Making a Red Squirrel feeder from scrap wood

#onehandedwoodworking #redsquirrel #buildsomething
This video is just as much an appeal as a build. Having a bit of spare time in the workshop I took some scrap wood and made a feeder for the red squirrels in our back garden. I'd like to encourage all makers when they have some downtime in their sheds/workshops/garages to go and make something that will help and support the wildlife!
You can follow us on instagram:
/ l_and_p_hand_i_craft
Contact us at: [e-mail]

[@Hand-i-Craft]

BTW, the red squirrel footage at the end of the video is in real time, not speeded up. That’s how fast and agile these amazing creatures are😀

[@christynm.8933]

THE FACT THAT YOU DID ALL OF THIS WITH ONLY ONE ARM/HAND IS AMAZING!🤯😲😂👍♥️👏👏👏

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thank you Christyn, very kind of you. If you are interested I’ve got quite a lot of content on my channel since then, including building my own workshop 💪😀👍

[@tlaw5264]

Good job mate nice to know people are still working to help nature and put a little back rather than just the usual human mentality of destroy and take

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks T Law. They are stunning creatures, but sadly terribly endangered. Any little we can do to help 😀👍

[@neilwayte517]

came across your video this morning and making a feeder was on my list.We are lucky in our situation because we live in a mobile home and out the back of our garden fence we see roe deer and foxes regularly. I can even call the foxes in to feed them.I have been called many things but never a maker but i rather like the term. Unfortunatly i then realised your woodwork was better than mine and you do it one handed. Which proves how quickly i can go off people quickly lol. Will check out your other bits soon.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers Neil and welcome on board, hope you enjoy my other content 👍😀

[@Bill.L.Carroll]

You've a big heart, you're a good man! 👍 Holy bat, crapman... Those guys are soooo fast... I think they'd give Flash a run for his coin! 🎉Congrats on cracking over 500 subs🎉 Here comes 1000K and counting...

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers Bill, I genuinely appreciate the time you take to post messages on my videos. You come across as a really positive person and I am a great admirer of that quality😀. Best wishes, Leo

[@Bill.L.Carroll]

@@Hand-i-Craft thanks, mate. My sentiments exactly, your videos are inspiring and a pleasure to watch. 👍 Glad you plucked up the courage to step in front of the camera, you're a natural. 👏 Looking forward to the next upload.

[@kennyatkins6448]

When you started KZbin you didn’t say much, now you can’t stop talking, not a criticism I think it’s great you’ve built your confidence. Good video by the way.👍🥃🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks Kenny, didn’t think at one point you’d ever see me in front of the camera. Starting this up certainly has helped to rebuild my confidence that I have to say was in tatters not that long ago. Thanks for the feedback sir and cheers to you🥃😀

[@larrywalby6933]

Very good ideas

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks Larry 😀👍

[@mwest0894]

Thanks for showing how to build the feeder i love watching my squirrels. And I have one to release in the spring and i will keep feeding her.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks Q for your comment. They really are fantastic creatures 👍😀

[@1959ticktock]

Not to play down the building of the feeder Leo, which was fantastic of course, but that footage of the squirrels is awesome. Thanks. And congratulations on the 500 subs. Many more to come I'm sure.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

To be honest ticktock, this video is so much less about the build and so much more a celebration of these magnificent creatures and wildlife in general 😀.

[@bl4ze600]

I wish I could use the feeder for my grey squirrels

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Where we live Nathaniel we have to report any sighting of a grey squirrel as they are a real threat to the endangered red population.

[@bl4ze600]

@@Hand-i-Craft I see about 5 of them every day

[@negotiableaffections]

Hi Leo, I'm definitely a maker, just not sure what shape or form! We here, in our garden, are keen conservationists [that's not just an excuse to leave the garden as a wildlife habitat haha] but we have bird boxes & feeders and try to accomodate any wild thing that happens by. Great idea of yours to create more makers and make them environmentally aware too! - Btw thats not a 'Squirrel feeder' its more of a 'Peanut Bank' that the crafty little blighters steal from when peckish. Great build.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Peanut bank😀, I love it. Interesting Keith that I made the side walls a little lower than you’d normally see in a pet shop and the result is the magpies can’t get in it! Watched videos back of them trying but no joy, reds having no trouble though😀

[@designer-garb572]

This is just what I was looking for, I have an abundance of squirrels in my garden and want to make a Nut Bank (Squirrel feeder) too, You did well especially one-handed. Squirrels whilst living in the wild can become very tame and used to humans and I like the idea that we can live in harmony together, you have a new subscriber.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers Designer. We’re really lucky to have red squirrels where I live and I love watching them from the lounge😀

[@johnhoffman6574]

I've been lookin up on DIY squirrel feeder, but too crafty!! This is simple..easy to understand. Thank you!

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks John, it’s just a guided idea what to do with whatever scrap you’ve got available😀. Glad you found it useful, what I can say is it certainly works! Best wishes, Leo

[@theweepinghunter]

fab vid and cracking footage of red squirrel

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers joseph, they are magnificent to watch 😀

[@johnjohnstone254]

Nice wee project for the kids thank you.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Great if the kids can get involved with stuff like this John. Get them off virtual making things like minecraft and instead making real things that make a real difference😀

[@the_humble_workshop5718]

Love it, 👌👌👌👍👍

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers humble😀

[@davepaine991]

Works well. Have a few feeders in our yard that I help make with the kids years ago, a bit ragged now, may be due for an upgrade. 😁

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Nice one Dave, remember a spare hour is all it takes😀

[@rasmo243]

The last 2 years I have cut wood and pre drilled nail holes for bird boxes and bug boxes and given them to my local school for the kid's to put together they then sell them at the Christmas fair and the school keeps the proceeds and the ones that don't sell get hung in the school but they usually all sell the kid's love doing it and it helps fund the school the wood is from pallets that I get from local businesses I have been looking at thickness planners as most of the pallet wood is very uneven

[@Hand-i-Craft]

That is a fantastic gesture Rasmo. I’ve noticed Aldi (Ferrex) now do thicknesser planers on occasion so if you’re UK based might be worth keeping an eye out for? I know James Mancave channel uses one of them if you want to see it in action

[@alasdairmackenzie515]

Excellent! Wonderful video - succeeds on so many levels. Thank you for posting - and many congrats on 500 subs too!!

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers Alasdair😀, the red squirrels certainly are the star of this show 😀

[@traviss4444]

i am enjoying all your videos carpenter by trade but i still love making bird boxes, bee hotels even bat boxes From my scrap a few years ago now for scouts DIY badge we made a ridiculous amount of bird boxes my sons watch blokes playing video game which i think is crazy i suspect you wont get that amount of subscribers but i for one will really appreciate your efforts for ME 😊

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers traviss😀. Forgot to mention in the video we get bats swooping around the garden at various times of the year. This time of year they are quite prevalent at sunset. Keep up the good work with the nature builds!

[@OldManTony]

Brilliant job! I built a hedgehog house last autumn, but I need a squirrel feeder I’ve just been videoing a couple of greys helping theirselves to our bird food hahahahah! I just posted it on Instagram. I like your design

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers tony, get building😀

[@paulmorris2690]

Nice project and congratulations on getting over 500 subscribers ATB Paul

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Cheers Paul, much appreciated 😀

[@toddhower8215]

like your design. I bought one off amazon but the wood is just warping and it is falling a part after being outside for a month or two. Using the scrap 2x4 was a good choice to add some mass to it.... thinking about making one myself.. this was helpful

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks Todd, if you’ve got any treated scrap timber it makes it even better. Seen plenty of squirrel, bird and hedgehog feeders being sold online that are clearly poor quality but quite expensive. Hope if you put one together it’ll be better!

[@sumosprojects]

G’day mate, a fellow Aussie Bill Carroll suggested your channel to check on & it’s a good un, just subscribed mate 🍻🍻👍👍👍

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Hello Sir, thanks for the comment. Although I’ve never met him personally, top bloke Bill and I always enjoy reading his comments 😀

[@garvielloken3929]

great work! does the ferrex impact driver stick

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks Garviel. Excuse my ignorance, but when you ask about ‘stick’, do you mean it not driving in a fixing? I know everything is speeded up in the vid, but towards the end I drive a huge fixing into the poplar tree as the first fixing was too small, I had to retract it a bit I almost drove it in too far! It’s very powerful, I’ve used it for a couple of weeks now and am very happy with it😀

[@myrabbitispink]

this is lovely, they are very cute to watch, but please don't feed them peanuts or almonds, those aren't good for squirrles. keep up the good work

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Thanks C S. We’re very lucky to have these amazing animals in our back garden. They successfully made a drey in one of the trees around three years ago so we have permanent residents now😀. Just out of interest where did you get the information about not feeding them peanuts? I know about almonds, but as far as I’m aware peanuts (not salted obviously, we put out the monkey but type in their shells) are ok but not too many as it can cause a calcium issue. We put some out but also stuff like mixed seeds, hazelnuts etc. Cheers for the message 😀

[@bayadere8308]

For every person saying x is bad for x there is one saying the complete opposite. For example: Nuts/Seeds-"Two per day, preferably in the shell. Acorns, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, and almonds are the healthiest, followed by hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts, in that order." My squirrels, which I hand feed, will always prefer almonds more than any other nut. One squirrel is four years old.

[@JamesManCave]

My, what lovely nuts you have leo,......... said the squirrel! I like things like this 👍

[@Hand-i-Craft]

😀You been watching Carry On films again James? 😀

[@JamesManCave]

@@Hand-i-Craft Oooo matron!

[@LyneisFilm]

Squirrel Raids Bird Feeder - Cyclotron Physicist Builds a Squirrel Cafe. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2GvppifitCVb8U

[@malcolmtemporal6571]

I built a bed table in Cyprus and two years has had no birds in it food in there but no birds

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Sorry to hear this Malcom, has there been a decline in the bird population in Cyprus in recent years?

[@gregcohane1095]

As a beginner I know I’d benefit from some dimensions. Looks not so hard until I start, then it’s rubbish.

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Fair point Greg. I tell you what I’ll do, I’m mad busy until the weekend but I’ll check the dimensions for you some point over the weekend and post them here as a reply. Do you want just the basic backboard, shelf, side pieces and lid?

[@texashobbies2216]

If y'all going to talk that much at the beginning y'all could have way better information y'all just wasted 4 minutes of valuable time to explain what the measurements were even though it was scrap wood and if you did explain I had to zone out because of the Extra B.S that was mixed in with it

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Apologies Texas Hobbies that the video isn’t what you hoped it would be. I think a large part of it for me was just to get folk here in the U.K. to do a bit more of the wildlife as we are currently at risk of losing species like the hedgehog and the red squirrel is one of the most endangered animals in the country. I didn’t do dimensions or a cut list as (as you said) it was just bits of scrap I had lying around and I screwed them together. I’m sorry it didn’t meet your expectations, best wishes, Leo 😀

[@texashobbies2216]

@@Hand-i-Craft that's great but anyone that will click on your video to see how that feeder is made is wanting to help the squirrels some others might use it as a squirrel feeder for hunting but I have a few squirrels in my yard I would like feed next time like I suggested just say the measurements for the feeders even though it's scrap wood and save the other B.S for last you could've talked over the squirrel footage and got your message out that way by the way that footage was crazy

[@Hand-i-Craft]

Fair comment Texas, will take on board your feedback for future videos. Cheers. Leo

[@texashobbies2216]

@@Hand-i-Craft I went ahead and subscribed just because of the footage of the squirrels and seeing how that feeder turned out and the story of why you built the feeders