Slide of the Month - Monkey Fist

August 2020

Time to made: 1 hour ish


Design: Bill Macfarlane

I've been told many a story about the Monkey's Fist knot -  everything from weapon to weighted end on a throwing line .  Mostly I see them as key chain fobs, zipper pulls, or hanging off back packs but I got a thought. What about a slide?

Tied with some spare paracord and a wooden ball it is finished off with bowline for the loop...

Slide of the Month - Ladybug

August 2020

Time to make: 2 hours

Boys Life "Slide of the Month"

Apr. 1987, p. 63

Original design: Bill Fleming












Coccinellidae (better known as ladybug in the US or ladybirds in the UK) are the gardener's friend because they eat lots of pests like aphids. My grandparents also me it was a sign of luck when you found them around.


A quick and easy slide carved out of maple and painted with hobby paints. Finished with a couple of couple coats of Poly and has a wooden looped to the back.

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Council Contingent

July 2020

Time to make: 3 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design:  Bill Macfarlane

Days till Philmont 2022Countdown

Today is the day! (That was till Covid-19 reared it's ugly head) So, my pack is unpacked and I'm back in prep mode for Trek 7-11C in 2022. 

My design took the  2018 contingent (whose trip was cancelled because of the Ute fire) design and added the rising sun, in the form of the Zia,  to symbolize a new beginning and hope for the returning members to the 2020 crews. The only difference between this and our final logo was a gray background.

Carved from maple, it was great to bring this project from an idea in my head, to design on the computer, to offical crew logo, and finally a multi level slide. The top level is the Tooth of Time but what you can't see in the photo is the different levels within the mountain and hill in front of it.  The next level is the dome of the sun followed by the rays of the Zia. I used a Dremel tool with a saw bit to cut the spaces between the rays. The last level is the background

Painting this slide turned out to be the hardest part of the slide as I had to paint the Zia a few times to get it right and trying to interpret the vegetation on the Tooth. The paint is hobby paint and a couple coats of poly finish it off.

Slide of the Month - The Shield

July 2020

Time to make: 2 hours

Boys Life "Slide of the Month"

June 2000, page 59

Original design: Jeff Springer












Happy Independence Day (or Treason day if you are in England...lol)

 This is one of the slides that strike a note of summer days laying under a tree reading comic books. The first time I read Captain America, (I think it was a reprint of the origin story), the heater shield  was the type he carried  and was later change to a round shield by Jack Kirby.

Carved from maple, its an easy rounding to form the shield shape. Most of the design was done with hobby paints and the stars were done with paint pens. Finished with a couple coats of poly.

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont 2021

June 2020

Time to make: 1 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design: Philmont\Bill Macfarlane

                                   DAYS TO PHILMONT                                   

       2020 Cancelled       

I have no words to express my disappointment. Let's hope 2021 treks go off without a hitch

Update June 4th, 2020: All treks to Philmont have been cancelled for the 2020 season. 

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont 2020

May 2020

Time to make: 1 hours

Finishing: 1 hour

Original design: Philmont\Bill Macfarlane

            DAYS TO PHILMONT                                                 

 2020 Cancelled            

Tonight is the night before our crews learns about our 2020 fate. If the decision to cancel July treks, for safety sake, it will be a disappointment for some and we just have to wait for next time. For others, it's heartbreak as they were in the 2018 crew (treks cancelled because of the fires). The hours and minutes till the announcement will click away so slowly as await liberation.

 A very simple slide as I just couldn't devise a good way to carve this one so this is a water slide base with some painted background to match the decal.

Update June 4th, 2020: All treks to Philmont have been cancelled for the 2020 season. 

Slide of the Month Extra - Philmont Arrowhead Zia

May 2020

Time to make: 2.5 hours

Finishing: 1.5 hours

Original design: Philmont\Bill Macfarlane

Days till PhilmontCountdown

This is another one of my favorate designs combining several of the elements (Tooths of Time, Arrowhead, and Zita) found in Philmont logos. A layered slide withe the Tooth of Time on top, then the Arrowhead followed by the Zita.  Carved from southern yellow pine, the rays of the Zita were a challenge both in crafting and in painting. The slide was painted with hobby paints and finished off with a couple coats of Poly.