I recently had the pleasure of spending a couple hours watching the creation of our latest bird feeder…It was amazing to see first-hand the steps it takes to create an object out of a raw piece of wood.
[caption id="attachment_952" align="alignright" width="130"] Wild bird energy Log Feeder[/caption]
The owner of Creative Woodcraft™ was in the middle of the final assembly of his Wild bird energy log feeder. I asked him how many steps it takes to make one of these feeders, and after brushing off the saw dust, he handed me a note pad and stubby pencil from his workbench so I could take notes on what he had to say as he began talking me through the process.
He said “the timber starts out in a variety of lengths and widths and first it must be planed and ripped (cut lengthwise) to the proper width and thickness, then cross cut to length; preliminary chop-saw cuts remove the bottom corners before the final rounding of the corners that I do at a bench sander. The feeder is then sanded on both sides and then all edges are sanded on a bench sander.”
These feeders have either two, three, or four holes that accommodate PVC pipe inserts that he had already cut-to-length and sanded, and the next step was at the drill press drilling out these holes;
He took the feeders to a bench clamp where he inserted the PVC tubes through the body of the feeder.
All the while this was going on, we have been wearing ear protection muffs to deaden the workshop noise. After dusting the piece off with a large soft-bristled brush, the body of the feeder was now complete.
The day before, he had already cut, assembled, and painted a first coat on the feeder’s little green roof. It was now time to add the roof with two rust-resistant wood screws. Each roof had been edge sanded, glued, and screwed, and now they were being screwed into the top of the feeder. “I save the second coat of paint after the final assembly, that way I know they’ll be flawless,” he said. He also screws in an eye hook for easy hanging.
The feeder was finished, and if my scribbling on the note pad was correct, it took approximately 30 steps to complete each Wild Bird Energy Log Feeder. I enjoyed the time spent with him in his workshop while learning about the extent of care, concentration, planning, set up, and the precision he practices working with wood. I also liked looking over the 4-foot shelf lined with upright wooden “jigs,” and such like… that he has made to help him ensure each item he makes is uniform.
Now I have a better understanding why something may cost $24, and realize it may not be nearly enough, but after watching this craftsperson and his orchestration I saw his recompense is not always monetary, his joy is in the doing.
"The best gift is the one that includes a part of self."
JILL MORTON (On behalf of Creative Woodcraft)
PS: Creative Woodcraft’s Wild Bird Energy Feeder is ideal for offering your own concoction (peanut butter, suet, seed, and fruit) or cylinder-shaped suet logs like the Wild Bird Energy Logs from Topflite. More info.
PSS: Spoiler Alert don’t read any further if you don’t want to know who “he” is. 
Uncomfortable with being praised for his work, he requested I not reveal his identity in the above article. However I am so very proud to say the manufacturer of Creative Woodcraft™ products is none-other than my wonderful husband, “IAN”
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