John Tilton credits one of his daughters with convincing him to construct his first birdhouse.
The daughter liked birdhouses her uncle made by hollowing out short logs and carving an opening for the birds to enter. But the tedious labor of manually chiseling the wood from the center of the log didn't interest Tilton.
Eventually, though, Tilton's curiosity won out, and the retired carpenter and self-described handyman went to work.
The Lewiston man's first attempt took more than 24 hours, even with all his experience in projects as diverse as building furniture and landscaping his backyard.
"I told (my daughter) if I can't find an easier way, you got the only one, the first one and the last one I will ever make," Tilton said.
But he was already hooked more than he knew. More than 100 have followed in the last five years.
"People liked it, so I started making more of them," Tilton said. "I'd give them away or sell a few."
The handmade houses have enough of a following that they're sold by retailers, including the Valley Bronze Gallery in Joseph, Ore., University of Idaho's Prichard Art Gallery in Moscow and Schurman's True Value Hardware in Clarkston. They fetch anywhere from $60 to $120.
Tilton, 83, has developed his own techniques and tools to save time and create more elaborate designs.
Some of his birdhouses are almost as rustic as his first. But instead of using a chisel, Tilton removes the center of a log with a large-diameter bit on a drill press and a small chain saw.
"I do one in 30 minutes," he said. "It costs me a lot more."
Much of the expense is in the power tools, hundreds of dollars of expenses he justifies partially because he uses them for other tasks.
Tilton selects the boards, mostly donated by satisfied customers, from a collection he keeps in his shop. Many are from common types of trees: willow, birch and apple. A few are more exotic, like yew, a species of tree that is the source of a substance used to fight cancer.
His birdhouses have removable tops, a feature that's especially helpful if yellow jackets, instead of birds, take up residence in the wooden shelters.
Tilton has continued to innovate, with the round shape representing the only remnant of his brother-in-law's design in some renditions.
Some are bird feeders. One that he made for himself is a functioning solar-powered light that looks like a birdhouse and hangs outside his door.
"I didn't even know if it would work," he said. "I just wanted to try it."
The most elaborate have geometric inlaid patterns of light and dark wood reminiscent of checkerboards. Figuring out how to achieve that effect in a sphere took patience and dedication.
Each of the wood sections is tapered a certain number of degrees based on the number of pieces going into the house. Tilton keeps a cheat sheet handy in his shop to remind him of the formulas.
Finding the setting on a saw that cuts triangular shapes for the tops was another marathon of tinkering. Tilton would cut all eight pieces only to find the saw angle was still off and they didn't fit together correctly.
After more than 100 failed attempts, he wondered if there might be a better way. He visited the library, where a librarian spent a half day searching titles before they decided nothing had been published about what he was attempting.
He went back to his shop, where it took hundreds of more tries.
"It was trial and error and then burn it, if it didn't fit," Tilton said.
Even the finish was carefully considered. He brushes on three coats of a product used for boats so that the houses can withstand heat, rain and snow.
Having perfected his design, the process now usually goes smoothly.
"It's taking something that's just a flat piece of lumber or a log and turning it into a piece of art," Tilton said.
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Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.