3D-Printed Birdhouse, "bird" House

thingiverse

In 2011, my daughter and I constructed a sizable wooden birdhouse for the Lexington, KY Arboretum's Birdhouse Display and Benefit Auction. However, we chose not to sell it; instead, we created an Instructable (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-the-bird-house/) detailing the steps to build one yourself. Now, we've simplified the process for a 1/2-scale version, accommodating just one bird family. This smaller structure is suitable for various small bird species and features a removable roof for cleaning. The printed parts also have a 5-10% fill, providing an air gap thermal barrier. Additionally, it includes angled vent & floor drain slots, an internal "ladder" to ease bird egress, and an adorable design. To build this half-scale birdhouse, print two fronts, a body, and a roof. Paint or print the parts in appropriate colors; painting external parts can improve weather resistance. Glue/weld the fronts onto the body (which also serves as a mounting base). The roof is secured using a couple of pieces of velcro stuck on the inside of the front plates. Using a MakerGear M2 printer with 0.3mm extrusion, single side wall, and two top/bottom walls, the print times are approximately 1 hour for each front, 4 hours for the body, and 2 hours for the roof - totaling about 8 hours of printing time.