Build a K'nex Bird Feeder!

_This was a winner of a Runner Up prize in the Animals In The Wild Challenge. Thanks for voting!_

It's finally summer!

Along with all the other fun summer activities, such as swimming and playing outside, it also indicates something else...

Birds!

Summer is a great time to look out your window and see birds in your backyard, eating seed from a bird feeder and chatting away. Maybe you'll get lucky and see some other animals too!

So what are you waiting for! Get out there and put that bird feeder up!

...

But what if you don't have one? Or what if it broke??

Never fear! Today, I will show you how to build your very own K'nex bird feeder!

This feeder features a large tray to put birdseed on, multiple perches for birds, and of course, a hanger to tie the feeder to a tree or pole. Not only that, it's piece friendly!

And the best part? If you have all the needed pieces, it's free! You don't even have to leave the comfort of your home to get a new feeder! And getting a new one could set you back quite a few dollars. Feeders are getting expensive!

Now what are you waiting for? Let's start building!

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Intro aside...

Hello everyone! Knex2thelimit here, once again!

And yes, it's been over a year since my last Instructable. Geez! Don't worry though. I've got more Ible's planned, and hopefully, I'll start a new build soon.

This is a new project I've been working on, a K'nex bird feeder. As far as I know, this is the first build of it's kind on this website. Please let me know if I'm wrong.

This feeder, as stated before, features a nice size tray to put birdseed on, multiple perches for birds to land on, and is relatively piece friendly.

This is my entry into the 2016 Animals in the Wild challenge, so if you enjoy the build, why not vote for it? I would greatly appreciate it.

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY UNWANTED RESDUE ON YOUR K'NEX SHOULD YOU BUILD THIS. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR BIRD FECES AND OTHER UNWANTED RESDUE TO END UP ON YOUR K'NEX BY BUILDING THIS BIRD FEEDER.

It always helps to find the necessary pieces before you start building! Of course, you don't have to use this, and you could move right on to the next step. It's your choice. All parts are listed in their original color.

Rods:

Green: 104

Blue: 1

Yellow: 8

Red: 12

Connectors:

Red: 38

Yellow: 72

Gray 1-Way (I used the newer purple ones): 18

Gray 2-Way: 8

Special:

Blue Clips: 4

Y-Clips: 4

String: Will vary; you might not need this at all.

Grand total (not including string): 269

This is the main part of the bird feeder, the tray itself. This is where the birdseed goes. It's a decent size and can hold a decent amount of birdseed without falling off, unless you tip the feeder. Make sure to follow all of the image notes! Once you're done, go onto the next step!

Red connector tray parts: 11 Gray 1-way connector tray parts: 7

Note that there is a pattern to putting the tray parts on. Start with a gray 1-way connector part, then attach two red connector tray parts. Then attach another gray 1-way connector tray part, and so on.

Note that at the very last section of tray parts, the pattern changes. When you reach the end, when you have just two gray 1-way connector tray parts and one red connector tray part, attach one of the gray 1-way connector tray part. Then, attach the red connector tray part, making sure there is only one being attached and not two. Then attach the last gray 1-way connector tray part. See the image notes for more details.

As with all feeders, this one includes multiple perches for birds to land on. After all, without the perches, the birds couldn't land anywhere, and it would be very difficult for them to even eat!

This is a rather simple step. You're doing great!

These parts are the front and rear perches for birds to land on. You can never have too many perches! Not only are these perches, they also serve to secure the hanger to the rest of the feeder.

This step isn't too difficult. However, there are plenty of pictures to help you build these.

Note that when lining up the red and yellow rods coming from the perches, the yellow rod needs to slide over the red rod. This make take a slight bit of force, but not too much. See the images for more details.

You're almost done! Keep going!

And here we are! The last step to making the bird feeder! This is the hanger. This part makes it easy and more convenient to hang the feeder.

This is a very quick and easy step. Make sure to follow the images exactly as they appear!

Once you've finished this step, you're done building the bird feeder! Now all that's left is to hang it and fill it!

Now that you're done building the feeder, it's time to hang it. Find a sturdy place, such as a branch or pole. This place should, preferably, be near a tree and in some shade. This will make it more preferable for animals. Placing the feeder near water will also help to draw more animals to the feeder. Finally, placing it in or near a bird feeder complex may draw out more animals as well. This is where you'll need some string. Thread the string through the red connector holes, and then tie it to the branch or pole. Make sure to tie a sturdy knot that can support the feeder's weight!

To fill the feeder, simply pour some seed into the tray. Some of it might fall out of the sides, but that's OK. Just make sure to pour slowly and to evenly distribute the seed. Leave the feeder be, and watch the birds show up!

NOTE: IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL HOURS OR DAYS FOR BIRDS TO LOCATE THE FEEDER. ONCE THEY LOCATE IT, IT STILL MAY TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE MULTIPLE BIRDS COME TO THE FEEDER. JUST BE PATIENT, AND THEY'LL COME!

You did it! You've finished the K'nex bird feeder! Now go inside, wait a little while, and soon you'll see some birds (and maybe some other animals) in your backyard and eating happily! Congratulations, and I hope you enjoy the newfound presence of birds in your backyard.

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I hope you all enjoyed looking/building this K'nex bird feeder. Once again, I believe this is the first build of its kind on this website. If it's not, please let me know.

If you enjoyed this build/Instructable, please consider voting for it in the Animals in the Wild challenge. A vote would be greatly appreciated.

See you all next time!

-Knex2thelimit