More than 100 years ago, Native Americans made homes for purple martins out of gourds, attracting the friendly swallows to their camps. Build a four-family house and attract these bug-eating birds to your yard to help make your summer pest-free.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
Cut the following from 1/2-inch-thick plywood:
STEP 1: Attach the sides to the base, leaving 5 1⁄2 inches on each end.
STEP 2: Drill four 5⁄16-inch holes,
2 1⁄4 inches and 4 1⁄2 inches from each end and 1 inch from the top of the main interior divider.
STEP 3: Attach the interior dividers to the base with screws.
STEP 4: Drill six 5⁄16-inch holes through the floor of each of the four compartments, one in each corner and one midway along each side.
STEP 5: Drill four 5⁄16-inch holes in each of the front and back panels, 1 inch from the top and 2 3⁄4 inches and 5 inches from both ends. Cut two 2 1⁄16-inch-diameter holes in each panel, each hole 3 inches from the side and 1 inch from the bottom.
STEP 6: Hinge the front and back pieces to the sides. Secure an eye catch to the free end of the front and back panels, and screw the hook into the sides.
STEP 7: Attach the porch dividers to the front and back between the entrance holes.
STEP 8: Cut the 11-inch square of wood along the diagonal to create roof peaks. Drill a 2 1⁄8-inch hole 3 inches from the top of each peak. Cut a piece of screen and staple over each hole. Attach the peaks to the front and back of the ceiling.
STEP 9: Attach the ceiling to the sides. Drill a 2 1⁄8-inch hole centered over each compartment and cover with screen.
STEP 10: Attach the narrow roof panel to the peaks. Position the wide panel so it overlaps the top edge of the shorter panel and secure to the roof peak. Seal the roof edge with caulk and finish the exterior with primer and white outdoor oilbased paint. Mount your house on a wooden post using angle irons or on a telescoping pole with a floor flange of the appropriate diameter.
The Purple Martin Conservation Association offers tips for choosing your martin house location and the best dates to open the house in your region at www.purplemartin.org
Thnak you for cool plan. This is really great. Others charge money for a simple plan
Awesome any other woodworking ideas
cool stuff
Like it
this is great! my mom was just talking about buying one, but now i can make one for her!
Ill put a bird feeder right next to it.
This is the perfect birdhouse for virtually any small bird. Thanks.
cool
At first I thought that it meant a purple house for martins.
about how much will this cost
I like birds
Really?I do to.
Im 11 and I built 2 one for my grandpa and one for my mom. Thanks!!
i am so going to build this for a 4-h project!!!!!!!
uhh.. icant really say any thing
This is a difficult project to attempt to build. The purple martin songbirds will refuse to use this type of birdhouse if the entrance to each individual room does not have the correct diameter of the entrance to each room in the birdhouse as accepted to the correct species of songbird. If a person can properly build this project, it is a great accomplishment to build this type of birdhouse. This is difficult to build.
thanks so much for the pattern for martins, we are new at this so we are still learning. again thanks
im agirl
Im so going to use this idea for
my Quarter project
I am going to build this in my wood working class
That Is awsome
I am definitely going to build it.
it’s funny OK!!!!
i was a cubscout
cool
cool
cool.