Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Commissary

May 2021

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design: Bill Macfarlane

Days till Philmont 2022Countdown

 

Every wonder how all those tasty trail meal make it up to the back country camps? Pedro the pack mule? Hiked in by dedicated first year staff? No, its the job of the Philmont Commissary Staff who tireless work to make sure we are resupplied. Here we see our new staffer Barry loaded up and heading out on his first day.

This concept slide honors behind the scenes work the commissary staff does every day getting the many tons (yes tons) of food to the Scouts, Scouters, and Staff. Thank you, because without you I'd have to carry 14 days of food on my back. And the Bear you ask, well sometimes I just make myself laugh at my weird sense humor...

Carved from maple, the tricky part was trying to make the truck look like a loaded truck without making the bear look too small. As a result, the truck is a bit more of a Jeep or perhaps cartoon like. Painted with hobby paints, lettering with waterslide paper, and finished off with a couple coats of Poly.

 

Slide of the Month Extra - Wilderness First Aid

May 2021

Time to make: 2 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane

Days till Philmont 2022Countdown

 

A subject near to my heart as I have spent a good part of my life learning, practicing or teaching First Aid. I am proud to combine my love of Scouting and emergency medicine as a Wilderness First Aid instructor.

Carved from southern (pallet) pine this is another slide carved in layers. The top layer is the cross followed by the foreground. The Tooth is the next level and the background on the raised part of the arrowhead. The lowest part of the slide has the lettering which is done with waterslide paper. I used hobby paints to color the slide and a couple coats of poly to finish it off.

Slide of the Month - Knight's Sword and Shield

May 2021

Time to make: 3 hours

Boys Life "Slide of the Month"

August 1977, page 69

Original design:Wayne Mason












I've heard it said,  Lord Baden Powell used  King Arthur's Code of Chivalry and the Knights of the Round Table when writing his Scouting for Boy. What better way to honor the King Arthur legend by creating an inspired Sword and Shield!

Carved from a couple pieces of  maple, the shield was a quick and easy start. The sword was a bit trickier as the double edged blade and the handle took a steady hand to make. Finished with hobby paints and some painters tape. The royal lion was painted freehand. The sword was glued to the shield as was the coat wire loop. A couple of coats of poly to round this off.

Slide of the Month Extra-Camp Quarantine

April 2021

Time to make: 2 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

 

Original design:  

Camp Quarantine/Bill Macfarlane

A year ago while the world tried to figure out how to continue on remotely, Scouting tied something new. A hybrid camping experience called Camp Quarantine which included camping in your backyard and participating online experiences.  While not the same as being in the quiet sounds of the woods, I don't like the sound of traffic when I'm tiring to sleep, but it was the only camping experience we had as Scouts until the fall but that's another story. 

Based off the patch for Camp Quarantine, this was carved from maple on the same weekend as Camp Quarantine sitting in front of my tent. (I did paint it inside though) There is something I really like about the solitude of the woods under the stars. 

 

Slide of the Month Extra-Philmont Blacksmith Forge

 

April 2021

Time to make: 2 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane

Days till Philmont 2022Countdown

 

The weather is getting warmer. I'm itching to heat, beat, and repeat. The black smith shops around Philmont use coal fired forges like this one to teach blacksmithing so this is my ode to them.

After doing a bunch of slides with different levels, it was nice to try something free hand. So after looking at a couple of pictures of the forges at Philmont, I carved this out of a piece of  bass wood and painted it with hobby paints. I finished it off with a couple coats of poly.

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Carson Meadows (Red Cross)

   April 2021

   Time to make: 1.5 hours

   Finishing: 1 hour

   Original design:  Philmont / Bill Macfarlane

Days till Philmont 2022Countdown

 

So shortly after I did my concept slide for Carson Meadows, I found this version and it impressed me both in it's simplicity and elegance. 

Carved from maple, it is a simple raised cross but it feels like so much more on the grey background. Painted with hobby paints, lettering with waterslide paper, and finished off with a couple coats of poly.

Slide of the Month Extra-Philmont Baldy Mountain

 

April 2021

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Bill Macfarlane

Days till Philmont 2022Countdown

 

What an amazing canoe program at Baldy Mountain! It reminds me of the story told to me by Clarke Green over at ScoutmasterCG.com. Two penguins are in a canoe in the desert (or mountain) and one penguin says to the other, "Where's your paddle". The other reply's, "Sure does"

OK, this all started with teaching wood carving merit badge virtually over Zoom. The project was carving a birch bark canoe and when I was done carving, I had a one ready for finishing. The canoe hung around my desk awhile then I came upon a thought for an April fools day slide.  I next I carved the penguins and finally the oar.  I painted the penguins and shellacked the canoe.  Next, I glued the penguins to the canoe and the oar to one of the flippers. The lettering is done with water slide paper and the whole slide is coated with a couple coats of poly.