Proxxon tools for gourd fun. Part 1 Easy to make bird feeder

Hi everyone.  Carol W  here.  I recently was blessed with the gift of gourds from a new friend of mine.   She was moving and clearing out stuff and thought of us when she came to her gourds.  OMG, she showed me her workshop and the things she had made from gourds and I left with new ambition.  BTW, I noticed she had quite a few Proxxon tools as well, but of course she was taking those with her.  Can't blame her.  Anyway,  today I want to show you how to make an easy bird feeder from a medium to big gourd.  Of course you could use a small gourd too.    Let's get started.

Equipment and supplies

1 nice gourd with medium to thick walls

a pencil  

tape measure (optional)

Proxxon tools,  You have your choice here, as you will see below.   I used the proxxon mini jigsaw, the Proxxon professional rotary tool with a cutting disk, Proxxon OZI//E sander with the cutting blade.  I tried them all to see how they worked for cutting the gourd and they all worked fine, so you have your choice of tools for this one

Proxxon OZI/E sander, and or Proxxon mini belt sander  (I used my new cordless mini belt sander and it works like a dream for sanding small places.

Plaid paints   (you know you gotta decorate!)

Strap, wire, twine or whatever you choose to hang your birdfeeder  (About 24 inches)

Proxxon Professional rotary tool with drill bit or rasp cutter.

Seems like a lot of equipment, but it really isn't.   I'm just giving you choices.  

Let's get started.   First thing to do is pick out a gourd.  I mentioned it above but you do want one that is fairly sturdy.  It is going to be outside in the weather after all. 

We  need to make some marks on it to guide us when we are cutting our gourd.  Things to consider:   I need to leave a "bowl" in the bottom to hold my bird seed.   I need to keep the top intact so that I can attach a hanger and also this will help keep the seeds dry.  Thirdly I need holes in the sides to the birds can get to the feed.   Mine below is a simple design but I could get fancy,  (but not today.  LOL)

So I am going to draw some simple windows on mine.   I am using a pencil because it can be washed off easily

Now to choose your cutting tool"

I chose the Proxxon mini jigsaw to do my cutting.   And I cut out all my windows.

My edges are sharp so I use my Proxxon OZI/E delta sander and my Proxxon mini belt sander  to smooth them.  I like rounder edges so as not to hurt the birdie's feet.   Check out the before an after photos below 

You can drill some holes in the top now and attach your hanger or you can do the added step below.

From a scrap of gourd (hopefully a cut off top or bottom, fashion a hole that will fit over the top of your gourd.  This will serve as an umbrella of sorts.

You can use the Proxxon mini jigsaw or the proxxon rasp cutter on the rotary tool to do this

I made my hole just big enough to slide the bottom gourd's stem through.

It looks like a mushroom to me, so.... Using my plaid paints, I paint it like a mushroom.  After a quick coat of spray sealer, I hang it outside with seeds inside and wait for the birds to show, and they will.   Hey it is all done!   It should last a long, long time. 

Thanks for visiting,  Come back soon.  We always have something new to make here.  Thank you Proxxon tools       Catch you next time  Carol