The Feathered Friends Cedar Mill birdhouse and other custom  models in the collection are were created in July 2002.  I got the idea for the mill from a ceramic Christmas village house. The first one I made was a gift for my mother-in-law, a bird lover and enthusiast.  The pictures below are of the second one that was completed in 2002.

The mill is constructed of solid 3/4" cedar which will age beautifully.  Sixty eight individually cut pieces of wood and 30 hours of labor went into the construction of the mill. 

The exterior is coated with water sealant for protection. The interior was left untreated. Waterproof glue was used throughout. Cedar is a very weather resistant wood that retains it's quality and character with age, weathering to a soft silver gray if left untreated. To retain the natural earth tones of the cedar, 
a coat of water sealant can be applied annually to the exterior of the mill. 

The cedar roof is covered with 40 gauge embossed copper. With time and exposure to the elements, the copper will age to have a verdigris patina.

The durable rustproof brass hardware used throughout the construction compliments the copper roof and earth tones of the cedar. 

There is a large door in the back of the mill with a magnetic latch making it convenient for easy annual cleaning. 

All the wooden accessory pieces (water wheel, trough, trim, etc) are hand carved to achieve a mottled appearance, simulating stone. The trough has drainage holes. 

A piece of plastic mesh is tacked to the inside below the hole to help the baby birds climb out. 

The birdhouse measures 13" diameter by 11" wide by 16" high and has a 1.5" entry hole, ideal for the birds indigenous to North America: chickadees, wrens, bluebirds, finches, etc.  With it's solid 3/4" cedar construction, this birdhouse was built to last. It weighs over 10 lbs. and has a cedar mounting bracket and screws secure it to a 4"x4" wood post.