Eskimo Billykin

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to carve: 2.5 hours
Finishing: 2 hour










Carved from maple, its a funny little creature. Painted with a light covered light colored paint then rubbed with black shoe polish. Finally given a couple of coats of poly.

Interestingly the Billyken was created by Florence Pretz who said the design came to her in a dream

Cree Toboggan

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to make: 2 hours
Finishing: 2 hour









Coming on the heels of the showshoe slide, I knew that I would use basketry reed to complete this slide. I glued a couple of reeds together using super glue and soaked it in water to make it pliable. Bent it around a dowel and let it dry until it would retain its shape. I drilled a couple of holes for the top for the ropes and glued the crossbars in place. A couple of coats of poly finish it up.

From Ben Hunt's Boy's Life article

Bamboo

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to carve: 3.5 hours
Finishing: 2 hour

There is something really pleasant about the simplicity and elegance of these bamboo slides. All that is really needed is a saw and some sandpaper (also some cord for one)

This one had additional ears, nose and eyes. Painted with craft paints and given a couple of coats of poly.

Bongo Drums

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to make: 1 hours
Finishing: .5 hour








Made from bamboo and thin leather this was a quick slide to make.

Somehow I can't think about this slide without thinking about a classic scene from Big Bang Theory

Snowshoe

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to make: 3.5 hours
Finishing: 1 hour









For a couple of years I tried to find a suitable material for the wooden frame and it struck me one day during summer camp watching the Scouts at Basketry Merit Badge that basket reed would be the perfect material. I believe the reed is made from birch and I took a couple of discarded reeds, super glued them together, and when dry soaked them until they were pliable. I bent them into shape and tied it at the end. Once it was dry and would hold the shape, I sanded it smooth and to the width then glued in the cross pieces. Using a small drill, I drilled the holes for webbing and set about stitching the snowshoe with waxed thread. This weaving with needle and thread took the longest as I tried to figure out how to make the webbing.

From Mother Earth News
Top of shoe
Middle of shoe

Corn on the Cob

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to carve: 2 hours
Finishing: 2 hour










Corn on the cob, some burgers on the grill and a cool ice tea in the warm breeze of a summer day. Easy to dream about it on a cold March day. Carved from maple, all this took was a sharp knife and the time to carve. Finished with craft paints and a couple coats of poly.

History of corn

Siesta

Sometime between 2012 and 2015

Time to carve: 1.5 hours
Finishing: 2 hour










Having just awoken from an afternoon nap, its funny that the next slide to talk about was the Siesta slide. Carved from maple and painted with craft paints, this was a quick slide to make.

While I always thought the siesta was begun in Mexico, I was surprised to find out its very popular in many areas. History of the siesta