground, it is time to mount the nesting box on top of it.  In the photo above you can see that two 1 1/4″ conduit straps work as perfect fasteners for the nesting boxes to be secured to the t-posts.

And here is the finished product.  Now, just 99 more to go ……

This morning Retta saw a wolf spider taking a dip in the swimming pool, and Retta,  true to form, scooped up the spider with a skimmer net in order to save it from a possible drowning death.

Upon further examination, Retta discovered that this wolf spider was a momma.  Indeed, you can see from the photograph above that momma spider has a host of babies perched, papoose style, on her back.  I don’t think that I have ever seen this occurance before, or if I have, I did not know what I was witnessing at the time.

We have six well-established Eastern Bluebird nesting boxes spaced around our house, and it is a pleasure to be able to watch these wonderful birds go about their business.  Since the six boxes around the house have been well used, I thought it might be a fine idea to establish a trail of bluebird nesting boxes along some of the paths we hike along throughout our property.  I figure we might ultimately put up over 100 nesting boxes over time,  so I decided to build a few prototypes first, to work out the kinks and help select a decent design that was reasonably inexpensive and easy to build.

We currently have two types of established nesting boxes.  The nesting box shown above is designed so that the front panel opens for cleaning, while the type shown below has a hinged roof, to allow access from the top.

But which style to use for my little project? 

Above are three prototypes that I built to help decide on a final nesting box design.  Two are front-opening,  while one is top-opening.

The top-opening nesting box (shown above) uses a section of piano hinge at the back of the lid, and is secured shut by a locking gate hook.   It was easy to cut and assemble, and it is reasonably decent looking (for a bird house in the woods).  The disadvantage of a top-opening nesting box becomes clear when it becomes time to clean it out.  Look at the following design to see why.

This is a front-opening nesting box.  Rather than having the roof swing up for cleaning, the front panel pivots at the top, and is secured at the bottom.

When the front panel is unlatched and swung open, as shown above, it is quite easy to simply “sweep” the nest debris out of the box.  With a top-hinged design, cleaning requires you to lift the mess out of the box for disposal, which isn’t the most pleasant of tasks.

The way that the front panel pivots is very simple.  It merely consists of a large wood screw on either side of the nesting box.

You can see the locking gate hook that secures the front panel shut in this underside view of the nesting box.  Also, notice the drainage/ventilation gaps at the four corners of the floor.

The length of the front panel is cut short enough to leave a ventilation gap at the top of the nesting box, as you can see here.

Because of the ease with which the front-opening box can be cleaned, and because it is quicker, cheaper, and easier to build than the top-hinged style, I have decided to go with the front-opening prototype.

I’m still debating about the type of wood, however.  Treated lumber is out of the question for this application, so cedar would probably be the most durable, as it is resistant to rotting.  The stumbling block is the cost.  I can buy pine for 1/3 the cost of cedar, so I am inclined to use it, as I have for these prototypes.  If I were just building a few nest boxes, then I wouldn’t hesitate, but for the number I want to build, the cost differential between pine and cedar is significant.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.