Bird Feeder

My project is a bird feeder intended to for windows. It inspired by the desire to watch birds out my bedroom window. It is designed to attach to windows with suction cups and features an acrylic back so birds are visible. The design also features a removable seed tray to make it easier to refill and two perches for birds to hang out on. This project was a lot of fun and was done primarily with the laser cutter. I look forward to using it.

1. 12" x 7" 1/4 Inch Clear Acrylic
2. 1/8" Plywood:
3. x2 (5.25" by 7.25")
4. 12" x 5.25"
5. 12" x 7"
6. x4 Suction Cup Hooks
7. x2 Rods/sticks
8. 12 x #6-32x 1/2" screws
9. 12 x 6-32 Machine Screw Hex Nuts
10. 3d printer filament
11. Wood Glue
12. Laser Cutter
13. 3d Printer
14. Drill Press and/or hand held drill
15. Screwdriver
16. Wrench

When designing my bird feeder I was inspired by acrylic, suction cup feeders I found online. I noticed some of them had detachable feeding trays which I included in my design so I could easily refill it without removing it from the window. Products I found online also gave me the idea of removing sections of wood/acrylic where it is not necessary to reduce weight. When designing my own feeder I chose a mix of plywood and acrylic to reduce the material costs.

My original prototype helped me determine the final dimensions and design of my project. I noticed that the "roof" was unnecessary and had potential edges birds could snag on. As a result I removed the "roof" in my final design and extended the top of the side to attach a second perch to. The second perch was inspired by the tendency of birds in my yard to sit above an eating friend before swooping down and stealing their spot. Furthermore, my prototype made me consider how the parts would fit together. I decided to add "notches" to the sides of the parts so they could fit together. The overall design is flexible.

My design reflects the changes I made to my prototype (the second perch, no "roof, amd notches). It does not show the brackets and tray dividers which were added later.

I had to redo my CAD model a couple of times because I changed the thickness of my material. The material thickness effects the notch size of the parts. To save time, I would recommend finalizing the material size and overall dimensions of the project before creating the CAD model.

Technical drawings, photos,

Step 1) Cutting Out the Parts:

The "frame" of the feeder was manufactured on the laser cutter using an Inkscape SVG file. The SVG file was created by exporting the pieces of my Fusion model as "drawings." This took a couple of attempts and I had to remake some of my parts because they were missing details from the Fusion CAD model. Once I had the file ready, I uploaded it to the Laser and cut out my plywood parts. The standard settings for 1/8" plywood worked perfectly.

The next task of cutting out the 1/4" acrylic was not as simple. The laser does not have predefined settings for this material. Instead, I had to select that I was using 1/8" acrylic. Unfortunately, these settings were ineffective at cutting through acrylic that thick. After running the program a couple of times and seeing no progress, I increased the number of passes the laser took and tweaked the laser speed and power. It took around 5 additional times and more additional setting tweaks before I could remove my part. If I were to do it again, I would use thinner acrylic. If someone were to use the same material I used, I would recommend patience and running the program more than once.

Step 2) 3d Printing Brackets

I ended up having to include brackets in my final design because the super glue was not strong enough for the acrylic. The brackets were designed on Fusion 360 and manufactured with the 3d printer.

Step 3) Drilling the Holes

Since I added the brackets after I manufactured my acrylic backing, I had to add the holes using the drill press. Normally, I would have included it in the SVG file. In this case I drilled the holes using the a drill bit just larger than the screws. Holes were made at the 4 corners of the part using the brackets center as a guide.

Furthermore, I did not include holes in the brackets I printed because I didn't want them to "droop." Instead, I manually made them with the drill press and the same size drill bit.

I additionally drilled holes in the plywood and acrylic with the same drill bit to prevent cracking when I thread the screw through the bracket and materials.

Step 1) Attaching Plywood

The plywood parts were connected using wood glue and left to dry overnight. My approach of arranging lots of objects around the drying frame was inefficient and if I were to do it again I would use tape and clamps if possible. I also recommend glueing it together in smaller sections to allow it to dry before continuing.

Step 2) Connecting Brackets

This step replaced my previous plan of supergluing the acrylic to the plywood. The glue was not strong enough and it came apart easily. This inspired the brackets because I did not want to remanufacture and redesign my entire project. Using screws and nuts, I plan on connecting the brackets to the corresponding holes in the acrylic and wood frame. The head will be on the inside of the feeder because I imagine it being less dangerous to birds than the other end. I will use a screwdriver and a wrench.

Step 3) Attaching Perches

To attach the perches, I drilled holes in the plywood the same size as the rod I was using. I used wood glue to joint them. In the future, I would have included the holes in the CAD/laser cut file.

Revision:

As I worked on my birdfeeder, I made modifications to the original design to improve the final outcome. For example, I added dividers to the feeding tray. This is because the seed height in the tray can be higher without as much seed. I also had the the feeding tray resting on the brackets at the back of the feeder to angle the tray. This way the seed would gather closest to where the birds are perched. Birdfeeders' are very customizable and I recommend making changes as you go to improve your final design.

To test my birdfeeder, I first want to fill it with seed and secure it to a safe glass surface where I do not risk it falling and breaking. This way I can test to see if it is ready to be used outdoors on a high window.

If I were to do this process over again, I would use thinner acrylic to reduce weight. This project taught me a lot about the cost of making something verses buying it. While a had a lot of fun making this, I admit their are cheaper versions on Amazon that are 100 percent clear acrylic and are a solid piece (no brackets and joints). If I were to do it again, I would also include all aspects of my final project in the CAD model. For instance, the dividers, brackets, holes for the perches, and holes in the plywood and acrylic that attach to the brackets. Additionally, I would be interested in attempting a new way at attaching the acrylic to the plywood walls. My original idea had relied on super glue but ended up using brackets. I would be interested in trying a new method that might effect the dimensions of the parts to better connect things. I am inspired by https://www.instructables.com/Pocket-Sized-Robot-Arm-meArm-V04/ and the way the sides are joined.

The biggest problems I faced were the failure of the superglue and details from my CAD model not transferring to my laser cut file. These could both be prevented if I did the project again by modifying my CAD model.