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Two pieces of wood are shown to the left. Each is about 21" long, and 4.5" wide. Note that there are cuts at 24 degrees (marked A,) and one cut at 45 degrees (marked B.) All other cross cuts are at the normal 90 degrees. The entrance hole is centered about 2 1/4 inches below the top of the front. I make the entrance 1 9/16 in diameter (this is a little larger than the conventional 1 1/2 in hole, it is easier on the adults going in and out of the box, yet it still prevents starlings from entering.) After making the entrance hole (using a Forstner bit,) round the edges of the hole with a 1/4" router bit. At this time drill three holes in the back, one hole a quarter inch, and two small holes about 3/32 as shown. These are for mounting the box on a metal pole. The quarter inch hole is centered on the back about 3" from the top and the two smaller holes are about 1 1/4 inches apart and 1" above the bottom of the board as shown on the left.
The sides are made from a single piece of 1x12 about 18" long. The figure on the left shows the dimensions of each side in detail. The figure on the right below shows how to fit the two sides on a single 1x12 piece, about 18" long.
The hinge screws have finishing washers to give them a finished look. This can be seen in the Construction Photos. A printable version (PDF) is available on this link: printable PDF file. |
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Please feel free to send me, Fawzi Emad, any corrections, observations, comments or questions. Thank you! (The tail feather on the left is from Koko, our Blue-Front Amazon Parrot.) |
A
printable version of these plans can be found on this link: 
The
roof is made of a single piece of wood 14 to 15 inches long. I used a
1x12, though a 1x10 could be used. The larger piece provides more shade
over the sides. The bottom side of the roof is grooved as shown on the
right. These grooves are made about 1/8" deep with the saw blade. Two
grooves are near the back edge, and the other two grooves are one on each side as
shown. They are about 3/8" from the edges.
To
the left is the assembled box showing the inside components. Between the
front and the top is a 5/8" gap. The roof extends 3" in the
front, 2" on back, and equally on each side. The hinge screws at the
bottom of the door are about 1/2" above the bottom of the door. The
floor is placed so it is 3/4" from the front which allows for the door to
fit. Near the top of the door is a hole for placing a nail or screw to
hold the door securely closed (the hole goes through the side into the
door.) Before attaching the door, make sure it is a loose fit between the
sides. If not, shave a piece off the door to make it fit loosely. This is
important for when the humidity is high the door may become stuck and hard to
open.
