Squirrel Shield for bird feeder pole

thingiverse

I initially printed out a small 10-inch diameter https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2807413 , but I have had squirrels jump around small shields in the past. I liked the concept that author ShinyObjects came up with. The max size was restricted by the printer bed on the 3D printer, so I borrowed the idea for the center mount using hose clamps. But then proceed to design a larger version of the shield. Initially I tried PLA for these designs but a few days above 90 degrees F and my shields warped. So I switched to the more UV tolerant PETG, but ABS should work too. I came up with 2 versions of the design- which are both included. The first version used tie wraps which worked well, but was a hassle coming up with 15 tie wraps each time. So, I came up with a snap together design. The snap mechanism might need some improvement at some point, but for now it seems to be holding together. Push both snaps into the slot simultaneously and slide them in place. This design requires 5 pie shaped pieces to be printed along with the center mount. 9/20/22 - Redesigned Mount to hold the panels in place better during higher winds. The previous mount wobbled too much and allowed the panels to slip by the mount. This version tightens up the gap to snuggle hold panels and doesn't allow them to shack around as much.