Eastern Bluebird Boxes...

by Pam (because I can)

Since I have to put all these articles on this site, put up with his constant nit-picking on the way this looks or that looks, I think I should at least get include a few things that interest me. 

If you know me at all, I like power tools almost as much as Mr. Smarty Plants likes his hoe! (no pun intended).  I like to build things - and I like to contribute to our landscape.  Normally I'm relegated to the vegetable garden.  In Tampa I held the title of Chief Pond-Algae cleaner.

Years ago my Dad made my mother Eastern Bluebird boxes after he found a pattern in the public library.  He used scraps of plywood and hung the boxes around our yard.  Every year Bluebirds came and we watched them as they raised several clutches in each box.  As time went on, the boxes became worn and Alzheimer's' had taken away Dad's skill with the table saw.  I didn't have his old plans, but with the internet had several. 

They aren't hard to make.  Especially when you have a chop saw and a bradnailer.  I made about 15 of these in a short afternoon.  Don't worry if you don't have power tools, a good handsaw and a miter box will work just as well.

I like to use cedar because it lasts a long time and holds up well in the weather.  But if you have looked for cedar lately you'll find it somewhat pricey - not as bad as oak, but more expensive than pine. To solve this problem I went back to the fencing section and purchased cedar fencing boards.  They are 5.5 inches wide (same as the 1"x6" mentioned in the plan) but they are only 1/2 inch thick rather than 3/4 inch thick - so allow for that 1/4 inch difference.  One Cedar slat will make one box - except for the roof piece which needs to be wider. 

Because I made so many of these I arranged an assembly line and cut many pieces at once. 

Dad may be gone now, but we still have bluebirds!  And plenty of them!