Peanut Butter Garden Bird Feeder

The idea behind this was more an outdoor suitability test for different filament types than a means to feed the birds in the garden. The idea is when, eventually, the print becomes degraded beyond usability by the sun, rain and frost I can print another (in a different material) then see how that one holds up.

The version pictured is in black PETG and so far (only a few months in) it hasn’t budged. This is a long term thing though. I’m hoping it’ll last several years before it needs replacing.

It’s designed to take a standard UK (small) 340g jar of cheap and cheerful supermarket own brand peanut butter (glass or plastic jar). Starlings love it, and some other visitors to the garden show interest too.

My workshop is primarily metal working, so the 4mm stainless steel rod I used for the bird perch is something I had lying around. I realise not everyone will have this. A bamboo (or metal) skewer, a piece of wire coat hanger or a thin garden cane ought to be easily substituted. Just be sure to put something on the end so you don’t poke your eye out on it!

The nut and bolt which fits in the hole in the roof is a simple catch to retain the jar. Again, this is something I had in a drawer. I don’t think it’s something anyone creative enough to run a 3D printer will find difficulty in sourcing or substituting. The birds are not tidy eaters, and a latch at the top stays clean and functional, whereas a simple lip would need regular cleaning. With no latch at all, you’ll be picking the jar up off the floor once about half of the contents have been eaten.

The roof and gutter are angled to reduce water dripping off the front edge and directly into the jar (the birds don’t seem to mind either way though!)

It was printed with 10% honeycomb infill, and used 76 metres of filament with a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.2mm layer height. It’s deliberately a pretty solid thing, but you’re welcome to reduce walls and infill to make it more economic. It’s printed flat on the bed and I needed no supports.