Introduction: Make a Birdhouse Using CNC

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So the other day , I saw that birdhouse on instructables . and I was looking for its PDF. but none there was. so I decided to draw it again myself , and make it available to be remade by all bird lovers worldwide, or anyone who posses a CNC machine and not quite sure what to make today

I used a shopbot CNC and so I'll cover its usage a bit .

Step 1: List of Material

  • CNC machine
  • Plywood sheet
  • Wood glue
  • rubber mallet
  • 1" 60° V Flute end mill

Step 2: Design or Download

I used Inkscape to draw the pieces

using lots of guidelines , it would have been much easier with a parametric CAD software like freecad or solidwork

but nevertheless, it got the job done , you can find the SVG and PDF files attached

I did my design based on 11mm thick MDF . so you'll need to change the design for the thickness of your material specially for the T-joints

there is two design files attached :

Small Bird house : its a small minimal design with five pieces only , it's easy to assemble and need less material

Big double bird house : its based on cedar double bird house planter , just ready for CNC or laser cut .. you'll find some assembly instruction in a separate file , and also in a later step

Attachments

Step 3: Cnc

after editing the design in Inkscape or the vector software of your choice, export it as PDF , then Import the PDF into Vcarve pro ( in case you were using Shopbot CNC.

create Profile toolpaths using the toolpath operations menu

I used a 1/4' upcut endmill for the profile outside toolpaths, and 1/8' for the inside holes for the T-joints

I also used a 1" 60° V Flute for the roof pieces so they can fit together easily

Step 4: Assembly

after you got all your pieces cut , follow the instruction in the attached images

use a rubber mallet to fit them together if it was a tight fit , or wood glue if needed

Step 5: Conclusion

ok, probably you'll have to fix the design to suit the material you are using , but with minimal editing you can have your own fancy bird house in minutes , you'll need some kind of sealant since you are using wood and probably you'll fix the bird house outdoors