I want to convert the round holes on a Lone Star Goliad to crescents. I have the crescent plates - my question is this: what's the best way to cut the Lone Star sheet metal doors? They're riveted on, and I'd rather not remove them, if I can get away with it. I was thinking Dremel tool to cut away the part of the metal door that need to be removed - has anyone done that? Or maybe some other technique that doesn't require a fully-equipped machine shop?
Thanks!
Anyone modified a Lone Star house with round entrances?
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John Barrow
- Posts: 982
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:12 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi / Sandia , Texas
Dave,
I know Tony Frederickson has modified all of his Lone Star openings several times. You might email him to see what he suggests.
When I bought my first lone star goliads I had them custom assembled with half round and half crescent. Shortly afterwards I modified some of the crescent doors to replace them with metal excluder plates as I felt the excluder would be more easily entered and there was discussion at that time about feather damage from crescents. Recently I redid all of the excluders and the rest of the crescent doors to offer sentra WDC openings and am using many of those now.
In the meantime I have somehow acquired 5 goliads, including a couple of bargains on ebay. I still have one I don't use. That has given me plenty of extra doors and I bought some spares from David van Booven when he had Lone Star. All of my modifications were done by first removing the door. Simple to do--just drill out two of the rivets on the door hinge. I then have enlarged the hole to accept the SREH with metal shears. They then have to be filed smooth. I have never tried a dremel to enlarge the hole. To do all of these changes I had to also remove the porches-four more rivets to drill out- as the sentra plate fits best between the porch and the door plate. I can do one in about 30 minutes now, but don't think I could do one without detaching the door panel.
I would also suggest you check with PMCA or gold crest that manufactures the LS houses and see how much extra door panels are. I don't recall them being that expensive and then you have the option of changing entries by just changing the entire door panel by drilling out two rivets and replacing two rivets. That can be done easily and quickly with the system in place and in use.
Let me know how it turns out. jb
I know Tony Frederickson has modified all of his Lone Star openings several times. You might email him to see what he suggests.
When I bought my first lone star goliads I had them custom assembled with half round and half crescent. Shortly afterwards I modified some of the crescent doors to replace them with metal excluder plates as I felt the excluder would be more easily entered and there was discussion at that time about feather damage from crescents. Recently I redid all of the excluders and the rest of the crescent doors to offer sentra WDC openings and am using many of those now.
In the meantime I have somehow acquired 5 goliads, including a couple of bargains on ebay. I still have one I don't use. That has given me plenty of extra doors and I bought some spares from David van Booven when he had Lone Star. All of my modifications were done by first removing the door. Simple to do--just drill out two of the rivets on the door hinge. I then have enlarged the hole to accept the SREH with metal shears. They then have to be filed smooth. I have never tried a dremel to enlarge the hole. To do all of these changes I had to also remove the porches-four more rivets to drill out- as the sentra plate fits best between the porch and the door plate. I can do one in about 30 minutes now, but don't think I could do one without detaching the door panel.
I would also suggest you check with PMCA or gold crest that manufactures the LS houses and see how much extra door panels are. I don't recall them being that expensive and then you have the option of changing entries by just changing the entire door panel by drilling out two rivets and replacing two rivets. That can be done easily and quickly with the system in place and in use.
Let me know how it turns out. jb
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
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Guest
Thanks, John - good info.
I think I had priced the replacement doors one time, and they were $40? I could be wrong about that, though. I think I'll revisit that as an alternative. I bought the crescent openings at Martinfest lst year, and they are well made, have cutouts for the porch screws, and only require the opening to be enlarged in order to be installed. They are predrilled for small sheet metal screws, and the screws come with the opening panels. All that having been said, new doors and re-riveting might be the easiest, quickest install.
We're picking up a few more ASY birds here in Austin County this week. Nothing spectacular, though.[/i]
I think I had priced the replacement doors one time, and they were $40? I could be wrong about that, though. I think I'll revisit that as an alternative. I bought the crescent openings at Martinfest lst year, and they are well made, have cutouts for the porch screws, and only require the opening to be enlarged in order to be installed. They are predrilled for small sheet metal screws, and the screws come with the opening panels. All that having been said, new doors and re-riveting might be the easiest, quickest install.
We're picking up a few more ASY birds here in Austin County this week. Nothing spectacular, though.[/i]
Last edited by Guest on Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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John Barrow
- Posts: 982
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 4:12 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi / Sandia , Texas
Dave, I suppose you mean ASY birds? If you are getting a stream of SYs that might be spectacular.Dave Jenkins wrote:We're picking up a few more SY birds here in Austin County this week. Nothing spectacular, though.
~~TEAMED WITH A MARTIN GODDESS~~
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
Member/Mentor-PMCA. I do regular nestchecks and participate in PROJECT MARTINWATCH!! Coordinated 3 geolocator studies-2009, 2010 & 2013. State and Fed licensed bander (retired Jan., 2020)
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Guest
Oh - right! ASY, of course.
That's what we call, in the IT business, a "finger check." Wishful thinking, I guess.
That's what we call, in the IT business, a "finger check." Wishful thinking, I guess.
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Guest
The quickest/cleanest way to enlarge holes in sheet metal or aluminum is with a knockout tool - the type used by electricians. The most popular brand is Greenlee. Less than 30 seconds per hole with no burrs.
You can borrow one from an electrician or rent one from a tool rental place.
You can borrow one from an electrician or rent one from a tool rental place.
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klcretired
- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 3:06 am
- Location: Grand Prairie,Tx
Dave,
I have the same setup , can you email me at the address below this post.
I have the same setup , can you email me at the address below this post.
Pictures Taken with Canon Rebel XT Digital using a Sigma 50-500 Long Lens.
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
K.C.
[email protected]
Wishing everyone a Great Martin Year
Happy Martining for 2022 to everyone,
K.C.
[email protected]
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Guest
Dave,
I just converted my entire Goliad from round holes over to WDC entrances. I used the dremel tool with a cutting bit. I did not need to remove the doors.
I used my WDC plate, put it up to the door and traced out the new entrance with a sharpie pen. I then used my dremel tool with cutting bit to cut it out. Be careful & wear some glasses while doing it though, because the tiny metal pieces fly off in all directions.
I went to Lowe's & looked for the dremel bits to cut metal. I think they were @ 3.00 for 5 of them.
I just converted my entire Goliad from round holes over to WDC entrances. I used the dremel tool with a cutting bit. I did not need to remove the doors.
I used my WDC plate, put it up to the door and traced out the new entrance with a sharpie pen. I then used my dremel tool with cutting bit to cut it out. Be careful & wear some glasses while doing it though, because the tiny metal pieces fly off in all directions.
I went to Lowe's & looked for the dremel bits to cut metal. I think they were @ 3.00 for 5 of them.
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Guest
Thanks, Angela.
I'm leaning towards a whole door replacement kit now, just for the ease and speed of the job, now that martins are already in many of the apartments. If something happens, though, to keep me from that method, I'm going to attempt to cut the hole enlargements with a Dreml, as you did - it just seems to make sense to me.
Have a good 2006 eason, Angela.
I'm leaning towards a whole door replacement kit now, just for the ease and speed of the job, now that martins are already in many of the apartments. If something happens, though, to keep me from that method, I'm going to attempt to cut the hole enlargements with a Dreml, as you did - it just seems to make sense to me.
Have a good 2006 eason, Angela.