I am building a round bird feeder which will have cedar shingles for the roof. Except I can't find the shingles. Dollhouse shingles are too small...at least the ones I've found. I think the shingles should be approximately 21/2" to 3" in length and 11/2" wide. Any help is appreciated.
I, personally, have bought the 8 ft. or 12 ft. strips of cedar siding, used for home building, and cut them down. They have a nice angle on them and still have the same rough cedar look. They actually work very well for most smaller jobs, mainly because they are thinner but still tapered and you can cut them to any size you need. I would advise to drill pilot holes.
A very small froe (Buck, or... Victorinox), a mallet, and some stock cedar...
er
When I was building bird houses, I too would buy larger stock and cut it down to size. Most of what I used I found by dumpster diving. I have built about 50 bird houses that cost me nothing but glue and time. Sold most of them, too! Allowed me to buy more tools!!!!!
Once I found a sheet of 1/16 black plastic, I cut that down to look like shingles , that bird house adorns our yard. My wife decided it looked to much like our own house to sell!
Searcher
Try buying some regular shingles and cutting them down to size, The thicker ones will split with a blade - if your carefull, or you can resaw them down, or you can plane them down by hand (easy) or with a power planer if you have one.
Or you can resize the bird feeder to the size of the shingles available. You might get Condors coming over for a feed.
Pete
I was going to suggest doll house shingles. Billy has a good thought. I was doing a doll house and I started making my own shingles once. Whew, what a pain, I needed about 1000 of them. I got to about 100 and quit, spent the $10 for a huge bag of them.
Anyway - I installed them with hot glue. It should be waterproof and sets up in seconds. Should work with your larger shingles too. I was going to nail or staple but glue was actually faster and cheaper.
If you can find cedar shims for door installation they might work. I find only particleboard ones.
Ron T
Buy regular shingles or some cedar and make your own shingles, secured with construction adhesive.
Wed, Feb 22, 2006, 11:30am (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@cox.net (jazzguy) doth proclaim: I am building a round bird feeder
Making it squirrel proof, are you?
JOAT Don't make me use UPPER CASE.
Thank you to everyone that replied. I have secured some scrap shingles from a roofing job in my neighborhood and will go from there.
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