Saturday, May 28, 2022

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Mountain Trek


 May 2022

 Time to make: 2 hours

 Finishing: 1 hour

 Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane







 

I had never heard of this program before now! The Philmont Mountain Trek program allows the sons and daughters of Training Center participants to have their own Philmont experience! Youth 14  (or 13 and finished the 8th grade) and not yet 21 years of age are formed into crews that are lead by Philmont Rangers. During the week long adventure, crews hike to different camps and get to try their hand at the programs there. 

A very simple slide carved from southern (pallet) pine, it features a view of the Tooth of Time from the trail. Painted with hobby paints, lettered with waterslide paper and finished off with a couple coats of poly.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont French Henry


  May 2022

  Time to make: 3 hours
  
  Finishing: 1 hour

  Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane







 

Just below Baldy Mountain stands the French Henry Camp. Named for a man from France named Henry Burell  who founded an ore mine around 1869. Now the funny part about the this is the location of the mine is at Aztec Ponil 1.

What an unique opportunity, not only can a Scout experience what it was like for prospector to pan for gold but they get to keep anything they find at French Henry.   Let's see gold is going for between $55 to $60 dollars a gram, should I find some gold (a mere speck I'm sure) I might be able to buy a cup of tea.

Bob Ross use to talk about "happy accidents" and that's kind of what happened with this slide. This started out as something different and I just wasn't happy with the way it was shaping up so I set it aside as a piece of scrap wood. Some weeks later I was trying out a curved blade and before knew it, I had carved the inside of the pan. Hmmm...I thought, this looks like a mining pan. Remembering a Philmont patch for French Henry, I went ahead and carved the outside, sanded and painted the silver and blue. For the gold, I painted some sand and when it was dry, I used super glue to form a puddle pan. Working quickly, I sprinkled the painted sand carefully into the pan. The lettering was done with waterslide paper and a couple of coats of poly finish it off.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Slide of the Month Extra-Philmont Cimarroncito (D-clip)


May 2022

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane



 

Cimarroncito is known for rock climbing, repelling and climbing walls (both outside and inside). One of the things I'm confused by in this slide (based on the patch) is why this D-clip is not locking. 

Carved from southern (pallet) pine it was a leveled slide with sky and the mountain at the lowest levels. The lead levels are the focus as the rope passes through the D-clip. Painted with hobby paints, lettered with waterslide paints and finished with a couple coats of poly

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Pueblano


 May 2021

 Time to make: 2 hours

 Finishing: 1 hour

 Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane







 

The Continental Tie and Lumber Company  is celebrated both Crater Lake and at Pueblano. Besides spar pole climbing, rail road tie hewing (later to be used at Metcalf Station), and Loggerball you could also try your hand at packing a burro. It is also said the evening program is not to be missed.

Carved from southern (pallet) pine, I like the feel of this slide. the axes are carved and sanded smooth while the log they sit on is rough like it had been chopped flat. The axes and bark are painted with hobby paints and the lettering is done with waterslide paper. The finish is a golden brown shellac. 

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Slide of the month - Square Knot (1)



May 2022

Time to make: 2 hours

Boys Life "Slide of the Month"

Dec. 1987, page 73

Original design:  Bill Fleming






The original intent for this slide was to show one's rank by carving a square knot. (Green and yellow for Second class, red, white and blue for Eagle for example.) This square knot represents the Heroism Medal Award and though I never received this award, I wanted to tell you my "Scouts in Action" story as a teen. (Yes, there are others stories but those are as an Adult.)

One summer vacation I was working for Berkshire Farm Center for Youth in the maintenance department. As we were leaving the paint shop, the was a commotion another shop over and our boss yelled for the driver of a rack truck to stop. Several men loaded an unresponsive  co-worker on the open tailgate of the truck and yelled at the driver to get to the infirmary. I don't what processed me  but as the truck started to move, I ran and jumped onto the truck. Having learned First Aid in Scouting, I checked this man's vitals. CRAP, I thought - he wasn't breathing and had no heart beat. I tilted the man's head back and got two breaths in before we arrived at the infirmary. Before I knew it, the head nurse was at my side with oxygen and started bagging as I performed CPR. When the volunteer ambulance arrived, there was only a driver and one crew member. The nurse and I continued CPR all the way in to the ER (approx 1/2 hour). Happily, the co-worker survived and live many more years. Though I was a teen at the time, it was the start of my path of working with volunteer Fire Departments and Rescue Squads.

Carved from maple, this took a sharp knife and a steady hand. Lots of sharpening because the knife had to be razor sharp. The slide is painted with hobby paints and sealed with a couple of coats of poly.