Cutting My Own Trio Entrances

[Kyler]

Over the years of modifying old Trio Martin houses I have many of the interior blank doors that separate the compartments into 6x6. At this moment I’m restoring another Trio Castle that I got for free about 4 months ago. I needed some more SREH doors and instead of ordering new ones I decided I would try to make my own with those blank doors. This is the process. (Step 1) I used a new Trio door and traced my entrance on the the blank door. (Step 2) I drilled many holes around the entire inside of the traced line. (Step 3) I cut the inside out with my Dremel. (Step 4) I sanded the entire door and the entrance down to the line. (Step 5) Paint the door with a white paint.



What do you guys think. Definitely make sure to tell me something I did wrong or if you guys have a easier way! Thanks!

Kyler,

[Brad Biddle]

Those look really nice. It's got to be a lot of work to sand that entrance down smooth and to the exact correct dimensions. I admire your determination. I do have an easier way. You would likely be able to get scrap "Sintra" from a sign shop. They may not know what Sintra is, that's a brand name, but it's an air infused PVC product. Another name brand is Palight. It's commonly used as a sign backer. Sintra can be cut with a router table and jig. I have a WDC entrance jig built. I can precut the Sintra down into 4" squares on my table saw, drill a hole in the center, then using a router table with laminate flush trim router bit, I can cut the entrance and trim the outside to shape in just a few seconds.

Just ask for PVC board.

[MorganW_AL]

Yep, a template and router would make quick work of that if you use the plastic.
I would think that attaching the ones you have to a backer of MDF with the hole cut to slightly smaller dimensions, drilling a hole and then using a scroll saw would work. Then, take it off the smaller template, put it on a template to size and sand or file to the finished dimension. If you're careful, the MDF will hold up for several uses, and they would be easy to make. Just a thought.

[Lewis]

Try using POLYMAX (HDPE) high density polyethylene . UV stable. I used it on my modifications for flooring and it has held up to UV degradation. You can buy small 1/8 in.sheets on Amazon or you can can buy a 4 x 8 ft 1/8" sheet from FarmTek for much less.

Lewis

[MorganW_AL]

I think he is using what he's using because it's what he has. If you have, use it. No need to throw it away.

[Kyler]

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I’m definitely going to keep them in mind for the future. I only had a few to do to get my Trio castle ready for next year. I got this idea from a gentleman just a couple towns away from me. He builds his own houses. So I thought I would go head and try his way. This is how they look on my house.



Brad, Is there any way you could post a picture of your jig?

Kyler,

[Anthony Neira]

Way To Go kyler ! I Stand corrected, the Trio Castle with blocking off one whole room for nesting is the one , besides the DR-12H,or TM-12, with a nesting place way bigger than a 6" X 6" room !

[John & Linda - KY]

The recommendation for distance between the bottom of the crescent and the porch is 1/8" max, it looks like yours are about 3/8". This may give the long-legged starlings a better chance on breaching the entrance. -- John

[Matt F.]

Good eye John.
Kyler probably cut them at the same height that Nature House cuts them - 1/2" from the bottom.
The main reason for this, is to provide enough structural integrity at the bottom of the door, to allow it to still be held securely by the floor clips.
There's a good and bad to this.
The bad like you mentioned, is being at that height definitely makes it easier for starlings to potentially enter.
The good is along the same lines - it also allows for the Martins to learn to traverse them more easily, in turn more like to "accept" them and call it home.
The most starling resistant entrances available for the Trio/Nature House houses, at the 1/2" height, are the Excluder doors available here.
Forum user Andrew B. (handle "Dorn County") has had good success with the Exlcuders, in the starling-rich area of the Parsons, KS housing he manages.
I've been using the crescents at the colony I manage at a local university, and (thankfully) have not starling issues - albeit the starling concentration in that area is probably below average.

[Kyler]

John & Matt,
I cut them in the exact location as Nature did. I took a new Trio door and traced the new entrance on to the blank ones.

Kyler,

[Matt F.]

I knew that.
From one Trio fan to another, I understood the method to your madness :-)

[Kyler]

Matt,
Same I have never had a startling breach the crescent entrance. I have 5 Trio Houses and everyone of them has crescent entrances and the martins seem to like them. I tried the excluders like Andrew uses and I had to make them adjustable to allow the martins to go in and out.

I don’t think you can lower the entrance anymore then that because of the clip. 1/2 inch in my opinion is alright!

Kyler,

[daveh]

I've been using the Nature House crescent and excluder doors for years and haven't had any trouble with starlings that I can remember. I have a castle and a minicastle and 2 M12K's, all using those two openings at the 1/2 inch above the porch level. I do use the 3/8 inch wing entrapment protectors on the crescents, not the excluders, to make the hole thicker. That might help in keeping starlings out. I agree with Kyler, the 1/2 inch is ok.

Dave