Microsoft Word - Woodshop 101 Part 1 of 3

Things You’ll Need

(1) 1” x 6” x 4’ pine. Most

places won’t have lumber in 4’

lengths, if not buy the 1x6x6’

length. Save the waste to use

on another project.

Crosscut box

Handsaw

Brace drill

1 ¼” auger or paddle bit

3/8” twist bit

3/8” dowel

Combination square

Speed square

Measuring tape

Lesson 10

Birdhouse

I don’t think it’s possible to be a woodworker and not build a birdhouse
at some point. I still remember my first birdhouse that I built when I
was a kid. I think the reasons that birdhouses are so popular is there are
so many different kinds you can build, it’s really cool to see wild life up
close, and they’re really fun to build!

The one thing you need to keep in mind when
building a birdhouse is who is going to use it? This
seems obvious doesn’t it? But many birdhouses that
you see in stores, especially the really fancy ones, are
made to decorate your home more than they are a
home for birds. That’s because no consideration has
been made for the bird’s needs in a house. Different
birds require different birdhouses. Some like four
walls for a house, some just a ledge to build a nest on.
Someliketheentranceholetobehighabovethe
floor, some close to it. Most birds like the entrance
hole large enough to get into, but small enough to
keep predators and larger birds out.

So, some planning is in order. If you have a
particular kind of bird you would like to nest in your
birdhouse you have to make the birdhouse for that
species of bird. Below you’ll find a list of birds and
the dimensions that they prefer in a birdhouse.