This project started off with the idea of Christmas in mind. My father is an avid squirrel enjoyer and likes to feed at watch squirrels on his property. He built a little squirrel feeder out of some wood scraps. When I saw that he installed a Wyze camera to watch the squirrels it gave me the idea of a perfect gift. Let's make a squirrel house!
Goal: Create a functional squirrel dwelling that is easy to print (NO SUPPORTS), easy to assemble, and cheaper than buying one.
Had no idea it would cost $150+ for a squirrel house.
The house measurements and features:
9.45" W x 7.68" D x 16.03" Tall
The Diameter of the entry hole is 8" along with the interior hole to protect squirrels from predators.
There is an interior platform inside the squirrel house for squirrels to easily get in and out of the structure without the worry of them being trapped.
Recommended BOM:
2kg of Filament; ASA is recommended if you do not want to paint.
Otherwise any 2kg of Filament.
Nano Polymer Adhesive
2x M3 x 16-18 Socket Head Screws; These are to connect the door to the main body and work as a hinge.
1x M3 x 12-14 Socket Head Screw; This is to secure the door at the bottom
4x #8 Stainless Steel Deck Screws: This is to mount the squirrel house to a tree or post. Please use stainless steel screws if you are mounting to a tree. Non-stainless steel rusts and can kill your tree.
Tube of 5min Epoxy; This is to join the top and bottom halves of the main body and door together.
Optional: Rustoleum 2X Outdoor paint and primer; This is so you can seal and protect filaments that are not naturally UV resistant. 1 Can if you only want to spray the exterior, 2 cans if you want to do the interior as well.
Print Settings:
This was printed and tested on an X1C in ASA and Matte PLA. Please select the correct file type when printing.
If printing in ASA, I highly recommend using an engineering plate or high temp plate with Nano Polymer adhesive.
Layer Height: 0.24mm
Walls 3
Infill Pattern: Honeycomb
3 Simple Assembly Instructions:
1.Apply 5min Epoxy to joints; I recommend using a clamp to hold the door together since the joint may separate if you leave it flat on a table. Allow 10minutes for the epoxy to start to harden.
1.1Alt Filament Step: If you didn't use ASA and plan on spray painting. I recommend spray painting the main body and door separately before attaching the door. It'll make it easier to get all the nooks and crannies.
2.Insert your 2 longer M3 screws into the pre-threaded holes at the top of the main body. Screw it to the edge of the interior. Align the door with the screws and finishing door assembly. There should be about a ~1/16" of space between the edge of the door and the main body. If you over tighten the door will bind against the body.
3.Insert your short M3 screw at the bottom of the door and tighten the full length of the screw to see aligns with the main body hole. This screw also works as the knob to open the door.