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SLIDES N' WOGGLES
A COLLECTION OF WOGGLES & NECKERCHIEF SLIDES
COLLECTED BY GREG FIRESTONE
BOY’S LIFE MAGAZINE
SLIDE OF THE MONTH
PUBLISHED 2000
ISSUE NO. 1
Introduction
W
elcome all you Slide and Woggle Fans. If you like to create or have an artistic flare in whatever medium
or know some one else who does then you'll enjoy this booklet. Once you turn through the next few pages of this
booklet you'll never look or think about neckerchief slides the same way ever again. Quite a few of the slides
represented here I have made. In fact I'm attempting to recreate or reproduce all of them. Now as far as whats the
difference between a woggle and knecerchief slide I'm not sure.
Almost all of them, with the exception of the ones I created/designed/concocted personally, came from the
pages of Boy’s Life Magazine™. The earliest ones from a renowned gentleman known as "Whittlin Jim". I'm
attempting to research more information about him and all the slides he's created. All of the others not listed as
"Whittlin Jim" slides are credited to the individuals (if mentioned) who submitted them in the magazine and the
date of issue.
All this came about when our Boy Scout Troop 194 leadership decided to adopt the neckerchiefs that the boys
wear. (Lead by example) With the introduction of this new policy I found myself without a neckerchief slide. Where
upon I began digging thru the relics of my youth searching for any of my old slides. Unfortunately all of my personal
slides where resin molded forms, such as a turtle, a campfire, and Indian Eagle. Which in and of themselves were
neat, but just not up to my now creative standards as an adult.
So I started surfing the internet and digging thru the magazines in search of ideas. I was quite surprised, with
the exception of the one website for "Whittlin Jim", few existed. So I set about cataloging and keeping any slides I
could find, including going thru available back issues at the library, and some found in our Troops scout shed. Each
of the ones I've created have been sources of great fun for my son and I.
On page 11 you'll find a design for a slide holder. It too is as simple to make as are a lot of the slides in this
booklet. If you collect slides or make your own I highly recommend you to make one of these for their storage. It
offers you a great way to keep them and to display them as well.
So if your new to the art of slide making or you have the need to create or just lack the ideas for what to make?
Look at the next few pages. I'm sure it will spark your imagination and urge you to make your own or inspire
another ideas based on what you see. The only other advice I can give you when making slides would be
"Patience". Don't RUSH take your time and do it right especially with whittling, painting and finishing. Finishing
touches will all add to the realism and will covet you the awe inspiring gawks and questions, "Did you make that",
"Wow, is that for real?"
Enjoy... Good Scouting to all of you.
Asst. Scoutmaster Greg F. F.
Table of Contents
Original Boy’s Life Original Boy’s Life
Whittlin Jim Series
Mostly by Wayne Mason
Page 1
Old Oil Lantern . . . . . . . . . . . WJ1
Archery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ2
Page 2
Sundial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ3
Totem Pole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ4
Page 3
Brass Pipe Tomahawk. . . . . . . WJ5
Carved Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ6
Page 4
Flying Mallard . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ7
Locomotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ8
Page 5
Cannibal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ9
Pick & Shovel . . . . . . . . . . . WJ10
Page 6
Peachstone Monkey . . . . . . . WJ11
Flashlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ12
Page 7
Pine Cone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ13
Crosscut Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ14
Page 8
Copper Foil . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ15
African Masai Shield . . . . . . WJ16
Page 9
Solomon Isle Carving . . . . . . WJ17
Pedro-His Mark . . . . . . . . . . WJ18
Page 10
Scout Law Book. . . . . . . . . . WJ19
Hide Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . WJ20
Page 11
Pancake Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . BL1
Smiley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL2
Page 12
Carve-a-Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL3
Page 13
Battle Drum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL4
U.S. Wood Canteen . . . . . . . . BL5
Page 14
Wood Barrel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL6
Wind Mill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL7
Page 15
King Arthur Shield . . . . . . . . . BL8
Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL9
Page 16
Basketball Net . . . . . . . . . . . BL10
Page 17
Popsicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL11
Whistle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL12
Page 18
Woodland Slide . . . . . . . . . . BL13
Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL14
Page 19
Jack O’ Lantern. . . . . . . . . . . BL15
Checkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL16
Page 20
Backpack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL17
Kachina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BL18
Page 21
Root Beer Barrel . . . . . . . . . . BL19
Greg Firestone’s
Designs and Slides
Page 21
SLIDE Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . GF20
Page 22
Viking Shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . GF1
Knot Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GF2
Page 23
Wooden Water Bucket . . . . . . GF3
Compound Saw . . . . . . . . . . . GF4
Page 24
Dinosaur Egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . GF5
Life Preserver. . . . . . . . . . . . . GF6
SPECIAL THANKS to…
Boy’s Life Magazine,
Woggle Master Russ Strenk’s
webpage & others:
http://members.tripod.com/~cubclub/slidemon.html
http://members.tripod.com/~cubclub/carve.html
PAGE 1
WJ1
WJ2
PAGE 2
WJ3
WJ4
PAGE 3
WJ5
WJ6
PAGE 4
WJ7
WJ8
PAGE 5
WJ9
WJ10
PAGE 6
WJ11
WJ12
PAGE 7
WJ13
WJ14
PAGE 8
WJ15
WJ16
PAGE 9
WJ17
WJ18
PAGE 10
WJ19
WJ20
PAGE 11
Pancake Stack
BL1
Smiley
Boy’s Life January 1973
of flapjacks, hot off the griddle, with a pat of butter
Astack
and plenty of maple syrup. Delicious! And, in miniature, a
novel neckerchief slide made with real pancakes.
To make one, start with your favorite pancake recipe. Add
some extra water to the batter to make the cakes turn out
thinner than usual, and bake three pancakes about two inches
across. Place the pancakes between two sheets of waxed paper
to dry out and set a book on top to keep them from curling.
In three or four days, when they are hard and dry, paint each
cake with two coats of clear satin finish varnish to preserve it.
Then glue them together with household cement. Make a
neckerchief loop from 1/4" Masonite or wood and cement it in
place. The butter pat can be made from a 3/8" square of 1/16"
balsa wood, painted yellow, or a piece of yellow plastic.
To make the maple syrup, add a drop or two of brown wood
stain to two spoonfuls of clear gloss varnish in a jar lid. Stir
them together and let the mixture stand for an hour or so until
it starts to set up and becomes thick and “syrupy.” Carefully
dribble the syrup cover the stack of cakes, letting some run
down the sides. When it is dry, you will have a neckerchief
slide that looks good enough to eat.
O
ne look at “Smiley” and you'll have to smile back.
He’s a “smile generator”.
He can be made two ways; by carving him out of a
wood block or, as we did, by cutting off the back portion
of an inexpensive 2" diameter unfinished hardwood
cabinet knob. We then fastened a metal slide ring
(fashioned from a scrap piece of aluminum siding) to the
back with epoxy cement. The photo shows how we made
it; the drawing is full size. We spray painted “Smiley” with
a yellow acrylic enamel, then added the eyes and mouth
with a permanent-type black felt pen.
BL2
By William D. Fleming
and John Taylor
Boy’s Life Apr 1974
1. Scribe a pencil line around the knob as a sawing guide.
2. With tin snips, cut a 3/4" x 4" aluminum strap (or use
no. 18 copper); file the edges smooth. 3. Bend the strap
around a 1/2" wood dowel to form the ring and trim to
length. 4. Discard scrap portion. 5. Apply epoxy cement,
let dry overnight, then paint and decorate with any colors
you choose.
PAGE 12
Carve-a-Face
By Bill Burch and John Taylor
Boy’s Life Apr 1975
BL3
C
W
hittling neckerchief slides is a lot of fun, especially if
you know a few basic steps to simplify your task.
Here are six different characters you can carve using the
same basic head features. They were designed and made
by Scouter Bill Burch of Spokane, Washington.
All you need to make them are blocks of aspen,
basswood, or medium hard balsa, a brace and 5/8" bit, a
sharp penknife, and paint. (We used liquid tempera paint,
then dipped the slide in shellac to waterproof it.)
We made these slides from scratch, but somewhat similar
carving blanks a 39 cents each are available from your
local Scout equipment dealer or the BSA Supply Service,
North Brunswick, N.J. 08902.
The drawings at right give the full-size front, side, and
top view details of the head. Note the back of the slide is
cut out with beveled edges.
arving Techniques: From left, (1) Start
with a block of aspen, basswood, or
medium-hard balsa. Locate and bore the
5/8" hole as indicated on the drawing. (2)
Taking small, easy cuts round off the front
side. Rough-cut the left ear. (3) Cut the jaw
taper on the lower side. Start cutting the
hairline; round off to get the desired style.
(4) Complete the hair detail and finish the
ears. Start the bottom of the nose. (5)
Finish carving the nose and mouth details.
Paint the slide as desired.
The pictures show a few of the slides
you can make with a 2" x 2 3/4" block. At
far left, a cowboy; carve and paint a plaid
tam-o’-shanter to change him to a
Scotsman. Next the basic head which is
shown here in full-size scale carving. Paint
the tam red and you have a Scout. Carve a
cap and beard for a woodsman. Change
the cap and add a mustache to make the
salty captain of a sailing ship.
PAGE 13
he battle drum is a perfect slide to wear with your
T
uniform at Bicentennial or American Heritage
events.
Battle Drum
Start with a 2-inch-square block of white pine. Bore
a 1/2-inch-diameter hole through the center. Round the
block as shown in the sketch, leaving a 1/2-inch raised
band on each end of the cylinder (if you have a lathe
this will be easy; if not, continue to round the block by
carving, and frequently check to see that the shape is
symmetrical).
Sand the entire slide until smooth, then carefully
drill or bore seven 1/16-in. holes at an angle through
the top and bottom bands. Note that the holes are
spaced about 1/2 inch apart and those in the top band
do not line up with the holes in the bottom band.
Paint the body of the drum a tan or mustard color
(enamel or acrylic paint), and stain the bands walnut.
Now paint a design (see examples) on the front of the
drum, or cut a small symbol from a magazine to glue
on the drum. Using heavy black thread, lace the cords
as shown, and add the leather pieces for the ultimate
in authenticity. Finally, whittle two drumsticks and glue
them to the top band.
BL4
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life July 1975
U.S. Wood Canteen
H
BL5
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life August 1975
ere’s a realistic slide that looks
so authentic your buddies may
ask you for a drink of water during
long, dusty hikes. More than carving
is needed, but the result is well worth
the effort.
Start by sketching the outline of
the canteen, using the full-size
drawings as a guide, on a piece of
white pine (hardware store). Cut out
the round blank with a coping saw;
then, with a knife, indent the face of
the canteen 1/16-in. Make small “V”
cuts to form the slats.
Next, bore a 1/8-in. hole in the top
for the “neck and cap” which are
carved separately as one piece. Sand
the entire slide until smooth. A short
length of jewelry chain (dept. store)
is added to the cap with very small
tacks. Now add the
metal bands, which are cut from
aluminum sheet. Glue them on and
fasten with small tacks. The strap is
made of leather and tacked to one
side(see drawings). The fittings that
hold the strap are formed from solid
No.10 wire. Stain wood with walnut
stain. Paint all the fittings, chain, and
metal bands with black enamel; add
the letters “U.S.” with black enamel.
Finally, fasten a leather or metal loop
on the back with strong glue.
PAGE 14
Wood Barrel
BL6
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life Feb 1976
Windmill
BL7
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life Aug 1976
H
ere’s a slide that will make everyone think of the “good
ol’ days”.
To make the barrel, start with a block of wood 2" x 1 1/2"
x 1 1/2". White pine or any other soft wood is good. Make
sure it’s not too grainy, however, or it may split. Bore a 1/2"
hole through the center, with the grain.
Begin rounding the wood by cutting off the corners.
Follow the illustration and remember, a barrel is smaller at its
ends than in the middle. When you get the desired shape,
sand the barrel smooth. Carefully gouge out the hole until its
large enough for your neckerchief.
Make vertical indentations to form the “slats.” It helps to
pencil in the lines first. Cut a shallow hole in the middle and
add a whittled plug. Cut the barrel hoops out of thin
aluminum or other metal sheet. Make them about 1/8" wide.
Apply the hoops carefully with modeling cement. Hold them
in place with pins until the glue dries.
Paint the hoops with black enamel and lightly stain the
barrel. Varnish the slide or leave it natural.
M
any people are experimenting with windmills as a
power source. Here's one you can wear.
Start with a piece of white pine or similar wood 2" x 1" x
1" with the grain running lengthwise. Cut off the top corners
(see illustration). The roof is cone-shaped; the front has three
walls. Follow the drawings for the windows and door. Cut
small, shallow indentations on the blades as shown (use a
small, sharp knife).
Two pieces of wood 1/8" x 3/32" x 2 1/4" support the
blades. Cut small notches in the centers so they fit together,
and into the backs for the supports.
Cut two small disks from pieces of dowel (one 1/8" dia.,
the other slightly larger). Carve the triangular gable and a
small cap for the roof peak.
Sand all pieces with fine sandpaper, Glue the windows,
door, cap, and triangular wedge in place.
Paint the windmill gray; the trim along the edge of the
roof, the windows, and the door red; the center of the door
and windows black. The windows have a red cross-hatching.
Black lines simulate shingles.
Use a straight pin and glue to hold the blades in place.
Paint the blades tan and the supports brown. Glue a metal or
leather loop on the back.
PAGE 15
King Arthur Sword & Shield
T
BL8
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life August 1977
Stamp
BL9
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life May 1978
his neckerchief slide from the times of King
Arthur takes only a few nights to complete.
Trace the shield pattern onto a piece of sheet
metal (hobby shop), and cut out with tin snips. File
the rough edges smooth. Bend the shield slightly so
that it bulges outward.
Trace the sword outline onto a 1/8"-thick piece of
wood and whittle it out–white pine or basswood is
best. Sand the sword smooth.
Use enamel or acrylic paint on both the sword
and shield. Paint the handle gold and the blade
silver. Use the design shown here or create your
own. A book on heraldry from the library is a good
source for ideas.
Glue the sword to the back of the shield with
epoxy or modeling cement. Then Glue a sheetmetal loop to the back.
H
ave an attractive stamp you can spare and
would like to show off? What better way than as
a neckerchief slide?
Mount the stamp on a small piece of wood (any
type) that’s about 1/8" thick. Paneling scraps are
good. Cut the wood a bit larger than the stamp so
there will be an even border on all sides.
Sand all rough edges, then paint the wood. Use a
color that compliments the color of the stamp. Or try
using a clear, non-yellowing finish for a natural
wood background.
Enamel paint is best, but almost any paint will do.
Test it on a scrap of wood first to see if you like it
before painting your slide.
Attach the stamp with modeling cement or white
glue. When it’s dry, coat the entire slide with spray
lacquer to protect it from dirt or damage. Don’t use
varnish or shellac, since both often yellow.
Add a sheet-metal or wooden loop to the back
with glue.
PAGE 16
BL10
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life Feb 1978
Basketball Net
H
ere’s a slide for real basketball buffs. It has
a backboard, hoop, net and ball. Trace the
backboard outline onto a piece of wood about
1/8" thick. such as scrap paneling. Cut it out and
sand off rough edges.
Make the hoop with wire, wrapped around a
one-inch diameter rod. To attach the hoop to the
backboard, bend a small piece of sheet metal so
it fits through a slot in the backboard. Bend it
over on the other side (see illustration). Use
epoxy or modeling glue to hold the hoop and
metal strip in place.
Make the net from plastic mesh (the type used
to cover turkeys and other poultry products is
perfect). Cut a piece the size of the pattern. Sew
or glue the two edges together as shown.
Carve the basketball out of pine and make it a
little smaller than the hoop (you might find a
small wooden ball among decorative turnings in
a lumber store). Paint the ball orange and add
lines with a marking pen. Attach the net to the
hoop with thread and glue.
Paint the hoop orange, the backboard white,
and the net grey-white. Glue the ball in place
and glue a sheet-metal loop to the back of the
backboard to form a slide.
PAGE 17
H
ere's an ice-cream bar that will
never melt. You can carve it in just
one day.
The popsicle is made of any soft
wood, such as pine or poplar. The Stick
is a regular popsicle stick, cut down to
size.
Trace the drawings onto a piece of
wood, cut the outline with a coping
saw. Round off the edges with a
pocketknife and sand them smooth.
Trace the popsicle stick or any thin
piece of wood. Cut slot in the bottom of
the popsicle and insert the popsicle
stick.
Then glue or tack a loop of sheet
metal, wood, or leather to the back of
the slide.
Paint the popsicle chocolate brown
and white, where a bite is taken out.
Use enamel or acrylic paints. The stick
is left natural and glued in place.
Popsicle
BL11
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life May 1979
Whistle
BL12
By Tom Dwyer
Boy’s Life Aug 1979
T
he handiest neckerchief slides, like this one, do more than
hold your neckerchief snugly around your neck. This slide
is also a whistle. Use it to call for help or for fun with your
patrol. Each end whistles a different tone, so you can make up
a “secret” patrol signal.
To make your own, begin with a 5" length of 3/4"x 3/4"
clear pine or other soft wood. Use a 1/4" drill bit to drill a 2"
hole in one end and a 2 1/2" hole in the other.
Now, using the illustration as a guide, make a line 1/2" from
one end (A). Make a second line 3/4" from the first (C). Use a
coping saw to cut 3/8" deep at the first line (B). With your
scout knife or a hobby knife, carefully remove the wood
between A, B, and C.
Do the same thing at the other end of the whistle. With both
ends carved, flatten one side of the two dowels, each 1/4" in
diameter bye 1/2" in length. Insert on piece of dowel in or out
for the clearest sound. Use your knife to shape the whistle, as
shown in the photo.
To make it into a neckerchief slide, drill a 5/32" in diameter
hole through the side of the whistle, glue the ends of a 3 1/2"
length of rawhide or nylon cord into the hole.
PAGE 18
T
his slide shows you are a real outdoorsman.
Woodland Slide
• Find a fallen branch, with a 1 1/2-in. to 2-
inch diameter. The wood should not be rotten or so
old that the bark is peeling. Cut sections about 1/4-in.
thick. (Many slides can be made from one branch.)
• Pick leaves small enough to fit on the piece of
wood. New, smaller leaves at the end of a branch are
best.
BL13
• The leaves must be dried. Place them flat
between two sheets of paper, and put a large book on
top. Allow them to dry three or four days.
•Sand the cut end of the branch smooth. Then
stain, or leave it natural. Fasten a wood, metal, or
leather loop to the back with strong glue.
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life March 1980
Shell
By Wayne Mason
•Glue leaf on the wood, with white craft glue.
When it is dry, coat the entire slide with clear varnish.
Boy’s Life Apr 1980
BL14
D
on’t hide away any attractive shell you found on the beach. Show it off as an eye-catching neckerchief slide. First, clean the shells with
soap and water and let dry. For loops, use coat hanger wire or sheetmetal. You’ll need tin snips, pliers, wire cutters, and a file to make
one of these. Sheetmetal edges should be filed down after cutting, to remove sharp spots. Then bend the metal to the proper loop shape,
with pliers. Fasten it to the shell with strong epoxy glue. For wire loops, drill small holes in the shell first. Then glue the wire ends into place.
Almost any kind of shell will do. Sand dollars and starfish also are good possibilities. To further personalize your slide, mark the place and
date you found it on the shell.
PAGE 19
Jack O’ Lantern
BL15
By Wayne Mason
Boy’s Life Oct 1980
Checkers
BL16
Boy’s Life Nov 1980
C
arve yourself a wooden pumpkin for
Halloween.
Start with a 1 1/2" square block of white pine or
soft wood. Close-grain wood works best. Drill a
hole about 1/2" in diameter through the center, as
shown. Drill in the same direction as the grain, to
prevent splitting.
Begin to shape the slide into a pumpkin by
cutting the block corners. Follow the steps in the
drawings to get the pumpkin shape. Continue to
round all the sides to avoid a lopsided look. Sand
over any rough spots or nicks.
Pencil in lines that make up the pumpkin
sections. Cut grooves along these lines and round
the sections.
Sand the whole slide again, and draw on the
eyes, nose, and a mouth.
Paint the pumpkin orange and the face parts
black. Acrylic or enamel paints are good. Use a
small brush of the kind artists use.
T
his slide seems to say, “It’s your move.” It is
sure to get attention, because checkers is a
game almost everyone plays.
• Use a coping saw to cut a piece of wood the
same size as the checkerboard shown here. A
piece of scrap paneling is just right.
• Sand the edges of the board smooth.
• Cut out the checkerboard on this page and
glue it to the wood. Squeeze out any bubbles &
excess glue with your finger.
• Make “checkers”from a 1/8-in. wood dowel.
You won’t need much dowel; a piece a few inches
long is enough. Saw off checkers about 1/16-in.
thick.
• After sanding, paint the checkers red or black.
Use enamel or acrylic paint and a small artists’ or
hobby paintbrush.
• Glue a sheetmetal, leather, or wooden loop to
the back. Then glue the checkers in place on the
board.
• Protect the whole slide with a coat of clear
plastic spray.
PAGE 20
Backpack
BL17
By Bill Andrews
Boy’s Life Feb 1984
o the Pueblo Indians, Kachinas are
KACHINA Tfriendly,
helpful spirits. Masks and
BL18
dolls representing kachinas are used in
important ceremonies. Replicas of
kachinas dolls are often found in gift
shops. Making a slide that looks like a
kachina doll is fairly easy. To help you
select the colors, look at pictures of
kachina dolls in your library. Reading
about kachinas and about Pueblo culture
will add to your enjoyment of the project.
You’ll need: – A 3/4-inch block of pine or
basswood about 3-inches by 2 1/2-inches
(for the body). –A thin piece of wood
about 2 1/4-inches by 1-inch (for the headdress). –Two pieces
of 1/2-inch dowel about 3/4-inch long (for the legs). –Coping
saw, knife, glue, paint. –A strip of leather or vinyl for the loop
(or you can carve a loop from wood).
Trace the body outline onto the wood block and saw
around it. Saw a horizontal, side-to-side notch in the head to
receive the headdress. Carve the arms with a knife. Drill two
1/2-inch diameter holes in the bottom for the dowel legs.
Make the holes about 1/4-inch deep. Glue the dowels into the
leg holes. Shape the kachina with sandpaper until it is
symmetrical and smooth. Paint it colorfully. Glue or tack the
loop to the back.
time you hoist on your backpack, slide this
Theslidenexton too.
You can even paint the slide to look like
your backpack. All you need are a piece of pine, a
wooden dowel, a leather strip, a saw, a knife, sandpaper,
nails and some paint.
First, saw a piece of 3/4-inch pine to 1 5/8-inches high
by 1 1/2-inches wide. Saw or carve out the shaded areas
to form the side pockets.
Then carve around the sides of the four pockets (you've
already cut the tops and bottoms of the pockets). Make
sure the pockets on opposite sides of the pack look the
same. Round off the top front of the pack, and make a
shallow cut across the middle to form the pack flap.
To make the sleeping bag, cut a 5/8-inch or 1/2-inch
wooden dowel to 1 1/2-inches in length. Bevel the ends
of the dowel with knife and sandpaper as shown.
Drill two 1/16-inch holes through the dowel; nail the
dowel through the holes to the pack bottom.
Sand the slide smooth, then paint to your liking. Finally,
glue or nail a leather or rubber loop to the back.
By Fritz Hines Boy’s Life May 1984
PAGE 21
T
Rootbeer Barrel
his slide is simple to make. Drill half inch hole
thru a two inch by 1 1/5”piece of basswood.
Taper ends and v-cut slats with the grain to form the
slats in the barrel. Stain the wood with shoe polish
or dark wood stain. Cut brass strips and glue
around barrel use a tiny finishing tac to fasten ends.
Drill 1/8” hole and either whittle a spout or fashion
one with 1/8” dowels, and glue in place.
BL19
Supplied by: Woggle World - Carved Woggles
http://members.tripod.com/~cubclub/carve.
html
W
Slide Display Board
3/8"
2"
GF20
2"
3/4"
By Greg Firestone
April 2000
ith all your hard work wouldn't be nice to display
your slides in your room at home. So here's a simple
board I created. The only materials you'll need is an
inexpensive pine shelf board about two feet in length, a
3/4"dia. dowel. (Long enough to cut how ever many slide
posts you want. And finally a 3/8" dowel or one that's small
enough for your slides to fit over.
Cut the dowels down in 2" pieces. Drill a 3/8" hole in the
one end of each 3/4" dowel and insert 3/8" dowels by
tapping with a hammer(if loose put a small amount of
wood glue. The hard part is next. Layout a grid on your
board for however many posts you want to make. Be sure
to keep the spacing even for a more uniformed look. Drill
3/4" holes for each dowel post(see at left) With a dabb of
wood glue tap the post into each hole. Stain , varnish, or
paint the entire display. You can finish your display with
your name or Troop Unit number. You can either make
your display board horizontal or vertical. Drill a nail hole
for the top to hang it on your wall.
PAGE 22
GF1
Viking
Shield
and
Battle
Axe
By Greg Firestone
January 2000
Knot
Board
GF2
By Greg Firestone
April 2000
O
ur troops leaders have a patrol dubbed the vikings. So I
created this slide in honor of the viking warriors.
It is a simple slide to create. For the shield cut a circle about 2"
in diameter out of basswood or medium balsa. Then whittle it
down into the shape you see pictured here. Note nicks and dents
on the outer edge only add to the realism of the slide.
Glue a back of 1/2" or 5/8" pvc pipe for the slide. I like to use
both a dab of supper glue to help melt the plastic and some wood
glue to adhere it to the wood.
Cut grooves to simulate wood slates in your shield. Paint them
brown or stain them with wood stain. Finish off by pressing tiny
nails or tacs in the tops/bottom of each board.
For the battle axe, take a penny nail and hammer it flat into the
rough or crude shape of an axe, you may need to cut and trim it a
bit. Grind or file the edges smooth. Using a 1/8" dowel 3 1/2" long
cut a groove out of one end and round the other end smooth with
sand paper. Be careful cutting the groove, it can be tricky. Once its
notched out slide your axe head in and using either your choice of
colored thread(I used brown) lash and secure it to the handle.
Cut handle in half and wood glue to the back of shield being
sure to align from front to give the full length appearance. Varnish
the entire slide to seal it when done.
T
his slide was as easy as tying a square knot! And well all the
basic scout knots. Simply cut you a piece of 1/8" bass wood
sheet about 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" and sand and round the edges. Stain
with shoe polish or wood stain.
Now the tricky part. Using thin Hemp rope or thin strand rope
tie each of the basic scout knots in miniature. Use a 1/8" dowel cut
into short 1/2" pieces for tying the Clove Hitch, Timber Hitch, Two
Half-hitch, and Tautline. The Bowline, Sheet Bend, and the Square
Knot can all be tied without dowels. Trim long ends for more
presentable looking knots.
Using wood glue dabb each knot with glue and hold in position
till it sets up, then set aside and let dry. Whittle a wood loop, attach
a leather strip, or glue slide ring to back. Another way to make the
slide portion is to drill two small holes on each side, then using the
same knot material knot and slide threw holes to form a loop in the
back. After all knots are affixed to board varnish the entire slide.
I guarantee you scouts will take notice of this slide.
PAGE 23
A
bucket full of water but not a drop to drink. This slide was
fairly easy to make. I found the wooden bucket form at a local
craft store. It already had holes for the handles, and grooves for
the wire straps. But it could be whittled too.
First off, I cut "V" cut grooves forming the slates on the outside
and top of the form. Then using a multi-thread picture wire I
wrapped and twisted tight a strand around the bucket aligning
them in each groove. Then taking snips cut off excess and a pair
of pliers to mash in the twisted knot into the wood. Using
common hot glue stick I melted an filled the bucket almost to the
top. I then painted the glue with a gloss mixture of blue and light
blue paint to make it look like water.
After it dried I drilled a hole slowly thru the glue and bottom of
the bucket with a 1/2" drill bit. Then Varnish the entire slide.
The handle you can go one of two ways. A rope handle or a
wire handle with a wood grip. For the rope version simply take
some yellow twine and twist however many strands you need to
create the handle. Knot it thru the holes using a figure eight knot.
Wooden
Water
Bucket
GF3
By Greg Firestone
March 2000
Compound
Saw
GF4
By Greg Firestone
January 2000
D
erived from Whittlin Jim's Crosscut saw shown on the earlier
pages of this book. I created a compound saw. Using virtually
the same materials.
I followed the cross cut saw design with a few modifications. The
blade is more of a straight blade and lacks the arc that the crosscut
saw does. Instead of the handles sticky upward on the saw. I
positioned them more for a downward grip. On the tops of the
handles I drilled a 1/16" hole through each side being careful that
the holes matched the alignment of the saw blade. With this done
I took multi-thread picture wire and running one end thru the hole
wrapping around the handle and twisting to other side of wire.
Putting as much tension as it can stand and repeat threading thru
other handle and twisting tight.
Now paint your handles Red, with white or yellow caution
stripes around them, then varnish the hole slide. You could add
your Troop Unit No. to the front of the log or paint the Paul Bunyan
Axe on it for it to be given out as extra recognition for having
earned the Paul Bunyan Award.
PAGE 24
Monster
Egg
GF5
By Greg Firestone
April 2000
Life
Preserver
GF6
By Greg Firestone
May 2000
T
his slide will put your whittlin skills to the test. You can buy
these prefab wooden shaped eggs at most craft stores, the one I
choose is a large hen egg. With 1/2" wood drill bit, drill a hole thru
the egg from the fat end to the pointy end. Go slow on the exit so
you wont rip the wood up to much.
Now draw your image of cracks and a hole for where you plan
to whittle out. What I did was cut the hairline cracks around the
shape of the egg. Then I made a bigger deeper indention for the
claws and for the peering eye. Once I had this done I cut even
deeper the small grooves to form the eye and eyelids. For the claw
I cut out of basswood one small claw like piece, then wood glued
it into place making sure it appeared to be sticking out of the shell.
If you want you could add a tail coming out of the back or side as
well.
With that done I gave the whole slide a coat of eggshell white
paint and let dry. Then using an old tooth brush and some watered
down brownish tan paint I flecked the egg to give it its speckled
look. After it was all dry I painted the detail of the Dino with in a
flat Blueish Green, the Eye bright Gloss yellow with black pupil,
and the claw I borrowed my daughters opal white finger nail polish.
I finished the slide with a clear Spray lacquer. Avoid varnish or
shellac as it tends to Yellow.
like to take all the credit for this slide but I can't. I had seen
II'm'dsomewhere
the mention of a life preserver for a neckerchief slide.
sure somebody's thought of this one before. At any rate this
slide has to be the simplest slide to make but has a great look to it.
Any scout who's earned lifesaving or is a sanctioned BSA lifeguard
would be proud to own an wear this slide.
You can choose to whittle it if you want. But the easiest way to
create this is to use any curtain style ring or plastic too and then
painted. I left mine wood though. Wood rings can be found at
almost any craft store. Size doesn't have to be fixed but this ring
was about 2" in diameter.
You'll want to get either a nylon or fabric based rope about 1/4"
thick. Also you'll need any heavy colored tape. I choose red for
obvious reasons, but any color would work. Cut your rope to length
that will give you a square spaced look around your ring. Start by
centering the ring on the outstretch piece of rope. Cut your tape to
about 3/8" or 1/2" wide and a 1" in length and wrap the tape around
the rope and ring, securing it in place. Continue around the ring
taping the rope at the quarter marks. Cut your rope so it'll touch at
both ends finishing under your last tape section. Add a loop to the
back and your done. You could even paint it with your Troop
number or initials.
This book was produced by Greg F. Firestone in the attempt to catalog and help
reference the numerous amounts of slides he has collected thru old “Boy’s Life
Magazines ™ ”, internet sites, and other various means of inspiration, in addition to
the ones he has personally created. All slides shown by “Whittlin Jim” are as they
appeared in “Boy’s Life Magazine ™ ”. It is not my intent to capitalize or infringe on the
afore mentioned works of “Whittlin Jim” or “Boy's Life Magazine ™ ”.
I hope seeing these slides inspire you or your scouts into creating them or
generating new ideas for their own.
If you have any questions or ideas for slides you’d like to pass along feel free to
visit our troops website(listed below) and email me at: [email protected]
I'll be working on the second edition soon which will include many more slides
dircetly from “Boy's Life Magazine ™ ” and more from other website's I've visitied,
and those sent to me via internet, plus new one's I've personally created.
A copy of this book is available via our troop website in a .pdf format.
Visit our website at: http://hometown.aol.com/gfire/myhomepage/index.html