I came across a photo of a
bird house (see link) that looked pretty cool so I decided to make my own version. This is the result. I used some left over hardwood flooring (Maple). I ripped the pre-finished flooring into strips and cut tenons on either end. The tenons on one piece are on the face of the maple strips and on the next piece the tenons are on the back of the so when stacked in the groove they're staggered in and out. The exterior is pine stained dark and the screws are stainless steel. The bird house is 11 inches tall 6 inches wide and 5.5 inches deep and the hole is 1.25 inches. The bottom has quarter inch holes for drainage.
My cut list was as follows:
Pine (1x6)
2@ 6x5.5 (top & bottom)
2@ 10.5x5.5 (sides)
1@ 10.25x4.5 (back)
Maple (Flooring)
7@ 5x1.5
The hole should have been 1 1/8 inch for a black-capped chickadee but I didn't have a 1 1/8 hole bit so I when with the next closest hole saw being a 1 1/4 bit
1/4 inch drainage holes in bottom.
Gap at the top for venting and a hole in the centre to hang up the bird house.
