Making Birdboxes

This week we've been making bird boxes.  I promised the kids they could make some about three years ago and finally got round to doing it.  It's pretty easy and it only took them a couple of hours (although they're both pretty handy with a drill and a screwdriver).

First we cut out and sanded all the pieces of wood we needed.  The kids measured and marked the wood (metal rulers are much easier than tape measures for children I have found) and I cut it out.  I'll let them use electric drills and sanders, but I draw the line at circular saws.  Pieces are as follows:
1 x 45cm (back)
1 x 11cm (base)
1 x 20cm (front)
1 x 21cm (roof)
2 x 20cm on one side, 25cm on the other (sides)

Next we attached the sloping sides to the back, long side against the wood.  Usually birdboxes are nailed but the kids find screws much easier and I don't fear for my fingers so these are screwed together.  Doesn't matter whereabouts on the back piece these pieces go so long as they are roughly central and the same on each side.

Then we drilled a hole in the middle near the bottom of the front piece and glued in a dowel so the birds have somewhere to stand.  We used No More Nails, but you have to make sure it is a tight fit for the dowel or it won't set properly.  Better to make the hole slightly smaller than the  dowel and bash it with a hammer to get a good tight fit.

 After that I sat the front on, marked and cut the top to slope the same as the sides so that the roof would fit properly.

 Then we drilled a 28mm hole.  The size of the hole varies depending on what sort of birds you are trying to attract (or in this case on what size drill bit you can find).  It needs to be central and a little above the dowel.  Incidentally it takes ages, especially if you have a small child in charge of the drill so we had to stop for a break partway.

 We screwed the front on and I had to trim the bottom piece so that it would fit snugly in the bottom.  We glued this in.

 The last step was to screw on the roof.  Then all it needed was a hole in the top and bottom of the back and somewhere to attach it up.  I have been advised not to paint or treat the wood as the birds will not use it if you do.

  Now all I need to do is wait and see if they get used next year.  We've placed them so they are next to a tree for first flights and protected as well as possible from our cat.  To be honest though, the children will probably have forgotten all about them by next Spring ...