My second grade teacher loved all things nature and really inspired in all of us a great love of nature. He developed in me a great love of bats. I wanted a pet bat. Fast forward 20 years or so and I found an article in an in-flight magazine about Tuttle and BCI. I was enthralled! I copied the info down, got home and sent him a check the next day and requested "The Bathouse Builder's Handbook". I was going to build one and hang it on the balcony of my apartment, but I had no place to build it.
Fast forward another 10 years or so, and I found this website. Heard there were new designs, like the rocket box. Ordered an updated Handbook. Started building last year. This spring I finished and last Sunday I put it up!
Some details:
This is a rocket box out of "The Handbook", with some modifications: 1) I made it bigger so it would slide over a 4x4 post. 2) I didn't like the flat roof, so I cobbled together a pitched roof. The two inner sleeves are made of cedar, the outermost sleeve is made of poplar. I thought I could get poplar cheaper than cedar, but I read the tags wrong at the lumber yard.
The inner most sleeve has saw kerfs for a climbing surface. The rest is pet screen mesh.
Much of the roof area is flashed with flashing rubber membrane. The roof itself has aluminum flashing glued to the top.
Mounting:
I sank an 8 foot 4x6 pt post into the ground 4 feet. The upper 2 feet of the post is notched to receive a 4x4 pt post. Hard to explain, but the pictures are clear. 4 feet of the 4x6 post is exposed. The 4x4 post is 12 feet long for a total height around 14 feet.
Swinging the thing into place was a two person job. I attached two cleats to receive a long 2x4. My wife drove the 2x4. I just pressed up with my hands.
Left to do:
1) The house is just sitting on the post. I want to screw it in place so the roof does not come loose and the sleeves come sliding down the post
2) I want to reinforce the 4x4 - 4x6 junction with a piece of 2x4 pt so it doesn't fail at that point.
Pictures:
Regards
Rick
NW 'burbs of Chicago
