Is this worth fixing?

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4th Gen Martin Fan
Posts: 1498
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
Location: TN/Collierville
Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.

Matt F,
The house featured in that Sears catalog looks identical to the Trio house that Ray has. I believe it is the Trio Georgian.
You really are the Trio/Nature House Jedi!

The hexagonal 24 room house looks like a Trio DH12 Aluminum Economy Hexagon Martin House but with two extra floors to make it into a 24 compartment house. A current purple martin online superstore has the Trio DH12 listed as a discontinued model for $109.
The Trio DH12 does not look the same as the Trio Mini Castle (TM12) listed in the PMCA Martin Market Place.
The 24 compartment hexagonal house in that Sears catalog does not look as sturdy or well built as my Trio Castle (PMC24) did.

Ray,
I am excited to hear that you are going to restore your Trio Georgian.
If you ordered the complete floor units (part # 825029 and 825030) for this house from the current manufacturer, then the floors would have the latches for each door like the Trio branded house had. Currently the M12K?
I would like to see the completed project no matter how you choose to fix it.
Thank you for the fun pictures and the discussion you initiated.
Keeps my mind focused on the anticipated arrival of the martins.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

4th Gen Martin Fan wrote:You really are the Trio/Nature House Jedi!
You are too kind! There are definitely folks here that are higher ranking Trio Jedi than I - I just tend to be the most chatty.... :lol:
4th Gen Martin Fan wrote:The hexagonal 24 room house looks like a Trio DH12 Aluminum Economy Hexagon Martin House but with two extra floors to make it into a 24 compartment house. A current purple martin online superstore has the Trio DH12 listed as a discontinued model for $109.
The Trio DH12 does not look the same as the Trio Mini Castle (TM12) listed in the PMCA Martin Market Place.
The 24 compartment hexagonal house in that Sears catalog does not look as sturdy or well built as my Trio Castle (PMC24) did.
Good eye.
That hexagonal house listed in the catalog, was the predecessor to the more recent (though now discontinued like you mentioned) Trio/Duracraft DH-12N, pictured here:
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The model in the Sears catalog, is actually a model called the DH-24 (this was the Trio Mfg. name - Sears may have had it listed with a more extravagant name, like the Trio Ponderosa :lol: ) , (here is a 12-room model, seen in this video (not mine) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C2qN_3Xy-M ).
It was introduced back in 1971. It was an interesting specimen, in that it had removable, compartment doors, that were clipped in, and opened to the side - as opposed to up and down.
FYI, DuraCraft line was started by Trio Mfg. in 1971, as more of an economical line.
The DuraCraft line was eventually merged all back together with the regular Trio line, when the company changed to Nature House.
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4th Gen Martin Fan
Posts: 1498
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
Location: TN/Collierville
Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.

Matt,
The picture of the predecessor DH-12 did not come through. I am interested in seeing that picture.
After studying the YouTube video, I can now see the difference in the doors.

In all of my 57 years so far I have never seen an albino Purple Martin!
The albino was worth viewing the video. I wonder if he had any problems getting a mate?

When did Trio become Nature House? I presume it was already Nature House when J.L. Wade sold the company to ERVA Tool & Mfg. Co., Inc. on November 6 2006.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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JL Murray

~Ray~Gingerich wrote:Thanks every one for your thoughts on this. I was thinking pretty much like what Emil said, but since the majority think it would make a good fix I will see what I can do. If only the grinder damage wasn't there it would be easy.
Ray it would be nice to see it get new life again.
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

4th Gen Martin Fan wrote:Matt,
The picture of the predecessor DH-12 did not come through. I am interested in seeing that picture.
After studying the YouTube video, I can now see the difference in the doors.
It was just a photo of the more recent, DH-12N, which was what the old DH-12 eventually became. See if it shows up here:
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4th Gen Martin Fan wrote:In all of my 57 years so far I have never seen an albino Purple Martin!
The albino was worth viewing the video. I wonder if he had any problems getting a mate?
The Martin in that video, is actually not an albino (as incorrectly listed in the title of the video), but is what is known as being leucistic.
Great question though about attracting mate.
One thing these color deformities definitely do, is make them more likely to be targeted by predators.
4th Gen Martin Fan wrote:When did Trio become Nature House? I presume it was already Nature House when J.L. Wade sold the company to ERVA Tool & Mfg. Co., Inc. on November 6 2006.
Mark.
It was definitely already Nature House Inc. in 2006.
As for when Trio switched to Nature House, let me do some checking on that......
Last edited by Matt F. on Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Matt F.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am
Location: Houston, TX

Duplicate post.....
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jr 2
Posts: 749
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:20 pm
Location: ohio,proctorville(just across ohio river from huntington,west virginia)

craig;;i had a trio with a flat roof[the "box"durocraft] and i did the same re make as you did and it looks just like the new ones in the book that sell a lot higher now;;;jr2
PMCA member; s 2011 2 pair fledged 3; 2012 3 asy pair,4 sy pair,2013 8 asy pair,6 sy pair;2014 19 asy pair,2 sy pair
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