Cannon Mansion Birdhouse

Students

Screen Shot 2019-05-04 at 10.13.32 PM - Elizabeth George

Kathryn Hallett
History, 2019

Screen Shot 2019-05-04 at 10.13.04 PM - Elizabeth George

Elizabeth George
Woodrow Wilson School, 2019

Project Description

The purpose of our project is to make a birdhouse that attracts local birds in the Princeton area and provide them shelter. Our project was inspired by our personal environmental and artistic interests. The house design is inspired by the Cannon Dial Elm Club, of which we are both members. After 3 years in EPICS, we wanted to combine several EPICS tools and concepts in our project and our BIRDZZ mansion does a great job of that. We will use hand-made design, software designs, 3 different machines, and artistic craftsmanship to complete our final project.

Our birdhouse mansion is made of birch plywood and we used Rhinoceros to design the 3D model. We used the table saw to accurately cut the pieces of wood. It is one large rectangular structure, but the entryway for the door extrudes from the front of the main house. The main features include the laser-cut Cannon Crest on the roof, windows in the front made that were also laser cut as well and further cut out with a dremel, a mini cannon “front perch” in the front of the house (3D printed).

Technical Background

The scientific background of this birdhouse project is strongly related to the environmental science of birds. Research about bird species and their environment has greatly influenced the engineering design of this project and is part of the greater goal to create optimal use of the birdhouse in order to best serve its environmental purpose. Considering that this finished birdhouse will be placed in an outdoor location on Princeton’s campus, it’s important to consider the way in which this project will interact with the environment and particularly which birds species will make use of it. Research of local Princeton area bird species has led to the conclusion that this birdhouse will be home to the sparrow species that are local to the Princeton area. The birdhouse will serve as shelter to the declared following endangered and threatened sparrow species in the state of New Jersey. Endangered in NJ: Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus); and threatened in NJ: Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus Savannarum), Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus Sandwichensis).

This birdhouse will properly address the needs of these sparrows by being the appropriate size in the appropriate environment as well as being a sound structure to provide shelter. In the design, the cannon “front perch” will help attract these sparrows to rest on the perch, as they commonly do, and invite them in the front entrance where the perch is intentionally located. The sparrows species are known to tend towards crevices and smaller places found in suburban and urban areas and avoid woodlands and deserts, so the location outside the Cannon Dial Elm Club is perfect to attract these species. Located on Prospect Street, the Club is in a suburban setting, with a front grassy yard and few trees. Research on birdhouse construction for Sparrow’s specifically notes that a 4 inch by 4 inch crevice space is the ideal size to attract the smaller species. This corresponds with the front door (excluding the roof) that protrudes from the larger house. This size will allow for the sparrow species to fit and take shelter as needed, yet will deter larger species from invading or crowding. Although the birdhouse will not include food, the environmental location is appropriate for the sparrow feeding habits: “Sparrows feed on a wide range of food including insects, spiders, berries, nuts, seeds and scraps of food left by humans” – majority of which can be found in the Cannon front yard. Furthermore, it has been found that under “the eaves of buildings or houses” is a likely place for sparrows to take use of the birdhouse. For this reason, the birdhouse will be set nearer to the Cannon house. Lastly, to avoid direct heat and prevailing wind and rain that is common to the Princeton area climate (especially in the coming spring and summer), the birdhouse will face east.

“Grasshoppersparrow.Pdf.” Accessed March 15, 2019. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/grasshoppersparrow.pdf.

“Henslows.Pdf.” Accessed March 15, 2019. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/henslows.pdf.

“House Sparrow.” Accessed March 15, 2019. http://www.birdhouses101.com/House-Sparrow.asp.

“NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife - State Endangered and Threatened Species.” Accessed March 15, 2019. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/tandespp.htm.

“Savsparrow.Pdf.” Accessed March 15, 2019. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/savsparrow.pdf.

“Vespersparrow.Pdf.” Accessed March 15, 2019. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/vespersparrow.pdf.

Design Drawings

Fabrication Process

During the fall semester we constructed a much smaller, simpler birdhouse. At first, we sketched 2D designs by hand to figure out the ideal structure and approximate measurements for the bird mansion. Then, we used Inventables to complete graphic 3D designs, make our drawings more precise, and determine more accurate dimensions. We completed various isometric, front, side, and top views of the birdhouse. All the technical drawings were measured in inches and we cut the pieces of the birch plywood using the Carvey Machine. Our first birdhouse was assembled using box joints which allowed us to connect all the sides together. We glued the various pieces together and used clamps to help the birdhouse dry in place. Although the birdhouse we constructed in the fall wasn’t very complex, it was a great way to familiarize ourselves with software design and to master using various machines in the lab. Our initial project was a great learning experience; we learned that box joints were not the best option because the cuts weren’t very clean and the assembly wasn’t as neat as we wanted it to be. Taking all the lessons we learned from the fall, we knew we were able to complete a much more complex birdhouse in the spring. As members of the Cannon Dial Elm eating club, we wanted to create a birdhouse that mimicked its shape. Our fabrication process in the spring was very similar to what we did in the fall except that our designs were obviously different and we incorporated the use of many more machines. Similarly, we drew our 2D designs by hand, modeled 3D drawings using Rhinoceros, used birch plywood for the various pieces, and assembled it using Gorilla wood glue. However, there were differences in our fabrication processes. For example, since our birdhouse was much larger and more complex, we had to use the table saw to cut the ½ inch birch plywood instead of the Carvey machine. We used the laser cutter to more accurately cut the windows and front door. We then finished the cutting job with a dremel because the wood was slightly too thick for the machine. The table saw was also very beneficial because it allowed us to cut the edges of the roof at a 45-degree angle so it could rest flatly on the walls. Instead of using box joints, we simply adjusted the size of the main walls so the pieces would fit together perfectly in a rectangle shape. We also cut out a base using ¾ inch plywood so that our birdhouse could rest on a sturdy foundation. Once we finished cutting out all the wooden pieces we spray painted all the outer walls gray. After the spray paint dried, we hand painted all the stones on each wall to make it look more like Cannon. We used dark wood finish on the roof. Initially, we planned on using the Cameo paper cutter to make a stencil we could use to paint the stones on. Unfortunately, the paper cutter was not working properly, but by painting the stones by hand I think we achieved a much more natural and realistic appearance. Additionally, we used the laser cutter to engrave the large cannon crest into the front roof of the house. We also downloaded a cannon from Thingiverse used the 3D printer to print an orange cannon that would make our birdhouse even more unique.

Students

Project Description

Technical Background

Design Drawings

Fabrication Process

Final Result