How to Make a Bird Feeder // Woodworking | I Like To Make Stuff

I wanted to replace an old, dingy bird feeder with a new one!
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Now that I live in my grandad's old house, I find tons of his woodworking projects around. One that we really enjoy is this big bird feeder right outside our dining room. He made it a while back, and it's a little worse for ware, so I thought it was time to remake my grandad's design with some fresh materials.
If you've ever taken a shop class in school or done a woodworking project as a child, there's a pretty good chance you've made a birdhouse. Wood selection may not have been a priority, probably using cheap pine boards from the home center. Whatever wood choose must be able to withstand the rigors of outdoor use.
My research has shown that the cedar bird feeder shouldn't be finished with anything, unless you wanted to paint it. I thought some spar urethane or protective coating was necessary, but many, many opinions pointed to leaving the cedar bare and letting it resist the weather like it should.
I purchased some cedar 1x4s from the home center to make this bird feeder. My grandad's design required mostly wide, flat boards to make up the roof, walls, and base, rather than dimensional planks. In order to get those flat panels, the 1x4s had to glue together on the short sides. Typically, pine 1x4s shrink as they dry and original 90 degree cuts end up rounding over. To remove these soft and distinct edges you can use a jointer or a table saw to create a flatter face appropriate for panel making.
Cedar doesn't shrink in the same way when drying, so these short faces were pretty flat and clean. To join the boards together, I simply used a biscuit jointer to keep the 1x4s aligned during glue-up. I cut and glued the sections that would become the roof, the two walls, and the bird feeder's fenced-in floor.
I didn't have any dimensions or plans to go by, I just used my grandad's existing bird feeder and tried to replicate it as best I could. Using some double-sided tape to keep the wall pieces together, I cut them both with the circular saw to form their final shape. The two roof panels just needed a simple bevel on one edge so when glued together, it matched the pitch of the roof. To find the roof pitch, I simply used the cutoff pieces from the side walls and set my table saw blade to that angle. I then cut a small dado in the sides of each wall panel so that glass walls could slide into place.
The two remaining walls will be made of glass panes so that you can see how much bird seed is left in the feeder. I had some left over pieces of glass, but they were too big for this project and needed to be cut down. I used a hand-held glass cutter with a straightedge to score some nice clean lines on a few sheets of glass. After applying some slight pressure at the edges, the glass snapped along the score lines and the remaining walls were ready to be slid into place. I cut some small spacers out of scrap cedar to stop the glass walls from hitting the base panel. This gap will allow the bird seed to spill out the bottom but create enough of a jam that the seeds will trickle out over time.
Now that the roof is all glued up, the walls have been cut, and the base panel had a small retaining wall added, it was time to assemble the feeder. I attached the wooden walls to the base panel using glue and screws from the underside. I went outside and took down the old bird feeder from its post and removed the old mounting screws. Using some new outdoor decking hardware, I screwed the updated bird feeder's base onto the post. Once mounted, I slid in the two glass pieces onto the small spacers.
I didn't want the roof to be permanently fixed, so I connected the roof to the side walls using some hooks and springs. This system will allow me to easily slide the roof on and off again while being strong enough to stay in place during high winds. The bid feeder was fully assembled. The only thing left to do was to add a whole bunch of bird seed and this project was done. MUSIC: share.epidemicsound.com/iltms
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How to Make a Bird Feeder // Woodworking | I Like To Make Stuff
• How to Make a Bird Fee...
I Like To Make Stuff
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[@williampeppers812]

I just watched with my daughter. She 100% on board in making this. Thanks for the video. Simple and easy to follow.

[@reforzar]

Fun to make something your grandfather made thirty years ago.

[@davypasquet2268]

I\'m not sure but ,if anyone else wants to learn about building a bird aviary plans try Panlarko Expert Aviary Planner (should be on google have a look ) ? Ive heard some amazing things about it and my mate got cool success with it.

[@life_score]

Maybe grandma

[@theburris]

My toddler watched the entire video and said two things... “He’s gots a Star Wars shirt!” And “I want to watch that again” 👍

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Your kid sounds awesome ! :)

[@theburris]

Thanks! Except now he wants a new bird feeder 😂

[@muhammadejas5033]

☺☺☺

[@HelloKitty-sd9vs]

Haha, ur just saying that cuz his kid likes ur vid

[@NENAD1979J]

hi everyone ,if anyone else wants to uncover bird aviary construction try Panlarko Expert Aviary Planner (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some awesome things about it and my mate got cool success with it.

[@RSpudieD]

This turned out really nice and I like that you remade an old version. Good job, bob!

[@crucialjosh5951]

I love your videos bob! I always look forward to watching them, I hope I can see you at makers fair in nyc this year!!

[@temersonAP]

Great project, Bob! A quick tip to make cutting the glass easier: use a cheap brush to run a little WD-40 along the cut line before you score it. When you do this, the cut has less of a tendency to run wildly when you snap them apart.

[@fdelacou]

Also, do only one pass with the glass cutter! Multiple passes mess the glass and does not cut straight. You can then snap the glass by fixing the glass from the edge. Trying to force the glass to break on the entire length does not work as you have learned... ;-) Great videos btw! Keep it going!

[@nitchmakes7550]

Bob I love how you make replacements for old items around your home. Awesome

[@sgsax]

Great back-to-basics project that anyone can do. Family-friendly too! Thanks for sharing!

[@MikeTatman]

Awesome little project. We have tons of birds in our back yard. I think I’m going to take a shot at one of these!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Great! I hope it's helpful!

[@nw7696]

Love it's simplicity yet functionality by design! I'll be building this one for sure, thanks for sharing. 👍🏻

[@badbernrock]

Nice squirrel feeder

[@PatrickHennessey1764]

In my opinion this is one of your best looking projects, I love cedar look. Great job Bob!

[@NowieC]

I love the smell of a wood shop! Great project!

[@felixfromnebraska8648]

Great project Bob, Your videos are so good at teaching us how but also leaving some options as well. Thanks for all of your great content!

[@MakeThings]

Bob, I'm glad to see people use biscuits, especially people with large subscription numbers. I feel like the biscuit joiner needs some love, so thanks for that. 😁

[@RobJames9914]

Love the project, simple and effective. Great explanation of using a biscuit joiner, I might invest in one and your description simplified the use and settings.

[@julianvidal7361]

Bob, quick tip on cutting glass: just score it ONCE. Even if it's not 100% perfect, the more you score it the more chances of the glass choosing the wrong "path" to follow when you separate it (which is what happened on your first try). I know this from my experience doing stained glass. In fact, the very fist time I cut class I scored it more than once and failed! After some practice you learn to hear for the right sound the scoring tool makes when you are using the right kind of pressure. By the way, I own at least 12 different scoring tools from the fanciest-oil-lubricated-titanium one to the plastic shitty ones; my favorite one is the shitty one and the one I use for all my work. I haven't noticed that more expensive scoring tools make for better cuts.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Good tips, thanks! I did notice pretty quickly that more scores didn't really help.

[@mikecurtin9831]

Good tip, Julian. What's actually going on is that you're inducing a stress riser in a very brittle material. The sharper the stress riser the better, so more is NOT a good thing. You can buy special pliers pretty cheap that have three bumps on the jaws, two spread out on one jaw and one centered on the other jaw. To use them you score the glass, then quickly align the single bump on that jaw with the score mark (but on the non-scored side of the glass) and gently squeeze. I used to do custom picture framing for a living, so I had the chance to get very good at this. One other tip is to wear light cotton gloves when handling the glass. It minimizes smearing of both finger oil and blood on the glass. :-)

[@nixalenearnett391]

@@mikecurtin9831 o

[@KostasStergio]

Great job..i will make one too for my house...you are the best

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks so much!

[@johncichon9499]

You did a great job of communicating. I'm an experienced wood worker but never built a bird house. My grandson and I will be doing some next week. Thanks!

[@SuperBigAl55]

Great project! I love the use of the biscuit joiner and showing us how to cut glass. Thanks Bob!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks so much Alex!!

[@JJPetro]

Nice looking job, looks great! I offer the following: sand the edges of the glass so that no one (or bird) can be cut on the edges, and biscuits absorb the moisture from the glue to actually swell in the pocket. Helps lock them in place. A nice bit of info for the newcomer to biscuit joinery.

[@SydnificantMe]

This is awesome. Love the design especially the springs

[@ryanbutler3216]

Love the bird feeder. Make sure you "tweet" about it

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Ha!

[@CaptainDominic]

Super simple project but done with such elegance.

[@NJDJ17]

man I STILL love that intro, never gets old. quick and snappy love it

[@GreenDeetype]

Nice & easy - thank you. The birds will love it.

[@Mikeforcier]

Especially the robins!! Seriously tho, nice feeder!!!

[@Hubbmade]

Simple project, but good tips like the glass and angle finding. Thanks, Bob!

[@marcosrodriguez8359]

Good job Bob! Even though it's a simple project, it's still very interesting to watch!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks! I hope it's got something helpful in it!

[@phinsappenfield1345]

Nicely displayed with energy and creativity.

[@equalizer1553]

Better DIY explanation and tips in this video than other recent videos, thanks Bob

[@fouroakscrafts7240]

Great video and bird feeder project. It's cool that you could use your grandad's inspiration and design to make this project.

[@kevincheadle7946]

I love how you make simple projects fun and interesting to watch thanks amigo

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Kevin! I really appreciate that :) Sometimes I second guess simple projects like this but I'm always glad that I make a video about them in the end.

[@kevincheadle7946]

I Like To Make Stuff your a cool dude

[@FernandoKugi]

Cool, you should make a hole to drain the rain water... Nice video man!

[@nelsongameiro6462]

I thought the same thing!

[@masterofnone]

Every first glass cut I make looks like your first Bob.

[@senfdame528]

After you scored the glas with the cutting tool, you need to tap it lightly on the cut line with the cutting tool. The glass will just crack in two pieces by itself. (Sorry for bad english)

[@chrisnoyes9397]

You only need to score once, then snap

[@davebauerart]

Master of None yeah I have a lot of spare glass to use for slightly smaller projects.

[@ryanedwardking]

Very cool. A little big for us but easy to scale. Thanks Bob!

[@RedHillian]

Thanks Bob - you make my Thursdays more fun! Sad to see you're not the "ClampChamp" this week though, but that just means I have to search YourTube until I find who is! ;)

[@smallpotatoes8226]

Keeping it fun! Awesome project.

[@MCsCreations]

Awesome work, Bob! Really nice! 😊 My father made something like that in our farm... And I would love to make one here too, but... 6 cats... It wouldn't be healthy for the birds. 😐

[@0ri0n77]

Cats would love it! Do it for them :D

[@MCsCreations]

G. Filipe B. 😨

[@untitled6011]

MC's Creations bird feeder

[@B4UClose]

That would make it a cat feeder!

[@domsquaaa4323]

Or the cats...

[@JackplaneJohnny]

Great project! I also struggle with glass cutting and have to relearn every time. I recently learned that the big blue box store that starts with an L will cut glass, mirror, and plexi to size for you. Way easier and much less stressful.

[@stevenpotter2283]

One important tip re glass cutting is that the cutter wheel needs to be lubricated (1) so it will roll smoothly and (2) so the lubricant (usually kerosene) will keep the crack open until the two pieces of glass are fully separated. Glass is more liquid than you would think and the score mark of the cutter wheel will actually "heal" over very quickly unless it's keep open.

[@SouthernStyleDIY]

That's pretty cool! I really like the springs to make the refilling easy!

[@craftypam9992]

Me too, though I wondered why they weren't inside the house instead of outside. Being as they let the roof clear the sides for easy filling, it would keep them out of the rain.

[@andydavidson4108]

Great project. Going to start mine today. Thanks.

[@p_mouse8676]

Normally people use feeders in the winter though lol. Cute project!

[@johnsmithSongbird]

Good show Please remember safety is always a must If you cut off a finger they don't grow back

[@peterpoertner7042]

Fun little project to fill an afternoon!

[@robinanderson2758]

Hi Bob, Yes! That is a great bird feeder, and a really nice way to use the materials great video to present it with and definitely will be my next project. Robbie Bird Box. U. K. 🐦

[@stuffsethmakes]

A note about your glass cutting... my first job ever (about 21 years ago) was at Michaels Arts & Crafts in the frame shop. I cut a lot of glass! That tool you were using has a ball on the end, and what I was taught is first you score the glass with the cutter, then you gently run the ball over the score line in the OPPOSITE side of the glass. This completes the crack/cut and you’re good to go. 👍🏻

[@MaltandMake]

Loads of really useful tips in this one, can't wait for the 'bits' series to come out to hear more!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks man!!

[@daniishi]

I’ve used your bird feeder as model to my prototype and I’ve read someone suggesting to use portrait glass to save some money! And since mine is smaller, I’ve used on the roof 2 small door fold. Thank you for this amazing project!!

[@breck112000]

Hi, great bird feeder. You may need some drainage holes in that for when it rains. Thank you for the wonderful video.

[@jeremygunkel]

I love biscuits and grave. Nice job on the bird feeder! High five!

[@SpecificLove7]

Really nice bird feeder

[@frazahmad5268]

Bob loving the show. Loving the projects you are doing. Also really enjoying the outtakes :)

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Fraz! I really appreciate that!!

[@rodrigoreitz7699]

Ficou perfeita. Um belo projeto. Parabéns! (It was perfect. A beautiful project. Congratulations!)

[@lukasbacher7317]

Nice project! To cut glass easier, you can simply add some oil on the line before you use the cuttingtool. Try to run the tool only once over the line to prevent multiple cracks.

[@markb8954]

Yes, thats a key trick. Scribe the cutting line once.

[@FOMI1970]

On behalf of all the birds in your neighborhood ... Thanks , Bob :-))

[@RochelleJahdiCo]

Awesome work. Just finished your book - great job! Loved it. Keep on keepin on!

[@gabriellord9214]

Been wondering about this (and nest boxes, other types of feeder etc.) for a while... Thanks for sharing this tutorial!

[@notloser9999]

Nice Bird Feeder and Awesome Project👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jwodehouse7087]

Well done. Held on thru the whole video. You have good shop tools and the right saws to help get this done right. Love that super extra large tray. To my eye it’s big but still in proportion.

[@AndrewMcQuillen]

Great idea Bob. And you could always use dowels instead of a biscuit jointer😀

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Very true!

[@MakeBrooklyn]

Nice! The springs holding down the roof is a pretty nifty design feature!

[@mill9400]

Great video, I ended up building something similar with some scrap cedar fence pickets. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@chuculan1]

Thanks bob. Made one these feeders this morning. Looks great. I used Perspex instead of glass

[@mariamoraes-ow8mr]

Casa linda! Amo os pássaros!

[@stephenrees438]

Nice! My home backs up to a golf course with about a 50’ wooded area as buffer. I see woodpeckers and cardinals on a regular basis. I think I’ll make one of these as well and see what else I can attract. Thanks for sharing and I enjoy your videos.

[@cliffcarlo180]

I went to the lumber yard and picked up some nice T&G floorboards, glued 3 together at a time to make some wider boards. They were pretty inexpensive too.compared to other boards/planks. Wasn't sure if they would hold up in the weather even after treating with wood preserver (outside only) 2 years later and they are still doing well (all 3). They hold way more seed than those tube feeders. I particularly like the roof construction with less chance of the weather seeping in through a hinged lid. Nice build, so thanks for sharing your design.

[@markharris5771]

One of the best explanations I’ve seen on KZbin of how to do something. Is there a reason you chose glass over Perspex or another acrylic glass substitute please? Brilliant video and an instant subscribe.

[@Darrytools]

Awesome project.

[@sgtk1llroy1]

Thank you enjoyed your helpful tips, I added a cross member to provide more stability to the sides. Now if I can keep the squirrels away!

[@ludomak3922]

Merci, je vais essayer de réaliser cette belle mangeoire avant l'hiver, good job from Paris, Thanks.

[@bluedeath996]

You need to gently tap along the cut on the glass so the crack goes deeper and then snap it in one movement. You can also run the cut through a flame to make the break. It is also a good idea to flame the edges with a blue flame. This rounds over the corners a little and makes it less likely to cut you.

[@CGagnon5]

I personally found that using a bit of oil helped with scoring glass. You are definitely right that you don't need to push hard; I made the same mistake the first time I tried to use one. If you push too hard the scoring tool doesn't spin, and that's what actually scores the glass. I struggled with those things for a while making some custom mirrors for a nursery. I went through many bad cuts before I finally got the hang of it Great work as always! edit: oh wow, the way you set the blade for the roof was genius. I would not have though of that! Great tip

[@harrykarsten1144]

Great video, like this guy and how he presents ...

[@jandrew2514]

Liked before even watching because i know i will like it. Edit: And obviously i did. Lol, keep it up Bob

[@Iliketomakestuff]

:) Thanks Andrew!

[@debbydhill]

Great build, birds are going to love it.

[@jesusislord102]

Great project. Might be an idea to drill a couple of holes in the base to let rain drain off so you dont get standing water

[@yolguimieres88]

There are several things for building an aviary: Give yourself enough time. Use ready made boat templates. (I learned about these and more on Aviary magic method site )

[@user-up1gt9sm2z]

Great project!

[@comanderhomer]

This is you going to be great for a summer project for my kid.

[@matthewthomasrich]

Great camera angles!

[@matthewthomasrich]

Also, great speed of moving through the project!

[@dannys69]

Video idea: Life hack video for creating stuff, example that tip you gave about cutting the roof cornners. I think that video would help out a lot of people.

[@EinReim]

Awesome project :) When building this kind of bird feeder, I think it's good to mention how important it is to keep the platform clean. Where I live, almost 40% of the greenfinch population died because of a diseas transmitted trough birdfood mixed with faeces in birdfeeders.

[@melvinpowell1769]

Love the bird feeder.

[@isaiahfiftythree5334]

That bird feeder is so good, I wish I'd be brave enough to use these tools 😳

[@123Oussama123]

great job !! RESPECT

[@twoweary]

I'm gonna make one of these now that winter is starting. Think I'll go with a smaller tray (so little birds can't crap in it) and put some dowels in for perches. Great project !

[@beamer101A]

Quick tip about cutting glass do not go over your score line. Score the glass once then break. id it a straight cut you can line the score line with the edge of a table and push down on the over hang. I loved your video. Great Job.

[@M3D1C2121]

Such a nice house, with a huge backyard and work space. Type of place I'd love to own one day. Oh right ya, nice bird house xD

[@Harleyguy03]

I made a similar covered platform feeder of similar dimensions out of 2 cedar fence boards ½"x6"x6'. Cost was under $10.00. Biggest problem I had was that I had to weigh down the (lightly) clamped glued up edges so the boards wouldn't bow. Then I sealed them to protect and prevent warpage....Great video.

[@scootersworkbench6347]

Great project for the kids to help with. I also love that you've added the gag reel at the end. :)

[@blizatrex]

Looks great; it should last at least as long as the one before. One caveat about moving the feeder closer to the house is that small critters may be eating what falls off and moving it closer will have them that much closer to the house.

[@OfficialMr.T]

I wouldn't call it simple but this was an awesome bird feeder, well done! 👍

[@MrHandwerk]

I like the Stuff ! Very nice project, greeting MrHAndwerk :)

[@celestialdream49]

Great idea with the springs holding the roof. Although ... I would have opted to mount them on the inside. I would also coat everything with a clear sealer (Varthane)

[@WayofWood]

The springs are a good idea!

[@giorgospapafotiou7311]

Hello from Athens,Greece!Very nice!

[@dwmonk2000]

Love the bird feeder. Kept up the good work.

[@warwickwoodshop8358]

Cool design, promised to replace my grandparents bird feeder - may have to swap my initial (boring) idea for this one! Great video as always.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Excellent! I hope it's helpful!

[@hippoandbearmakes3416]

The bird feeder turned out great! Great video!

[@MoonshineMetalworks]

Really enjoyed this one. Nice an simple and there's ways around most of it if you don't have a tablesaw or biscuit jointer. Might even have a go myself.

[@KevinMoulart]

Another nice one ! I love the cedar sap wood contrast !