Slide of the Month: Spider

October 2025

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

 

Original design:  Bill Macfarlane

3D print file: Spider by IogSotot

"Creeper, crawler!

Creeper, crawler!

Did ya ever see such a sight?

Creeper, crawler!

Creeper, crawler!

I wonder if he’ll bite!..."

It's funny how "Creeper Crawler" by The Rolling Headstones come to mind with this slide. Some how the thoughts of a large spider creeping up the neckerchief turned into an idea for a slide just in time for Halloween. 

Printed on a 3D resin printer using the file listed above. I painted the slide using multi surface hobby paints and used a dry brush technique to paint the skull. I used the drain holes in the back to glue in a coat hanger loop. 

Slide of the Month: "Gillman"

September 2025

Time to make: 3 hours

Soaking: 2 days

Finishing: none
 
Original design:  Mr. Gillman

One night at a Scout meeting I noticed a Scout wearing a similar neckerchief slide. "Did you make it" I asked. The Scout explained that his father made it when he was a Scout. I grabbed my notebook and sketched the design for making when I had the chance. Well many years passed and recently I came upon the sketch I made. So here's to you Mr. Gillman for a great design.

Made from bamboo this slide was harder to make than I thought it would be  as I kept breaking off the horns. (Lucky for me, I had a lot of bamboo.) Frustrated, I ended up soaking a piece in wood hardener for a couple of days. The good news was the bamboo was not as fragile but it also made it harder to carve.

A bit of sanding and the slide was finished

Slide of the Month: Watch-works

  August 2025

  Time to make: 3 hours

  Finishing: 1 hour

 
  Boy's Life October 1963, page 59

 
  Original design:  Hi Sibley



This slide finishes all the "Slide of the Month" neckerchief slides I know about from Boys life (now Scout Life) magazine. I started this project back in 2009, 14 years ago this month. From this point I'll move forward as if the Slide of the Month had continued with a combination of friends, my own, and other designs that interest me. It would be my hope that the "Slide of the Month" would return to Scout Life as there is a whole community of neckerchief slide makers still making slides. (Some of these are even offspring of contributors to the original "Slide of the Month" articles.)

Made from some of old pocket watches parts I ordered from Fire Mountain Gems, the first part that interested me was the watch face that I knew would become the center of focus. The original slide article called for the gears to be soldered to each other but I decided to use super glue to connect each up to the bridge at the top of the slide. I also glued the hand point to the 8 on the face of the watch (which is our troop number).

While many ask which is my favorite slide, that like asking a parent which is their favorite child but this slide is certainly in my top 10.

Slide of the Month Extra: Philmont Segmented Peaks

 

July 2025

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: none

 
Original design:  Philmont/Bill Macfarlane







I love trying to bring Philmont themes to something unexpected. When I saw the Philmont Peaks Segment Patch I knew there had to be a way not only to make the slide but to also to make it modular so I could add my own segments for my time at Philmont.

Working with Tinkercad I laid out a 6 segment circle with an inner circle then 3D printed the parts.  Next I printed out the patch (and a few extra locations) on some presentation paper, cut them out, and glued them to the segments using contact cement.  I then designed a thin base, 3D printed it and super glued small magnets into the holes I had made in the base. Lastly I used some thin metal tape (made for use with magnets) to mount to the backs of the segments.

The final build is simple as the segments stick to the baseplate and are easily changed. In fact this is so easy I got a couple of other designs that will be coming soon.

Slide of the Month: A Crow's Skull

 

July 2025

Time to make: 2 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

 
Source: Indian and Camp Handicraft

by W. Ben Hunt

Page 62

Original design:  Ben Hunt

Update: Bill Macfarlane

3D file: Crow Skull by Meligati on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4121798

Ben Hunt (Whittlin Jim) made a lot of slides and not all of them were in Boy's Life. This slide was in one of the many books he wrote and during the coming months I plan to track as many down as I can.

The original design called for a real crow's skull but I don't see many dead crows around area and the thoughts of cleaning a real skull is not on my list of must do's. Enter a 3D printer and the file listed above.  

Using white PLA filament,  I printed the skull and then carved away the inner walls of the eye socket like Ben's article instructed. I then painted the skull using paint pens. 

Slide of the Month : NOT FOR SALE

 

WARNING: Some scam (IMHO) web stores claim to have "authentic" products from "trusted suppliers"

Channeling Whittlin Jim does not sell or license the slides I make!

Important Notice Regarding the Thunderbird Rosette Slide

Recently, I discovered that several online stores are displaying the Thunderbird Rosette slide designed by Whittlin Jim and made by me, even using a photo taken directly from my blog—without permission.

Let me be absolutely clear: if you purchased a Thunderbird Rosette from one of these sites and actually received something, it is not authentic and was not made by me. In my opinion, most of these sites are fraudulent and are simply trying to take your money without delivering anything at all.

To set the record straight: I have never sold the Thunderbird Rosette or any slide. The only slides I’ve ever given away were sent free of charge, and I even covered the postage myself.

After doing some research, many of these stores appear to be scams. Please exercise caution before making any purchases and know I do not sell slides!

Lastly, the screenshot shared here, which includes my original image, is used under the Fair Use doctrine (Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act) for the purpose of commentary and public awareness.

Slide of the month: Shell

June 2025

Time to make: .5 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

 
Boy's Life April 1980, page 76

 
Original design:  Wayne Mason













Sea shells are fascinating as nature creates some of the most beautiful thing. Now most folks wont find this Scallop Shell to be that great but what makes this interesting to me is I found it digging in my back yard. (I'm no where near the ocean and we are not big shellfish fans.)

Easy slide to make as all I had to do, after cleaning it up, was to glue a loop to the back of the shell.