Formula Needed -- Or sketch

I'm interested in making a cone shaped sheet metal squirrel baffle for a bird feeder conduit/post. The pole seems to be made of 1/2 or 3/4 rigid conduit.

The idea I have is to wrap the metal and have a lip extending above it so I can secure it to the pole with a hose clamp.

Anyone know where I can find a formula for laying out such an item?

I suppose we'd need to know the diameter of the post: 3/4" +/-

Distance we'd like it to stand out: 6" +/- So we'd probably need the radius to equal about 8"

I don't suppose the slope matters a lot: probably 20 - 35 degrees

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. I'm tired of feeding the squirrels sunflower seed intended for the birds. :-)

Thanks,

Al

Reply to
Al Patrick
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I used an old light reflector that slips over the pipe and rests on a hose clamp. It's very unstable and the squirrels can't get past it. At first I had it ridgid with collars above and below but the little thieves figured that out in an hour. Now I'm working on a bird-proof squirrel feeder.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Have look at this neat freebie from

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Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see: Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs

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Reply to
Boris Mohar

I agree with Tom, "tippy" shields work better.

For fustrum (truncated cones) layouts, you can use:

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This is a manual calculation method.

Or

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Locate "Cone.zip". Download, unzip, and run cone.exe. This is a little DOS program where you enter your numbers and it gives to layout lengths and angles. (I've used this!)

Or

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This is shareware (15 free days or $29 [worth it!]) Windows program. It lets you design a printable layout, and prints on multiple 8-1/2 x 11 sheets for big patterns. You can view and maneuver the design in 3D. It also allows you to add bend lines, if you want to fold it on a brake, rather than roll it. (The only stake I have in the company is that I've used their earlier Freeware version, and just bought the improved Shareware program.)

By the way, I gave up fighting the squirrels. It's a Zen thing. ;)

Reply to
Ken Moffett

Just lay out an inner and outer circle, cut about a 20 degree slot in it and bring it together. If the angle is not enough, cut some more out. Start with about 1" diameter insdie, 18" outside.

Reply to
Roy J

I found tons of information on the web for calculating cones...

Reply to
Jon Grimm

I know what you're after, but thought I'd throw into the mix a neat way of keeping the buggers out of the Finch Feeders (which we used to hang in the trees). I found out that if you use a LONG piece if thin gauge wire from a high limb and then hang the feeder from the wire, the squirrels WILL NOT try to climb down the wire, too far out from the trunk of the tree to jump to it and too high off the ground to jump up to it. It's been working GREAT on two finch feeders for about the last 5 or 6 years..... (of course *they* aren't too happy) Ken.

Reply to
Anonymous

If you have an old aluminum frying pan you could remove the handle and add an hole in the center. Hang it upside down on a hose clamp. HTH.

Reply to
John

A great idea for that situation or a new "installation" of a feeder. I have a friend who already has a feeder mounted on a steel conduit and I thought I'd come up with a quick and easy solution. I know what you're after, but thought I'd throw into the mix a neat

Reply to
Al Patrick

Why not a little "electric fence" fanning out from the pole?No need to fry the bastards, it likely wouldn't take much to train them.

Or a dog house at the base of the pole with the resident not being overfed.

michael

Reply to
michael

On Sat, 14 Feb 2004 15:10:30 -0500, Al Patrick vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

Search cone13.exe on the web. Free. Brilliant as far as I can see. You need to be able to take the result to a drawing programme that accepts dxf files, and the sizes are not given in the ptrogramme.

I looked at Help about but the site was not mentioned.

**************************************************** sorry

.........no I'm not! remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Spike....Spike? Hello?

Reply to
Old Nick

Cone 1.3 has been replaced by Cone Layout 2.0. The company is Pulse Rate Software. The new version is shareware with a free 15 day trial, or a $29 purchase price. And now you don't have to export to a DXF to print in inches.

Again, no connection with the company, except being a happy user.

Reply to
Ken Moffett

Hey Al,

Why not make one out of poster or construction paper and scotch tape that kids use in school. Comes in about 24 X 30" I think, at any decent office supplier store. After you get it looking like you want, just "flatten it" and you have a template. Hard part is the neck. Really tough to get that to happen, not so much in the design, but in the actual bending of the metal without having some huge press and die. It will tear if you do it by hand I think. Better if you get the collar hole about right size, and just put a clamp above and below, which also makes it tilty/whirly if a squirrel does jump at it. A pair of them mounted about 4 inches apart works good, because for sure if he gets on the first one, he can't get traction to the second level. But they may "clang" in the wind!

Take care.

Brian Laws>I'm interested in making a cone shaped sheet metal squirrel baffle for a

Reply to
Brian Lawson

You might enjoy this:

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Wouldn't something like this be more entertaining & more fun to build? BTW, I think I first saw this in Jeff W.'s post from 3 years ago.

WD-40 on the pole is pretty entertaining, too, but it doesn't last very long.

R, Tom Q.

Reply to
Tom Quackenbush

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