Saturday, July 24, 2021

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Miners Park


 July 2021

 Time to make: 3 hours
 
 Finishing: 1 hour

 Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane







 

An staffed camp built in a meadow with  climbing wall, climbing cave, and a program area a short 30 minute walk away featuring rock climbing and repelling. It also features the much appreciated showers, purified water, and, for those rainy days, a large covered porch. Another thing of note, mountain lions are often seen hunting prey like mule deer

It is always a rewarding task when I see a patch or picture and think about how I going to turn it into something more rounded. This slide, carved from pallet scrap wood, is no exception.  One of the decision I make right off the bat was to remove the background to give the feeling of the ridge being high. The other aspect was the illusion of perspective using the rope. I think if I was to do it again, I would have made the rope thicker in the corner and thinner towards the climber.  I painted the slide with hobby paint, lettered with waterslide paper, and finished it off with a couple coats of poly.

Monday, July 19, 2021

Slide of the Month Extra-Philmont Urraca (Magpie)


 


July 2022

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane







 

Urraca is Spanish for Magpie and the Urraca Mesa is full of these members of the crow family. Ah but the legends say the Magpies can open the portal to the underworld. There are many stories of people seeing many odd thing from blue orbs to a lost Boy Scout. 

Carved from maple, I like how this slide developed with the bird, the branch and the mountains. This is painted with hobby paints, labeled with waterslide paper and finished off with a couple coats of poly.

Hmmmm, these legends and ghost stories give me an idea for more Philmont slides...

Saturday, July 17, 2021

Slide of the Month Extra-Philturn Lodge


 
July 2021

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont Millennium 1 / Bill Macfarlane

 

Based on some photos I found on Philmont Millennium 1, I've created some slides that are my interpretation of them. The first is the Philturn Lodge and I could not find any information on it but my best guest is it was the original base lodge.

Carved from southern (pallet) pine, it was a challenge to bring this one to life as there were lots of angles and levels to the building.  When I was happy with it, I painted it with hobby paints and sealed it with a couple coats of polly.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Tooth of Time (Elevation)


  July 2022

  Time to make:         3 hours

  Finishing: 1 hour

  Original design:      Philmont /       Bill Macfarlane







 

So many views of the Tooth of Time and this calls out the elevation of 9003 feet above sea level.

Carved from Southern yellow pine (pallet scrap) with different levels for each area of the area. Painted with hobby paints and sealed with a couple coats of poly. The lettering is done with waterslide paper and a inkjet printer.

Saturday, July 10, 2021

One year till Philmont (the good Lord willing)



 

Well the count down begins again for me "the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise". (Yes I know that isn't the original saying but considering all the rain we have had lately...)

OK,  I admit started counting the day our crew was told we could not go to Philmont back in 2020.

Besides the weight loss, gym workouts, on trail training starting again, I also have the issue of lots of Philmont slides yet to be published before I hit the trail. With that in mind I'm going to try to publish them all before I leave. So keep an eye out for a slide each week or so for the next year. (Or more if I'm running out of time!)

I can't wait to get in the back country and yes, I'm going to bring my carving knife with me...

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont 1976



July 2021

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane



 

One of my favorite Philmont patches of the past partly because I think it is a beautiful view and secondly because I graduated in 1976. I bet the Bicentennial was quite something on the 4th of July in 76 at Philmont.

Carved from southern (pallet) pine, this slide has several levels including the stripes of the flag. The slide is painted with hobby paints using a layering method of paint. The lettering is done with a inkjet printer and waterslide paper. A couple of coats of polly finish it off.

I'm one year out from leaving on my Philmont trek and once again I realize, I have more Philmont slides than I have months before I go on trail. So I plan to publish as many of the Philmont slides as I can before I leave. So hang on this might be bumpy ride.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Slide of the Month- The Firecracker


 


July 2021

Time to make: 1 hours

Finishing: 1/2 hour 

Boy's Life July 1993, Page 87

Original design:  Jeff Springer




OK, admittedly not the safest thing we ever did as kids. It's a wonder any of us boomers are alive today with all the "unsafe" things we did back then. (Riding a bicycle without a helmet, chemistry kits, sling shots...etc)  

A quick and easy slide! The body of the slide is a 3/4 inch dowel cut 2 1/2 inches long and sanded at the ends. The fuse is a piece of cotton string painted with blue hobby paint and when it was dry I cut the string so the sting was held tightly together by the paint. Next,  I drilled a hole the size of the string in the dowel. I painted the dowel red with hobby paints and, when dry, glued the fuse in place. A couple of coats of polly finish it off.