Fantastic little project to do with the nieces and nephews for their mom and dad for the holidays , Thank you for thanking the time out to break it down step by step for us “ newbies “
thanks for the plans i made six last march and fledged over 40 bluebirds and 20 wrens and a few sparrows and one attempted clutch of tree swallows i am completing four more boxes today Not bad for a seventy year old lady!!! I appreciated your lesson on blunting a nail I used screws but stored that info for another time! have a happy day
Thank you so much, Danny! I think this is a pretty good little project for doing with the littles. I'll definitely be building more when the grands are a little bigger! Thank you for watching, as always!
Well done, excellent explanation of steps. Thanks . I read up on eastern bluebirds and i have 9 prime locations 300 feet apart for nesting bixes. I’m on # 3 now with 6 more to go. I’ll install them march 1st 204. Thanks so much for your help. Stay healthy and god bless.
Thanks so much for such a great video. Your instructions were perfect and easy to follow. I’m new to woodworking and this was a fun project. I made 5 houses yesterday to share with friends and family. Now we wait to see what the bluebirds think!
That's great Elizabeth! I'm getting ready to start on some new ones too. I'm using hickory for the entry guard....it's hard and should deter squirrels! Thanks for watching!
@sherrcon Thanks for watching, here's the link: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO on making a birdhouse. < Tip on hole-saws and spade bits and Forstener bits...drill almost all the way thru the material and then turn the piece over and put your center bit into the hole that's there and GENTLY finish drilling your hole. When it breaks thru, the shear will be inside the hole and both your surfaces will be smooth and clean. > (when using hole-saw...doing this procedural trick will leave 2/3 of the plug sticking out of the hole-saw; where you can pull it out easily, without dis-assembling your cutter.) PS your 'stache looks KEWL
Suggestion: Paint it BLUE! We haven't seen blue birds here in 35 years ... UNTIL I planted a bunch of trees and marked them with blue flags! Now I saw one last year and two this year already.
I enjoyed your video. I am a total novice and I greatly appreciate your breaking this down in an orderly fashion. How can I obtain the plans? By far the best video I've viewed. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching, here's the link: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
Thanks for watching, here's the link: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
I've just started making bird houses out of PVC pipe. I wonder if I could get a bluebird to live in one... Needs to be at least 6" PVC, which I have, so I'll have to try it. Great video too! Thank you!
@@dwcoffey I just put one up last weekend that I made for a downy woodpecker, and we already have a resident! I want sure if a woodpecker would go for a PVC house, but one did!!
Thank you for watching, Gail! See the drawing in the video at 1:35, at the bottom it gives a detail of how to cut the board. But, you can actually cut them in any order as there is a touch of scrap left over form a 6ft board.
Thanks Dennis, I am not troubleshooting you or anything but don't you think the ventilation gap is too wide? To me, it looks like rain could easily get inside. Thank you for sharing!
John Reinburg thanks for watching, John! Yes, good point. I followed the plan but do think the gap’s a bit wide. I’ll try it and see how wet it gets inside after a good rain. If I build more like this, I think I’ll cut the sides an 1/8” longer to close that gap up a bit.
Whenever I use a hole saw I only ever saw half way through the material. Then I flip the material over and saw the rest of the way through utilizing the pilot hole as a starting point. The cuts meet in the middle and creates less friction and jamming of the hole saw compared to drilling all the way through.. This helps create neater holes on each side and helps prevent the core from lodging in the hole saw body. Adding a touch of candle way to the hole saw bell after it gets hole will help reduce friction allowing the teeth to cot cleaner. How about temporarily fastened the guard to the front utilizing the same screw location as permanent attachment, then drilling an appropriate sized pilot hole; then disassembling and hole sawing each item separate. Sure to line them up.
I’ve got an old garden hose reel, where the hose is wrapped around it. But instead of using garden hose, I store an 100’ electrical cord on it. This reel is mounted to a horizontal 2x6 on our patio, where I can wind cord onto reel. The back side I open. I’ve had this for about 20 years. Just this year 2022, a Blue bird built a nest in the cavity that accessible. There are two babies inside. Now I can’t use my extension cord and have to substitute to another source of power when necessary. Questions 🙋🏻♂️, must wood be 5/8” thick? Couldn’t it be 3/8” or even 1/2”? 🙋🏻♂️, at what height should the bird house be placed, I don’t have any trees or wooden posts to mount bird houses. Would it be ok to mount bird houses on hurricane fence, extending about half way above top rail? 🙋🏻♂️How close or distance apart should bird houses be, if I were to have several? I have scrap pallet material and really don’t want to buy wood for bird houses. I copied your plan detail. I enjoyed your video 👍🏻💪🦾🇺🇸 4-27-2022 Louisiana
Hey David, thanks for watching! I think you could use thinner wood, no problem. Most birds do well if the houses are placed about eye-level or higher, but some don't mind if the house is 3-4 feet off the ground. The biggest problem with lower mounting is that it makes it easier for predators to gain access to the box. Regarding spacing, at least 6 feet apart, some birds require more spacing away from other houses though....maybe 15-20 feet.
Thanks for watching, Brian! I'm no expert, but I think the idea is that often predators are squirrels or bigger birds. The added piece of wood will get chewed on by squirrels, but they usually give up before they get thru the guard and the face of the birdhouse. The added depth of the hole, due to the added thickness of the predator guard also makes it harder for larger birds to get in there.
Great Video Dennis. I built a Wren house and used a piece of galvanized Flashing cut square, added the hole and used 4 screws to mount on the outside. I also cut a few kerfs inside on front piece to help the chicks climb out and of course.... NO PERCH!
Hi Jeff, I'm sorry for the delay....day job gets in my way! haha. Here's where I found this plan: www2.dnr.state.mi.us/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif Thanks for watching! I hope you and your grandson enjoy the build!
Thank you for watching, Steve! The only problem with a perch is that it invites predators, at least in my area...specifically squirrels. Audubon Society recommends against perches on this type of house for that reason.
@@dwcoffey I put a feeder type bell below the nest, pretty effective, nothing gets past it, I can send you a picture. I rebuilt mine this year, a 4X4 post dark blue and the box a light blue, blue birds are so plentiful here I have nests in all three boxes and the old boxes I have waiting on the garbage the blue birds starting nesting in those. I put dowel rods on mine, they will sit on the rods sometime 10-15 minutes.
That's awesome! Having them sit on the perch for a while must be a treat. I like the idea of a bell below the nest. I'm going to try your setup, sounds nice. thanks Steve.
Thanks for watching, Thomas! It was several places on the internet, here's one of the links I found to the plan I used: www.pinterest.com/pin/160088961738437908/
I enjoyed your video but I would suggest a few changes to your plans. I think the top of the front and sides should be beveled 15 degrees along with both ends of the roof so it slants and creates a drip edge. Also the roof should have a longer overhang. Dropping the sides down 1/4” will provide ventilation and a finger pull for the side that flips up. I know it adds more work to the project but it’s better for the birds.
@@dwcoffey I didn't post to be snarky. I was curious what your floor dimension was, and if you think that it really made that much difference to the birds
No, I didn't take your post that way at all. I've not had any trouble getting bluebirds to nest in this box, or similar boxes. I accepted this design as useful due to Natl Audubon Society's recommendation of a 6x4 floor. Their dimensions are nominal, so I assumed 5-1/2 x 4 would work. Seems to do ok. I would guess a 5x5 floor would also work. Bluebirds can be a little picky, in my experience, but they seem to be more concerned about placement of the house than they are about size. I have no data to support that, but it just seems that way to me. :) Thanks again, Rick, I appreciate you watching and commenting!
Thanks for watching, Jeff! Here's a link to the plan: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
Simple explanation without the annoying introduction or music. Your plans are great and will use it to build with my kids. Best wishes 👍🏼
I appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching!
I know this is old but just wanted to let you know that I picked yours over all others birdhouse diy I have watched. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much! I appreciate you watching!
Fantastic little project to do with the nieces and nephews for their mom and dad for the holidays , Thank you for thanking the time out to break it down step by step for us “ newbies “
Yes sir, this is a great project to do with kids. Thank you for watching, Eric!
@@dwcoffey it really is a great project , plus it will be something their parents love when it’s all done 😉
thanks for the plans i made six last march and fledged over 40 bluebirds and 20 wrens and a few sparrows and one attempted clutch of tree swallows i am completing four more boxes today Not bad for a seventy year old lady!!! I appreciated your lesson on blunting a nail I used screws but stored that info for another time! have a happy day
That is just fantastic, Lisa! Great job!! Thank you for watching, and thank you for your kind comment. Keep up the good work!
New to wood work, measuring..
Going woodwork class, made 6 wood slim line pens, and now birdhouses.
Your clear to understand, smooth, easy to follow.
Thanks for watching!
thanks, you made it look simple
Thank you for watching!
I've watched about 1000 videos and this is the best. I actually had downloaded the plan earlier so this was really good to see.
Thanks! I appreciate you watching!
will give this a try with my young nephews
Nice! That should make a great project for them. Thank you for watching!
best video by far...reviewed tons and this will be my go to! Thanks Dennis!
Thank you so much, Lily! I appreciate you watching!
Hey Dennis another great job I am definitely going to do this with my grandson and maybe again with my granddaughter thank you
Thank you so much, Danny! I think this is a pretty good little project for doing with the littles. I'll definitely be building more when the grands are a little bigger! Thank you for watching, as always!
Well done, excellent explanation of steps. Thanks . I read up on eastern bluebirds and i have 9 prime locations 300 feet apart for nesting bixes. I’m on # 3 now with 6 more to go. I’ll install them march 1st 204. Thanks so much for your help. Stay healthy and god bless.
That's fantastic, Dr.! The bluebirds will be happy and you should have fewer pesky bugs too! Thanks so much for watching!
Appreciate your point on cutting step by step for not get short from not counting the blade width!
Thanks for watching!
This is so awesome 👌 thank you 😊 I pray that all is well with you and your family 🙏 be safe
Thank you Kenneth! As always, I appreciate you watching. We are all good...I pray the same for you sir! Thank you!!
@@dwcoffey all is well sir, be safe 🙏
Nice job Den…..Thanks!
Thank you! I appreciate you watching!
Hey Dennis, enjoyed the bird box video. Look forward to others coming 👍
Thank you for watching, Ellis!
Thank you. Just bought cedar yesterday. Attracting tree swallows!😊
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Great video. May build one for grandson also.
Sounds like a great project! Thanks for watching!
Brilliant video thanks and best wishes from Ireland 🇮🇪
Many thanks for watching, Mark! I love Ireland, been there several times with my Dad and have never had a bad visit!
Your videos are informative. Keep it up young men.
Thank you for watching, Farhad!
Thanks so much for such a great video. Your instructions were perfect and easy to follow. I’m new to woodworking and this was a fun project. I made 5 houses yesterday to share with friends and family. Now we wait to see what the bluebirds think!
That's great Elizabeth! I'm getting ready to start on some new ones too. I'm using hickory for the entry guard....it's hard and should deter squirrels! Thanks for watching!
@@dwcoffey too bad you didn't have the diagram of the dimensions that people can download...thx
@sherrcon Thanks for watching, here's the link: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO on making a birdhouse.
< Tip on hole-saws and spade bits and Forstener bits...drill almost all the way thru the material and then turn the piece over and put your center bit into the hole that's there and GENTLY finish drilling your hole. When it breaks thru, the shear will be inside the hole and both your surfaces will be smooth and clean. > (when using hole-saw...doing this procedural trick will leave 2/3 of the plug sticking out of the hole-saw; where you can pull it out easily, without dis-assembling your cutter.)
PS your 'stache looks KEWL
Great tip, thanks!! I appreciate you watching...thank you!
Very nice , great job !
Thanks for watching, Carolyn!
You are great! Thanks
Thanks for watching, Joyce!
After watching your video I made 6 cedar blue bird houses. I truly appreciate the detail of info.
Nicely done!
Thanks for watching, Val!
Suggestion: Paint it BLUE! We haven't seen blue birds here in 35 years ... UNTIL I planted a bunch of trees and marked them with blue flags! Now I saw one last year and two this year already.
I'm trying that! Thanks for watching!
Great info man, thanks...
Thanks for watching!
Very good teacher sir God bless you also.
Thank you so much, Bobby! I appreciate you watching!
nice video ty sir well done
Thanks for watching, Thomas!
Nice video just done a few Robin boxes myself
That's great! Thanks for watching, Tony!
I enjoyed your video. I am a total novice and I greatly appreciate your breaking this down in an orderly fashion. How can I obtain the plans? By far the best video I've viewed. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching, here's the link: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
Super video. Clean and practical. Can anyone provide a download link for the plan shown in the video?
Thanks for watching, here's the link: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
I've just started making bird houses out of PVC pipe. I wonder if I could get a bluebird to live in one... Needs to be at least 6" PVC, which I have, so I'll have to try it. Great video too! Thank you!
Sounds like a great idea, Alan! Thanks for watching! Let me know how the pvc houses work out.
@@dwcoffey I just put one up last weekend that I made for a downy woodpecker, and we already have a resident! I want sure if a woodpecker would go for a PVC house, but one did!!
Hi, great project. Can you tell me the order you cut your boards so I want waist wood.
Thank you for watching, Gail! See the drawing in the video at 1:35, at the bottom it gives a detail of how to cut the board. But, you can actually cut them in any order as there is a touch of scrap left over form a 6ft board.
Thanks Dennis, I am not troubleshooting you or anything but don't you think the ventilation gap is too wide? To me, it looks like rain could easily get inside. Thank you for sharing!
John Reinburg thanks for watching, John! Yes, good point. I followed the plan but do think the gap’s a bit wide. I’ll try it and see how wet it gets inside after a good rain. If I build more like this, I think I’ll cut the sides an 1/8” longer to close that gap up a bit.
@@dwcoffey where did you get these plans? Do you download them or from a magazine?
HI John, no sir, I found them on the internet doing a google search.
@@dwcoffey thank you
Hi, what preservative would you use for the wood that is bird safe?
Whenever I use a hole saw I only ever saw half way through the material. Then I flip the material over and saw the rest of the way through utilizing the pilot hole as a starting point. The cuts meet in the middle and creates less friction and jamming of the hole saw compared to drilling all the way through.. This helps create neater holes on each side and helps prevent the core from lodging in the hole saw body.
Adding a touch of candle way to the hole saw bell after it gets hole will help reduce friction allowing the teeth to cot cleaner.
How about temporarily fastened the guard to the front utilizing the same screw location as permanent attachment, then drilling an appropriate sized pilot hole; then disassembling and hole sawing each item separate. Sure to line them up.
Great ideas! Thanks for watching, Rudy!
I’ve got an old garden hose reel, where the hose is wrapped around it. But instead of using garden hose, I store an 100’ electrical cord on it. This reel is mounted to a horizontal 2x6 on our patio, where I can wind cord onto reel. The back side I open. I’ve had this for about 20 years. Just this year 2022, a Blue bird built a nest in the cavity that accessible. There are two babies inside. Now I can’t use my extension cord and have to substitute to another source of power when necessary. Questions 🙋🏻♂️, must wood be 5/8” thick? Couldn’t it be 3/8” or even 1/2”? 🙋🏻♂️, at what height should the bird house be placed, I don’t have any trees or wooden posts to mount bird houses. Would it be ok to mount bird houses on hurricane fence, extending about half way above top rail? 🙋🏻♂️How close or distance apart should bird houses be, if I were to have several? I have scrap pallet material and really don’t want to buy wood for bird houses. I copied your plan detail. I enjoyed your video 👍🏻💪🦾🇺🇸 4-27-2022 Louisiana
Hey David, thanks for watching! I think you could use thinner wood, no problem. Most birds do well if the houses are placed about eye-level or higher, but some don't mind if the house is 3-4 feet off the ground. The biggest problem with lower mounting is that it makes it easier for predators to gain access to the box. Regarding spacing, at least 6 feet apart, some birds require more spacing away from other houses though....maybe 15-20 feet.
Dennis can you explain how the predator guard works?
Thanks for watching, Brian! I'm no expert, but I think the idea is that often predators are squirrels or bigger birds. The added piece of wood will get chewed on by squirrels, but they usually give up before they get thru the guard and the face of the birdhouse. The added depth of the hole, due to the added thickness of the predator guard also makes it harder for larger birds to get in there.
Great Video Dennis. I built a Wren house and used a piece of galvanized Flashing cut square, added the hole and used 4 screws to mount on the outside. I also cut a few kerfs inside on front piece to help the chicks climb out and of course.... NO PERCH!
Hello Dennis. I just found your video and loved the plan for the birdhouse. Is there any way to get a copy of it so my grandson and I can build it?
Hi Jeff, I'm sorry for the delay....day job gets in my way! haha. Here's where I found this plan: www2.dnr.state.mi.us/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif
Thanks for watching! I hope you and your grandson enjoy the build!
Add a dowel rod perch for the adult to sit on, they hang around the nest more
Thank you for watching, Steve! The only problem with a perch is that it invites predators, at least in my area...specifically squirrels. Audubon Society recommends against perches on this type of house for that reason.
@@dwcoffey I put a feeder type bell below the nest, pretty effective, nothing gets past it, I can send you a picture. I rebuilt mine this year, a 4X4 post dark blue and the box a light blue, blue birds are so plentiful here I have nests in all three boxes and the old boxes I have waiting on the garbage the blue birds starting nesting in those. I put dowel rods on mine, they will sit on the rods sometime 10-15 minutes.
That's awesome! Having them sit on the perch for a while must be a treat. I like the idea of a bell below the nest. I'm going to try your setup, sounds nice. thanks Steve.
@@dwcoffey Already have racoon paw prints at the bottom of the 4X4 post, I believe the bell is working....
what is the size of screws
I think I used #8 x 1-1/4" wood screws. Thank you for watching!
Non si collega al sito e non si possono vedere le esatte misure in italiano..
A link to the plan is in the video description. Measurements are imperial, so you'll have to convert to metric if desired. Thanks for watching!
Where did you get the plans for the Eastern Bluebird house???
Thanks for watching, Thomas! It was several places on the internet, here's one of the links I found to the plan I used: www.pinterest.com/pin/160088961738437908/
I enjoyed your video but I would suggest a few changes to your plans. I think the top of the front and sides should be beveled 15 degrees along with both ends of the roof so it slants and creates a drip edge. Also the roof should have a longer overhang. Dropping the sides down 1/4” will provide ventilation and a finger pull for the side that flips up. I know it adds more work to the project but it’s better for the birds.
I believe you cut your sides at 8 1/4” instead of 8 3/4” like the plan states. That’s why the ventilation gap is so large.
Thank you for watching
Wrap wire around the tree,instead of nailing or screwing In to it. :-)
Great idea! Thanks Ronnie! I appreciate you watching.
8:22 he says the meme 😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂😀 Thanks for watching, Charlie!! LOL!
dave rudlof❤️
Thanks for watching!
Scorpion, 1971.
Different Dennis Coffey. :) He's much more famous. Thanks for watching!!
My research says that bluebirds need a 5x5 floor
Thanks for watching!
@@dwcoffey I didn't post to be snarky. I was curious what your floor dimension was, and if you think that it really made that much difference to the birds
No, I didn't take your post that way at all. I've not had any trouble getting bluebirds to nest in this box, or similar boxes. I accepted this design as useful due to Natl Audubon Society's recommendation of a 6x4 floor. Their dimensions are nominal, so I assumed 5-1/2 x 4 would work. Seems to do ok. I would guess a 5x5 floor would also work. Bluebirds can be a little picky, in my experience, but they seem to be more concerned about placement of the house than they are about size. I have no data to support that, but it just seems that way to me. :)
Thanks again, Rick, I appreciate you watching and commenting!
Like
Thanks for watching, Jeff! Here's a link to the plan: www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/Landowners_Guide/images/feeders_homes/Bluebird_nestbox.gif