Im an old USAF 462X0 no VFW. I also keep a bird bath going. I clean it with bleach every week to keep down virus and microbes. This helps birds stay healthy. Nothing better than a good cup of coffee and bird watching. Thanks for your service.

This was in New Jersey. I moved in 2019, and I assume the birds left too.

I tried screws years ago but they have drawbacks: the holes need to be countersunk and the heads need to be filled with wood putty. Nails don’t require countersinking, and nail heads are flat and flush with the wood, so the end result is smoother. Of course screws have more holding power than nails, and I used small 5/8” screws for the brackets underneath the shelves, where they're out of sight.

I didn’t realize it might’ve been be a problem because stain gets absorbed into the grain but polyurethane bonds to the surface, so I didn’t think they’d interfere with each other. Since the polyurethane is oil-based, I assume it sticks to almost anything. Plus, I sanded the wood before applying so it would have good adhesion. I guess it worked out, because the finish came out fine. It's not perfect of course since this was my first time, but not terrible either for being homemade.

@@Frankenfixit The Thompson's is aslo a sealer, but I'm not sure about the exact chemical process and compatibility with further product layers. I'd hesitate to take that risk at the tail end of a project. Glad it turned out well for you though.

Yes, it was a last minute decision to add the polyurethane; I was rushing to build these bookcases so I could move into an apartment and sell my trailer. It was expensive paying double rent, so I wanted to finish this project quickly. Unfortunately, I sold all the furniture in 2020 because I had to break the lease when my hours at work got reduced due to Covid, so all this effort went down the drain. Oh well, at least I have the video for memories!

Thanks, I know it's been a while. I might upload a "behind the scenes" video in a few days to make up for the lack of recent content. Other than that, I might not be able to do videos for a few months because I'll be spending the summer renovating my new home - or possibly hiring someone if the job gets too big. I'm not monetized on KZbin, so I make these videos as a hobby rather than as a job, but thanks for sticking around to watch them!

@@Frankenfixit you should definitely make some videos doing some of your house projects.

@@stan9097 Yes! That is what I miss most. He is far more entertaining to watch than a lot of the "pros" on KZbin.

@Stan I plan to, once I get unpacked. When I moved last year the first upgrades were new carpets and appliances, but those were done by contractors. The only project I did myself recently was building shelves in the shed, but I wanted to finish this bike song first so that the tire tutorial and the song would be in consecutive order. Don't worry, I'm sure something in my home will break down eventually that I'll need to fix!

Cool, thanks! I admit it sounds a little like "The Man who Sold the World," but in this case, it's more like "The Man who Fixed the Bike." Maybe I could start a band called Frankie Road-dust and the Cyclists from Mars!

Thanks!

The driveway lasted for ten years and was fine when I sold the trailer in January, so I assume it’s still in good shape even though I don’t live there anymore since it’s only 8 months later.

Thanks! It was a lot of work and I’ll probably hire a professional to do my next house, but I’m glad it worked out.

Thanks! Although I don’t think my neighbors are entertained - they probably think I’m nuts because they hear me talking to myself when I’m doing the narrations out loud.

@@Frankenfixit haha! Well, hopefully they'll appreciate the learning while they listen.

I'm not sure if my squirrel would cooperate, he would probably refuse to go through the maze, and just screech at the camera the whole time. Good suggestion though!

I put my socks in the dryer... oh wait, you mean the feeder, sorry! The plastic baffle above the feeder provides some shelter during a light drizzle, but during heavy rain I don’t put the feeders out because the birds don’t come during bad weather anyway. Also, I empty all the feeders back into a 5-gallon pail to prevent moisture from forming, and during the summer I wash the tube feeders every month, that’s why I have two of them: when one is drying, the other is in use.

I’m glad you liked the video, thanks for the feedback! I actually did dress up as Wolverine for Halloween a few years ago. I wore a leather jacket, spiked my hair, and made my own claws: I spray painted six plastic butter knives silver, then glued them to a pair of fingerless workout gloves. It was more like half-Wolverine and half-MacGyver!

I think so, since birds seem to be drawn to bright colors, such as sunflowers. Also, since goldfinches are yellow, they probably assume "Birds of a feather..." and a group of them will show up.

Here are my suggestions to prevent mold: • Don’t leave the feeder out overnight, it will accumulate moisture. • Keep the birdseed bag in a 5-gallon bucket with a lid to keep dry. • Clean the feeder once a month with a hose by removing the bottom plug so any debris can drain out easier. You may need to unscrew the lowest perches since they are holding it in, then reassemble the feeder once it’s dry. Hope this helps, good luck!

If the space between shelves isn’t in the product’s description, it might have adjustable shelves with pegs. Another way is to divide the height by how many shelves it has. It’s hard for me to tell without knowing what it is. Do you have the link to the item on Wal-Mart, Amazon, or whatever store you’re buying it from?

I can’t past the fact that you’re rude enough to say that, but thanks for your honesty. What’s wrong with my beard? It’s inspired by Wolverine, Ra’s Al Ghul (from Batman,) and Mr. Gibbs (Pirates of the Caribbean.) Basically it’s just a beard with the mustache shaved off, it’s not like I did anything drastic. If my facial hair bothers you that much, don’t worry because I recently grew out the mustache since I’ve been wearing a N95 mask for the past two months and didn't shave, so now I have a normal, full beard… happy?

I really like the beard!

@@navisme Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!

@@Frankenfixit i like the beard, never change your style

sounds like 1 man is paying too much attention to another man's beard...

Thanks for the tips! To keep out rain and snow, I put a plastic squirrel baffle over the feeder which acts like a roof: www.homedepot.com/p/Perky-Pet-16-in-Transparent-Squirrel-Guard-340/100155143 One change I made was to replace the flimsy plastic hooks with metal hooks that are used for hanging potted plants: www.homedepot.com/p/OOK-30-lb-White-Enamel-Swag-Hooks-2-Pack-50340/100115444

@@Frankenfixit I just got the same plastic squirrel baffle from Home Depot, how did you attach the metal hooks?

Glad you enjoyed, thanks for watching!

I haven’t had any problems because I don’t put my feeder out in the rain, and I wash it once a month with a hose, then dry in the sun before refilling. I haven’t tried safflower seed, but I might in the future since it’s cheaper than nyjer seed - thanks for the tip!

Will the safflower seed go through the small holes on a finch feeder?

I used electrical conduit pipe, as noted at 5:30 in the vid. I used a 3/4” pipe for the base and a 1/2” pipe for the upper part. Here’s a link with the product info: www.homedepot.com/s/electrical%2520conduit?NCNI-5 I bent 45˚ angles on the 1/2" pipe with a pipe bending tool: www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-1-2-in-Aluminum-Conduit-Bender-and-Handle-56206/100660166 No need to buy one, I just used it while I was in the store! When I got home, I hammered the 3/4" pipe into the ground, then slid the 1/2" pipe into it from the top. Next I secured both pipes together with a sheet metal screw, and sprayed with Rustoleum paint to provide color and prevent rust. The last step was to add a hook at the top to hang the feeder from.

@@Frankenfixit Genius and so resourceful! Impressive indeed!

What’s wrong with finches? They’re small birds that don’t consume large seeds & nuts, which saves on supplies and prevents scraps that would attract pigeons, doves, and squirrels. I still see other birds like chickadees and cardinals since they eat the berries on my taxus/yew bushes, so it didn’t seem necessary to purchase seeds for native birds since they already have a food source. Sunflower seed is so commonly used, so I thought it would be interesting to use thistle seed instead since it attracts bright colorful birds.

I mount my bird feeders on a 4x4 treated post, and have a galvanized squirrel baffle on the post that was $20. The baffle keep 99 percent of the squirrels off in the year I have used it. Now I don’t worry about feeder type and I feed the birds whatever they like. Most good feeder companies like Droll Yankee will replace squirrel damaged feeders, but the cost of feeding them in the first place is outrageous. Just my 2 cents.

@@Frankenfixit I'm with you. I fell in love with finches by accident just two weeks ago. A 'mama hen' surprizingly built her nest in earnest within a day of purchasing a red robin potted tree I had placed directly in front of a floor-to-ceiling window by my fully-windowed back door. From both my kitchen table and counter where I do much of my prep work in the kitchen, I watched her build an elaborate nest and 'privacy' screen which eventually blocked out my view of most of her nest --- but not from every angle. She's got 4 one-half inch eggs. Unfortunately, a windy-rainy storm 2 days ago blew away most of her pre-positioned privacy cover. She's now sitting on her nest in full view (from me) with the occasional visit from her babies' daddy. Because I spend so much time cooking in the kitchen, she is very much aware I'm in view and seems comfortable enough not to fly off but I don' go right up close to the window. Last week, I bought a new nyjer feeder, seeder, cleaner, brush set etc. for her and her growing 'family' and placed it at the other end of the garden where I was hoping she'd see it. As luck would have it, I saw a finch on the feeder in less than 48 hours of setting it up. I'm still learning as it's raining right now, the feeder is outside -- thump to head! I should not have left it outside! Many thanks for the guidance and important lessons learned. No doubt, I have so much more to learn and like Arnold said, "I'll be back!". I hope to share good news about new 'hatchlings" and sucessful fledglings in due course ... <fingers, toes & eyes crossed!>

I don't have thistle plants in my yard, I just buy the seeds for the birds to eat. If there’s any waste that falls out, it would be just the shells, which are like oregano (since the seeds are so small,) and biodegrade into the soil. That’s one of the reasons I stopped using sunflower seeds, because sunflower shells don’t degrade quickly and leave a mess, and are an attractant to raccoons and squirrels. This problem doesn't seem to happen with thistle seeds.

Actually they're not the same, however, I DID have some thistle grow wild in my yard, I let it go and I never had so many goldfinches in my life! It was a natural feeder for them and they were there every day for about a month. Being a nature photographer this was a delightful experience and I hope the thistle replants itself next year. I had to tell my landscaper not to cut it down. Milkweed is also great for butterflies and my catbirds love the wild pokeweed plants that grow. I think my bird visit my yard not for my feeders but for all the other things it provides.

Thanks for the sub Marv! And I don’t mean a sandwich! Ha ha

I think the goldfinches like the sock because there's more room to move around and also they can feed upside-down. The purple finches seem to prefer the tube feeder since it has perches.

@@Frankenfixit You are right, I got one yesterday. The Purples get on there but soon move to the tubes with sunflower seeds.

When I was a kid I had the small, square, paperback versions of those books, so when I found the hardcover versions on Amazon I had to buy! I’ll hold onto them in case I have kids when I get older. Books are great gifts because they don't need batteries or software updates!