Nest Box materials

Sorting a couple of nest boxes out for my shed , got my sizes ect , now thinking of material to use i know plywood is the better material to use and thats what i would use if i built them my self which is what i was going to do , but been looking on line and i have seen some boxes which look more than ok , i doubt if i could build them cheaper  ..................but they are made out of chipboard although it says a high grade chipboard , is it ok and does anybody use chipboard for there nest boxes , i`m not sure because of the way it reacts to damp but then if it is an exterior chipboard i think it should be ok , the site is Pallatts.com , the box is less than £30.00 about the price of a decent 18mm  8x4 sheet of ply , probably could build them a bit cheaper but not sure it`s worth the hassle.

take it from me chipboard is fine, but screw it together with chipboard screws, i am a joiner so know what i am on about. 

edgie wrote:

take it from me chipboard is fine, but screw it together with chipboard screws, i am a joiner so know what i am on about. 

Cheers edgie i`m going to buy one to start with and see how it goes but i think it will be fine , it looks a really nice box it`s a bit bigger than i was going to make it but i suppose thats not a bad thing

i have both chipboard and ply nest boxes, and personally i think the ply boxes are the best......i say this because the chipbord boxes i bought pre made have warped, therefor making it so the fronts come out of the blocks, i think this was caused over a couple of breeding seasons as i put cups for food and water for the parents/ybs..........i did make some chip board nest boxes myself out of 18mm flooring grade which is treated so as not to warp, these have stayed as good as the day i made them, but were very hard to saw using a hand saw, and very heavy once made.....

this is just my own personal experience.

all you need to do is fix a couple of rails to the underneath of the length of the box floors this wil keep them nice and flat, hope this helps:cheers: 

David wrote:

i have both chipboard and ply nest boxes, and personally i think the ply boxes are the best......i say this because the chipbord boxes i bought pre made have warped, therefor making it so the fronts come out of the blocks, i think this was caused over a couple of breeding seasons as i put cups for food and water for the parents/ybs..........i did make some chip board nest boxes myself out of 18mm flooring grade which is treated so as not to warp, these have stayed as good as the day i made them, but were very hard to saw using a hand saw, and very heavy once made.....

this is just my own personal experience.

Yer know what you mean , my shed has a chipboard roof and that has gone belly down  but it is about ten year old and it does still keep the water out , i`ve e-mailed the company asking them about the grade of chipboard used but i suppose you have to expect a few repair jobs after a couple of year  

edgie wrote:

take it from me chipboard is fine, but screw it together with chipboard screws, i am a joiner so know what i am on about. 

True !!!!!! cheap as chips   chipboard. Mine have lasted 30 odd years etc thou some are showing there age a bit   .  
*****

things are not built to last nowadays i`m afraid knackered...... 

David wrote:

things are not built to last nowadays i`m afraid knackered...... 

They do    if you do them yourself properly David. I just hope !!!!!   my house which I also built 45+ years ago type of thing is a bit better quality than my old boxes. To be honest thou    I have done the odd crap job unfortunately,  sad to say    . Last week I had a brick retaining wall collapse on me here, that I built with a lot of sweat etc, I did something wrong thou     as it only lasted 40 odd years for some reason.  
*****

northern monkey wrote:

David wrote:

i have both chipboard and ply nest boxes, and personally i think the ply boxes are the best......i say this because the chipbord boxes i bought pre made have warped, therefor making it so the fronts come out of the blocks, i think this was caused over a couple of breeding seasons as i put cups for food and water for the parents/ybs..........i did make some chip board nest boxes myself out of 18mm flooring grade which is treated so as not to warp, these have stayed as good as the day i made them, but were very hard to saw using a hand saw, and very heavy once made.....

this is just my own personal experience.

Yer know what you mean , my shed has a chipboard roof and that has gone belly down  but it is about ten year old and it does still keep the water out , i`ve e-mailed the company asking them about the grade of chipboard used but i suppose you have to expect a few repair jobs after a couple of year  

never ever use chip board on a roof, as if it leeks it will soak up water like a sponge,then when it drys it goes to dust as the glue is spent, or worst still colapses. 

Knackered wrote:

David wrote:

things are not built to last nowadays i`m afraid knackered...... 

They do    if you do them yourself properly David. I just hope !!!!!   my house which I also built 45+ years ago type of thing is a bit better quality than my old boxes. To be honest thou    I have done the odd crap job unfortunately,  sad to say    . Last week I had a brick retaining wall collapse on me here, that I built with a lot of sweat etc, I did something wrong thou     as it only lasted 40 odd years for some reason.  
*****

i agree knackered, self built is usually best, the nest boxes i refered to are the pre built bought ones from pigeon suppliers.....and i think the old saying "if you want a job done right, do it yourself" saying is right.

p.s. hope you remembered to add the cement on the retaining wall knackered......     

edgie wrote:

take it from me chipboard is fine, but screw it together with chipboard screws, i am a joiner so know what i am on about. 

Well second that one thing make when screwing them together use PVA glue to help strengthen boxes

David wrote:

Knackered wrote:

David wrote:

things are not built to last nowadays i`m afraid knackered...... 

They do    if you do them yourself properly David. I just hope !!!!!   my house which I also built 45+ years ago type of thing is a bit better quality than my old boxes. To be honest thou    I have done the odd crap job unfortunately,  sad to say    . Last week I had a brick retaining wall collapse on me here, that I built with a lot of sweat etc, I did something wrong thou     as it only lasted 40 odd years for some reason.  
*****

i agree knackered, self built is usually best, the nest boxes i refered to are the pre built bought ones from pigeon suppliers.....and i think the old saying "if you want a job done right, do it yourself" saying is right.

p.s. hope you remembered to add the cement on the retaining wall knackered......     

Thank's !!!!!!!     it completly slipped my mind back then (cement)    I will make sure I add some    when I start to built it again.
PS, at least I still have all my old tools/trowels, thou a bit on the rusty side etc I'm afraid.  
*****

Knackered wrote:

David wrote:

Knackered wrote:

David wrote:

things are not built to last nowadays i`m afraid knackered...... 

They do    if you do them yourself properly David. I just hope !!!!!   my house which I also built 45+ years ago type of thing is a bit better quality than my old boxes. To be honest thou    I have done the odd crap job unfortunately,  sad to say    . Last week I had a brick retaining wall collapse on me here, that I built with a lot of sweat etc, I did something wrong thou     as it only lasted 40 odd years for some reason.  
*****

i agree knackered, self built is usually best, the nest boxes i refered to are the pre built bought ones from pigeon suppliers.....and i think the old saying "if you want a job done right, do it yourself" saying is right.

p.s. hope you remembered to add the cement on the retaining wall knackered......     

Thank's !!!!!!!     it completly slipped my mind back then (cement)    I will make sure I add some    when I start to built it again.
PS, at least I still have all my old tools/trowels, thou a bit on the rusty side etc I'm afraid.  
*****

i havnt seen my trowel for about 2 years knackered, in fact its somewhere in my garage so ive no chance of finding it........ 

you better star digging them out david ready for ur new loft to go up m8 lol
 

stewhit wrote:

you better star digging them out david ready for ur new loft to go up m8 lol
 

LOL stew, it will take me another 2 years to find it..........lol

no gd david stob avin to many brews and them orange club bisciutes lol  

stewhit wrote:

no gd david stob avin to many brews and them orange club bisciutes lol  

PMSL stew.......