Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Cphyers Mine

 

March 2023

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane

Named for Charles Cpyher, a early gold miner in the region, the camp features a tour of the Contention mine as well as other mining activities. Also, it has one of the best musical programs (called Stomp) at Philmont. Check out this play list called "Down in the Contention" from the 2021 staffers.

Carved from maple, this was a challenging slide to carve. The helmet had me grinding my teeth as I tried to not only carve the roundness of the helmet but also have the mining light attached to it also. The only part added to the slide was the pick axe and it was made using a small dowel. I used sandpaper on the handle to make it look like it was worn from use. The slide was painted with hobby paints and the lettering was done with water slide paper. A couple of coats of poly finish it off. 

Slide of the Month -Windmill

 

March 2023

Time to make: 2.5 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

 
Boy's Life August 1976, page 44

 
Original design:  Wayne Mason







March when the wind blows so hard and cold when you are a kid sick of being inside and just trying to get a kite in the air. Yet windmills harness the wind so effortlessly not caring if it was cold or hot.  But I'm not here to tilt with giants so on with the slide...

I use a few different kinds of wood for this slide. The structure was done using a wooden dowel described by Home Depot as "Raw Wood" and there didn't seem to be any other description. The blades of the windmill were carved from maple for strength. I carved two sets of blades and joined them in the  center. I painted the base and blades with hobby paints before pinning the blades to the structure. A couple of coats of poly finish it off

Slide of the month extra - Woody's Cosmo Crow

 

February 2023

Time to make: 2 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Woody's Make-Your-Own












Another in the Woody's series, I'm a bit baffled about the name "Cosmo" the Cosmic Crow. What makes the crow cosmic? Perhaps has something to do with a meaning of "the keepers of spiritual law". Or maybe as the messenger between the real world and spirit world.  But then again, it could but be from the cartoon series Fox and the Crow. (Heckle and Jeckle were cartoon magpies.)

Made from basswood, I reproduced the profile on the side and drilled a 3/4 in hole down the middle. Cutting out the profile was quick and, with the exception of the eyes, the rounding was easy to do. I sanding the slide and painted it with hobby paints. A couple coats of poly finished it off

Slide of the Month Extra-Philmont Sawmill

 February 2023

Time to make: 1 hour

Finishing: 1 hour

                                                      Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane



Sawmill camp was originally known a a forestry/lumber camp but today it is known for a being able to shoot a  30.06  round you reloaded yourself. But did you also know there is hot showers there too.  (Thanks to a wood fired boiler!)

Quick and easy slide to make, using pallet pine, with nice lines. Painted with hobby paints and lettered with waterslide paper. A couple coats of poly finish it off.

Slide of the Month - The Fox

February 2023

Time to make: 2 hours

Boys Life "Slide of the Month"

Feb. 1998, page 59

Original design: Jeff Springer

"The secret of the fox 

Ancient mystery

Somewhere deep in the woods

I know you're hiding

What is your sound?

Will we ever know?

Will always be a mystery

What do you say?"

Carved from maple and painted with hobby paints. I really like the green eyes on this one. Finished with a couple of coats of Poly and a wooden loop glued to the back

Slide of the Month Extra - Woody's Sioux Chief

January 2023

Time to make: 52 years ( or 3 hours this time around)

Finishing: 1 hour

 
Original design:  Woody's "Make-your-own"









So it's my first (or was it the second) year at summer camp and the wonders of the trading post filled my heart with joy. There were patches, camping stuff, merit badge books and best of all materials for certain merit badges. I still have the foot stool I made in basketry! But try as I might, I could never could complete a Woody's "Make-Your-Own" neckerchief slide and this represents the first one I bought.  (Kudos to my buddy Mike Ryan who was able to make one.)

 

The price was 29 cents? Though I paid a dollar...

So if you can find these today they go from $20 to $50 dollars as collector items but oddly enough I went forward just using some bass wood and did my best to duplicate the side view. I really wanted to use the knife I also bought that summer (a grey plastic knife with interchangeable blades) but I'm afraid that is long gone. Anyway, using my favorite knife, I slowly cut our the profile. This is always where I make my mistakes at summer camp by trying to hurry and take to large of cuts ruining the slide. Once the profile was cut out, I took a pencil and drew out the lined across the front and other side. Next I began rounding the slide making sure to redraw the lines as needed to keep consistency. The details came next as the feathers, for example, took some time.  The one area I did not  spend time in was the face as I hate carving faces. I did a fair amount of sanding getting ready for painting with hobby paints. A couple coats of poly finished it off. 

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont UTE Gulch

 
January 2023

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane



When the Ute Park fire happened back in 2018, it is amazing the fire burned right up to the edge of the cabin.  The cabin survived, with the exception on one small corner, but due to the surrounding fire damage the commissary was moved to Cimarroncito.

Carved from southern (pallet) pine was an interesting to make because of the perspective of the building. Painted with hobby paints, lettered with waterslide paper, and sealed with a couple of coats of poly.