Mountain Haven Birdhouse – Laser Template

Birdhouse laser template with curved floor, floral front, and 1/4" perch

Concept and constraints

- Design story: A gabled, front-entry birdhouse with a gentle, side-to-side curved floor formed from a living-hinge panel. The front panel carries a floral motif and a “Welcome Home” inscription. A 1/4" dowel perch sits just below the entry.

- Target species (pick one): 

  - Small (chickadee/wren): 1.25" entry; floor-to-hole center ≈ 4.5–6"; interior ≈ 4.5"–5" square.

  - Bluebird: 1.5" entry; floor-to-hole center ≈ 6"; interior ≈ 5"–5.5" square.

- Material + thickness: 3 mm–3.2 mm Baltic birch plywood (recommended), or 3 mm cast acrylic for decorative builds. Set variable \(T\) = material thickness.

- Kerf + fit: Typical CO₂ laser kerf on birch is \(K \approx 0.10\text{–}0.20\) mm.

  For tight press fits, reduce by \(0.05\) mm; for easy fits, add \(0.10\) mm.

Dimensions and parameters

- Overall footprint: Width 160 mm × Depth 140 mm × Body height to eave 160 mm; total height to peak ≈ 220 mm.

- Entry hole: 

  - Small species: 31.75 mm (1.25") diameter.

  - Bluebird: 38.1 mm (1.5") diameter.

  - Centered horizontally; center ≈ 145 mm up from the deepest point of the floor curve.

- Perch: 1/4" (6.35 mm) dowel; drill/cut hole at the same centerline, 25 mm below entry center. For a snug press-fit, use \(6.2\)–\(6.3\) mm hole in birch.

- Curved floor: Living-hinge panel bends across the width (left-right) to meet the side panels’ curved interior. Recommended inner bend radius \(R \approx 20\text{–}30\) mm for 3 mm birch using the hinge pattern below.

Parts list and joinery

| Part | Material | Qty | Key features | Joinery/notes |

| Front panel (gable) | 3.2 mm birch | 1 | Entry hole, “Welcome Home”, floral engraving, 1/4" perch hole | Finger joints to sides; floor slots |

| Back panel (gable) | 3.2 mm birch | 1 | Optional keyhole hanger or cleat slots | Finger joints to sides; floor slots; clean-out screw |

| Side panels (pair) | 3.2 mm birch | 2 | Curved bottom edge to set floor arc | Finger joints to front/back |

| Roof left/right | 3.2 mm birch | 2 | Simple pitch with overlap | Slots or lap joint; vent gap at peak |

| Floor (living hinge) | 3.2 mm birch | 1 | Hinge cuts oriented front-to-back | Tabs into front/back slots |

| Bend form/jigs | 6–9 mm scrap | 2 | Curvature-matching cradles | Clamp the floor to set curve |

> Sources: internal design guidance and workshop practice.

Living hinge floor design

- Panel size (net): Width \(Wi = 160 - 2T\) mm, Depth \(Di = 140 - 2T\) mm. With \(T = 3.2\) mm, \(Wi = 153.6\) mm; \(Di = 133.6\) mm.

- Hinge orientation: Slots run front-to-back to allow left-right bending.

- Pattern (for 3–3.2 mm birch):

  - Slot length: 85% of the panel width:

  - Web (bridge) thickness between slots: 0.8–1.0 mm.

  - Slot width (cut): single hairline cut; spacing between adjacent cut lines 1.5 mm center-to-center.

  - Hinge field: Center the hinge across the panel, leaving 8–10 mm uncut land at front and back for strength. 

- Bend radius: With the above, a practical \(R \approx 20\text{–}30\) mm is achievable without cracking. If you need a tighter curve, reduce spacing to 1.2–1.3 mm and increase slot-to-edge land slightly.

Front panel layout

- Entry + perch: Entry centered; perch hole centered horizontally and 25 mm below entry center. Add a small through-score circle around the entry (e.g., 44 mm) as a decorative score ring if desired.

- Message: “Welcome Home” set in a legible, engravable serif or slab (outline the text to paths before cutting).

- Floral motif: Use a 2–3 color engraving approach: light raster for petals, medium raster for leaves, and thin vector score for accents. Keep high-contrast negative space around the entry so birds aren’t visually crowded.

Ventilation, drainage, and access

- Ventilation: Three 4–5 mm holes under each roof eave (left and right). Leave a 1–2 mm gap at the roof ridge or add a thin vent slot.

- Drainage: Four 4–5 mm holes at the lowest portion of the floor curve (stagger them so they don’t intersect hinge slots). Alternatively, add two 30 mm × 3 mm slots near the low point.

- Clean-out: Back panel secured with two screws at the bottom and a pivot at the top, or use a small sliding latch.

Laser settings (xtool P2, 55W CO₂, baseline for birch)

- Vector cut (through): 

  - 3.2 mm birch: 90–100% power, 8–12 mm/s, 1 pass.

  - 4 mm birch: 100% power, 6–9 mm/s, 1–2 passes.

- Vector score: 15–25% power, 25–35 mm/s.

- Raster engrave: 18–28% power, 300–400 mm/s, 300–400 DPI.

- Kerf test: Cut a 20 mm square and measure. Adjust \(K\) and slot widths accordingly:

Use air assist; mask birch faces with paper tape for clean engraves; remove and do a light sand.

Assembly sequence

1. Dry fit

   - Finger joints: Check front/back to sides; adjust with file if needed.

   - Floor-to-front/back: Verify tabs/slots; ensure the hinge panel centers and can bow into the curve.

2. Pre-bend and set curve

   - Steam or spritz: Lightly mist the hinge area (optional for birch).

   - Clamp in jigs: Place the floor in the curvature jigs (arc radius \(R \approx 25\) mm) and clamp 15–30 minutes. Let dry fully if misted.

3. Panel glue-up

   - Build the box: Glue front, sides, and back (leave roof off). Use square blocks at the corners.

   - Install floor: Insert tabs into front/back slots; apply wood glue along front/back lands and a thin bead along the side lands that touch the curve. Clamp with the curvature jigs from below to hold shape while curing.

4. Perch and roof

   - Perch: Press-fit or glue the 1/4" dowel. Length 55–65 mm protruding is sufficient.

   - Roof: Glue or screw the two roof panels with a slight overlap at the ridge; leave a small vent gap or add a thin ridge cap strip.

5. Finish

   - Exterior: Linseed oil, spar urethane, or exterior water-based poly; avoid interior coatings. Do not use pressure-treated wood.

   - Hardware: Add a rear hanger, wire, or mount holes. Ensure stable mounting angle.

Color mapping and export

- Stroke colors: 

  - Red (255,0,0): Vector cut (through).

  - Blue (0,0,255): Vector score (thin lines).

  - Black (0,0,0): Raster engrave (fills and text).

  - Green (0,255,0): Assembly guides (do not cut; toggle off).

- Strokes: 0.001" or hairline for vector operations.

- Text: Outline all fonts to paths. 

- Units: Millimeters; origin at top-left; 1:1 scale.

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Ready-to-cut SVG template (T=3.2 mm, K=0.15 mm, small-species variant)

Note: This is a compact starter template with the floor, front panel, one side, and a simple roof. Duplicate/mirror as needed. Outline the “Welcome Home” text in your editor before sending to the laser. Replace the sample floral paths with your preferred vector motif.tering as a logo element.