Ok the other day i went out to replensih the old bird feeder and a 1 inch section of the roof snaped off. So since I had some Mahogany laying around the shop I built a replacement bird feeder. I just roughly copied the design and made minor improvements to the original.
My question is: What if anything should I finish it with? I do live in the PNW. Here are my choices.
1. Do nothing, no finish at all.
2. BLO or tung oil. Keep it as natural as possible for envirinmental issues. Wouldn’t want to poison the little birdies ya know.
3. Shellac but I think the amount of moisture it will see, makes this not so good an idea.
Now keep in mind I will not be bringing this in to re-finish it every couple of years.
What other suggestions are out there?
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Replies
Mahogany is a great outdoor wood. It will weather to an attractive grey and last for a very long time, especially since it isn't in ground contact. I'd do nothing and let it weather.
ya I'm kind of leaning that way, thanks for the reply~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.drawingwithlight.smugmug.com
An interesting factoid: birds avoid houses made of newly worked wood, that is, dressed and fresh wood from a tree's interior. They will occupy the houses after they have been outdoors for a year or so. If the house is made of old wood, such as recycled barn wood that is not planed again, they will occupy that right away. This behavior may not be universal, but it does happen. So, it will be interesting if you let us know how the birds react to this upscale feeder you are making.
Cadiddlehopper, always curious
That may be why I was taught as a kid to put up new bird houses in the fall. I guess that would let them weather for the winter.
Doug Meyer
I would think the presence of large quantities of food may be a factor. <g>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.drawingwithlight.smugmug.com
Well the little birdies are just happy to have a new feeder. Didn't stop them one bit that the wood is new. Now on to the cherry end table I've been planning...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.drawingwithlight.smugmug.com
That is good to know. Maybe the way to get them to occupy a new birdhouse would be to bait it with seed.Cadiddlehopper
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