Question for Lane Stout..Gonzales, LA

[Guest]

Lane, I was browsing the forum and came across your post about the Ponchartrain Roost. Have been down there last 3 years. Very amazing. I noticed the photo of martin site on your post. Is this your site? Reason being, I am giving thought to a few watersedge houses with gourds as in that photo. Currently have wooden T14, with great success, but really need to consider less maintenance with aluminum housing. I really like the looks of the setup in the photo.

Thanks,
Rick Hoyt, Broussard, LA

[Guest]

I would love to see a picture of Lane's set-up because I plan to hang gourds under my watersedge this season.



Lanell

[Guest]

Could just be my luck, but the only housing I had last year that was unoccupied was the Wateredge 4 room suites. I am trying it again this year. I really don't like the telescoping pole. With gourds hanging on the same pole, it really gets to be a pain raising and lowering it. From now on all my poles will an easy lift of some type.

[Guest]

I made my own pole/pulley system. Have many pipe suppiers near my home. Used 3" square tubing and bought brake winch from PMCA. My current T14 is 90lbs. I would make new system with aluminum tubing, therefore, eliminating the rusting problem w/steel pole. I'll need to re-think the watersedge idea...got a whole season to debate it. Maybe I should consider going w/more expensive T14 aluminum house. What kind of success rate did you have last year? I had 11 pairs w/50 young.

[Lane Stout]

Rick, I have a small new colony consisting of the twin WatersEdge Suites on a modified Multipurpose pole plus two other Deluxe Gourd Racks with tunneled natural gourds. I had three nesting pair last year and they all choose the gourds with the tunnelled WDC entrances over the houses or the crescent SG's. For this season I added tunnels to my four SG's. (See photo below).

I find the house well built but all of the fastener hardware is plated steel which rusted severely after a couple of seasons in our humid climate. Not a big deal but if I were to assemble another I think I would buy and use all stainless steel screws and nuts and throw away the hardware it comes with.

I added an additional riser to hold a couple of perching rods on the MPP and converted all three poles to brake winches with steel cable.

Lanell, the gourds under the WatersEdge Suites are hung from the gourd arms on the MPP. I'll attach a couple of photos.

[Guest]

Lane,
Thanks for the pics. You really have an awesome site. Good Luck. I'll be looking forward to hearing of your progress this season. I bet that with all of the damage sustained to your East, you'll attract birds that have lost their housing. I know many landlords have bigger problems right now thar worrying about PM housing. I'll gladly give their birds a good home until they can return back to their original sites.
Rick

[Louise Chambers]

Lane, when you switched from rope to cable, and added a winch, did you replace the pulleys? The mfg has said that pulleys would need to be replaced as the ones that come with the MPP are not suitable for metal cable. It will chew them up pretty quickly, we were told. If you did not replace the pulleys, that might be something to keep an eye on. Your set-up looks great

Louise

[Lane Stout]

Thanks Rick & Louise! I did change the top pulley to a stainless steel unit specifically designed for use with steel cable and that is rated for a higher load than the winch. Good point for folks to be aware of.

[J Getting]

Lane Stout,

I sure like the looks of those gourds with the WDC tunnels!! How did you make them? Jim

[John Atteberry]

Hello Lane,
You are one talented landlord on those tunnels on your gourds. How did you put them on? I Like round holes though, do they make them round holes too? Those tunnels make the gourds look like horizontal gourds, and that is what they like and I like! Thanks John!

[Lane Stout]

Jim and John, these were standard Crescent Super Gourds before adding the tunnels. This is a very easy conversion to an already excellent product. Hope the following helps.

I did not fabricate the tunnels myself. The WDC rain tunnel entrances shown were built by a friend, Sandy Bunn of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

The tunnel was positioned over the existing crescent opening and it's outline traced onto the gourd. The marked hole was then cut out using a fine metal tooth blade in a jig saw being careful to stay inside the line. (The idea is to create a tight friction fit for the tunnel). A thin layer of white Lexel adhesive was applied to both the opening and the end 1/2 inch of the tunnel before inserting as it adheres well to these plastics. Additional dabs of Lexel were applied with gloved fingers through the inspection opening around the tunnel for a secure bond. Care should be taken to ensure the tunnel tilts slightly forward when hanging to enable water to run to the front and out a drain hole. The next day after the Lexel was totally dry a bead of DAP Alex Plus was applied to the outside of the joint as it is easily smoothed unlike Lexel.

A light coat of Krylon Fusion white paint applied on the outside of the tunnel and Alex caulk match the Super Gourd. Black Fusion paint applied before assembly on the tunnel interior blocks light and creates a dark contrast for the opening. Cleaning the plastic with a pre-paint oil and grease remover helps obtain a good bond.

The original hanging holes were filled with Lexel and new hanging holes drilled front to back to mount onto a straight (or horizontal) gourd rack arm. (The additional weight and moment of the tunnel would otherwise cause the gourd to tilt downwards severely).

1/2" PVC elbow vents were added to the tops for ventilation and also adhered with Lexel.

Here is a picture of the tunnel from inside the gourd.

[John Atteberry]

Hello Lane,
Thanks for the advice, Lane! They do look great! I will try some next year, maybe two this year! I'll let you know if I did and how it works! John!

[floridasunshinegoddess]

Great setup, Lane! Why don't you and Marie come down for a visit and help me with mine...!!

[Lane Stout]

Well Barb, that might be a real nice little winter trip.

[rickluc]

Lane


What is a WDC rain tunnel? Thanks

[Lane Stout]

Lane


What is a WDC rain tunnel? Thanks

"WDC Rain Tunnel" is the name of the entrance assembly given by the builder. The opening itself was designed by Mr. Conley who named it "WDC". The entrance is mounted inside a PVC pipe recessed back a little from the front to prevent rain from entering. A porch is attached out front for the martins to perch on. (Study the photos above and you will see the recess).

[rickluc]

Lane


I guess I should have explained a little more. I like the looks and ideal. Although I don't need the Crescent openings. So this is just a piece of PVC? With the crescent opening made by Mr. Conley, put in the front of the piece of pipe? What size PVC, lenght and diameter? Could a person install the PVC piece on to the front of the gourd and let the original round hole in the SG stay as the entrance hole? Hope I explained this to your understanding. Thanks

[Lane Stout]

Hi rickluc,

I understand now. The tunnel itself is made from 3" PVC pipe and is about 6 inches long. The entrance opening is made from a flat sheet of PVC as is the porch. I guess you could attach a tunnel to the gourd like you mention but the reason for adding the tunnel is to obtain additional horizontal depth so owls and hawks would have a harder time reaching into the cavity. I do not know if Sandy makes this tunnel with a round opening or not.

[rickluc]

Lane

Wondering if the extra 6" of PVC would be enough length plus the original round hole in the gourd to keep owl from reaching in? Also, would the Lexel hold a piece of PVC butted up against the face of the gourd? Thanks

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

rickluc, I had 2 gourds last year, I used ppca (polyeuthrene premium construction adhesive) to attach an entry plate with a porch directly to the necks of horiziontal gourds, and they held up real well.

I think Lexel holds very good, so it should also work. I quit using Lexel because of price and difficulty in applying it, I like the ppca better