Angie contacted me about carving pine cone beads for their Boy Scout troop. She couldn't locate any online or in local bead stores. This sparked my interest because I didn't have any idea what they would be. She said they would be like Merit Wood Badge beads, 1 inch long by 1/2 inch in diameter and brown. A set will be attached to a cord and worn around the neck. The cord in the picture isn't the one they will be using. There is a rich history with Wood Badge beads and the Boy Scouts for their leadership. They will be presented to the scouts in late October. I started out with a 1/2 inch square by about 3 inches long. A little over 1 inch in length was rounded to a pine cone shape. I drew around the cone at 3/16 inch spaces from 1/4 inch from the top. I used the corners of the square and the middle of the flat parts to free hand draw the vertical lines. Then X the squares. I used a chip knife to cut straight down on the V lines and then angle cut out the chip. I carve around each line before going down to the next one. On the very bottom I used a v tool to carve to the point. I clamped the square part in a vise to drill a 3 mm hole for the cord. Then sawed it off to 1 inch and rounded the top and painted it. This is for our future leaders.
As the Scoutmaster for this Troop (1736 Wayne, MI)
ReplyDeleteI would like to say a very heartfelt "Thank You". These beads mean A LOT to the boys and to me as their Scoutmaster and Wood Badge Staffer. I think it really hit home when the boys were presented the beads for completion of NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training)They were touched and parents were blown away by your generosity. When you would not take any payment for the wonderful work you had done they realized how special they are and the kind of man you are and they aspire to be. Thank you and God Bless you. Mark Lewellyn SM Troop 1736