Sioux Moccasins

Mid Dec. 2010

Time to carve: 2.5 hours
Finishing: 2

With new band saw blade in place, I roughed this slide out and set forth carving. When finished and sanded, I hated to even think about painting this slide. I was so good looking in it's natural state. But once again, I wanted to stay true to the original article and began to paint. The more I painted the more interesting the slide became and when it was finished it was really something! A couple of coats of poly later and its ready to wear.

Fourth of July

Mid Dec. 2010

Time to carve: ,5 hours
Finishing: 1.5

My band saw blade broke and while I was waiting for a replacement to come in, I found this slide in my pile. OK, I don't need anything fancy for this one, just a dowel, my knee (to break the dowel with), thin plywood,and a sharp knife. It didn't take much to cut out the parts and glue them together. Painted with craft paints and finished with poly,

Sky Geek from Mars

Early Dec. 2010

Time to carve: 2 hours
Finishing: 1.5

"If you can't whittle this one, your just not a whittler..." wrote Whittlin Jim. Well, sure it was easy to carve but on the other hand ...

Carved from maple with the teeth carved separately and glued on later. The antenna were cut from 1/8 dowel and the ends are wooden beads. All the parts were painted with craft paints before gluing them together. Now when it came to finishing the slide, I set it up to spray it with poly but it slipped from holder breaking off one of the antenna. AAarrragghhh! Now what I thought! Drill it out and redo the antenna or try to glue back together. I had nothing to lose by gluing it and could always go the other route if it didn't look right. Glued, sanded and repainted in place, the slide was ready to finish again. Two coats of poly and a new respect for the fragile nature of the slide.

Minitaure Knot Board

Mid Nov. 2010

Time to carve: 0 hours
Other work: 1.5 hours
Finishing: .5

Some times I look at a slide and I not so sure I am going to like it when it is done. This is one of thus slides but I was so wrong because this is really a great slide! I started with a thin round from a craft store. Next I found some old computer wire to form the knots and set forth tying them. This took me back to my days as a Tenderfoot in short order I had a bunch of knots ready for mounting. I painted the round white and when it was dry, I super glued the knots on the round. Using a labeler, I labeled each knot and then finished it with a couple of coats of poly.

OA Slide (2)

Mid Nov. 2010

Time to carve: 1 hour
Finishing: .5 hours

The second Order of the Arrow slide I've done and it is my understanding that members of the Los Angeles OA made these back when Whittlin Jim published this slide. Made of maple, I roughed this out on the bandsaw and set to work on the slide. When I finish carving and sanding it, I painted the slide with craft paint. As usual I finished it off with a couple of coats of poly. I like the simplicity and elegance of this slide! I wonder if the LA lodge members still make this slide?

Copper arrowhead

Early Nov. 2010

Time to carve: 0 hours
Metal work: 1.5 hours
Finishing: .5

I was in one of my favorite hardware stores one day and noticed they carried small sheets of heavier gauged copper than what I had at home. Remembering this slide, I got the copper and proceeded to cut out the patten. Just in case, I thought, I cut out two just in case I ruined the first one. Getting out a ball-peen hammer and set forth beating the heck out of the copper blanks. Once I got them hammered out, I turned the blanks and hammered the other side against a piece of wood. This cupped the metal into the shape needed for the slide. Hmmm...I thought both blanks turned out pretty good! A bit of sanding on the edges to smooth them. Now, I cut some more copper to form the backs of the slides and soldered the backs onto the slide using a small torch. An interesting effect from the torch, it discolored the copper arrowhead. This is really a good thing because after a slight buffing with fine steel wool the raised area where now shiny and the recessed areas still had the discoloring which really gives it some depth. Now I've got two really good looking slides.

Sittin' Pretty

Early Nov. 2010

Time to carve:2 hours
Finishing: 1 hour

Multiply pieces to carve with this slide. The first is the piece of cheese which not only has two neckerchief holes on top merging into one hole one the bottom, but also a hole within a hole in which the head of the mouse is mounted. The head is tricky since it has small details and it needed to be strong enough to carry those small details. Maple fit the bill here. The eyes are the heads of pins and the whiskers are made from paint brush bristles. Both were set in place by drilling small holes to hold the eyes and whiskers then gluing them in place. The tail is a piece of gray leather also glued in place. Painted with craft paints and finished off with a couple coats of poly.