tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41924334636116090972024-03-13T02:20:29.360-07:00KALAMAFRAZJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.comBlogger337125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-41346076471784321122013-02-27T13:56:00.000-08:002013-02-27T13:56:52.182-08:00New Kids Bow: Short Plains Style Bow<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8226938971/" title="Plains style short bow1 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Plains style short bow1" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8480/8226938971_58ca3a1418.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8228008324/" title="Plains style short bow3 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Plains style short bow3" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8337/8228008324_54b1308eb2_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8228007774/" title="Plains style short bow6 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Plains style short bow6" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8340/8228007774_07b39afd4c_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8228007930/" title="Plains style short bow5 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Plains style short bow5" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8228007930_e09654f15d.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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This is a plains style short bow that I made for my daughter Lilly for Christmas. She really likes Brave and I wanted to make something she could bang around and have fun with. It is made out of silver maple which was generously donated by a friend of the family. He had a standing deadwood tree and had it taken down. The arborist cut a 7 foot section of the tree and left it for me to split. My dad, our friend Greg and I, set about making staves which are still in my basement waiting to be made into bows.<br />
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This bow comes from one of the tree branches. I split the branch down the middle and used the other half to help a friend of mine make a bow for his kid as well. Again no Idea what it pulls as far as draw weight is concerned, but it is 39" in length and draws to 15.5 inches.<br />
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It is actually a little strong for Lil right now but she'll grow into it. I made some arrows out of wooden dowels crested them and made some duct tap fletching.<br />
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It turned out to be a beautiful bow and hopefully will give both my daughters some fun and excitement in their formative years.<br />
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This bow making thing is turning into a beautiful addiction. I have some sketches and art to post but rest assured there are more bow to come.<br />
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Stay golden, Pony Boys and Girls.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-56687871955067203652013-02-25T09:49:00.003-08:002013-02-25T09:51:10.241-08:00New Kids Bow: D Style Longbow<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8228009360/" title="D style primitive bow2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="D style primitive bow2" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8341/8228009360_936744a212.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8226939809/" title="D style primitive bow1 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="D style primitive bow1" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8197/8226939809_5d1e18c71f_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8226939405/" title="D style primitive bow3 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="D style primitive bow3" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8201/8226939405_408b04fa4e_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8226939221/" title="D style primitive bow4 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="D style primitive bow4" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8208/8226939221_8876a743aa.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Here is another bow I worked on at the end 2012. It is a D style ( named for the shape of the belly of the bow) long bow. It is 51" in length and pulls 22". I did not have a method of gauging the draw weight but it is light, intended for a ten year old.<br />
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It was backed with rawhide and painted wonderfully by my talented wife, who also sewed on the suede hand grip. Beautiful work.<br />
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The wood used was elm and was cut from the river bank near my house. The sapling was split down the middle and yielded another bow as well. I did not get a chance to photograph that one. Both bows were christmas gifts for a friend nephew and niece, and I was under deadline pressure.<br />
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This bow would fall under the category of a "character bow" as there were all sorts of knots and bends in the wood for me to work around.<br />
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It was a great learning experience and has helped me improve my understanding of how to make bows. I have been working on some larger bows recently and look forward to presenting them in the near future. so stay tuned.<br />
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Before I touch on those, I do have another kids bow I will be posting about. it is the one I made for Lilly for christmas. So stay tuned.<br />
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<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-50019185998950511992013-01-20T05:24:00.000-08:002013-01-21T11:12:16.632-08:00New Refurbished Axe<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7107986277/" title="Vintage Axe Heads 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Vintage Axe Heads 2" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/7107986277_963ab59168.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8385011823/" title="Refurbished Axe2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8358/8385011823_49dc27378c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Refurbished Axe2"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8385013657/" title="Refurbished Axe3 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8385013657_66a963dd4f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Refurbished Axe3"></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8385019137/" title="Refurbished Axe5 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8385019137_7bbb5fdbd6.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Refurbished Axe5"></a>
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Here is one of my recently completed projects.
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I found this old beast in my garage when we moved into our house close to three years ago. It was weather worn, chipped and in really rough shape. I almost threw it out.
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But I just couldn't help but feel I could do something with it. It was dirty but not overly rusty, and the places where it had splintered on the handle were not going to compromise the integrity of the handle. So I tried it out as it was, and sure enough even with a dull, chipped head it could still quite easily split some wood. Probably due to the 3.5-4 pound head on it, combined with a 36" handle.
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The axe head was quite loose and came off without much of a fight. This was great because I knew with a new wedge the old handle could be refitted when I hung the axe. This is super cool because old axe handle are much slimmer and more elegant looking than the ones they fashion today.
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I'm glad I took the time to snap a shot of how messed up the blade was. I keep thinking it looks like the ocean because it is so wavy.
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I did not get to this project right away, it probably sat by my workbench for close to two years, as I worked on other axes and bows. One night a while back, a friend of mine gave me a head for a splitting maul that he found in his back lane. It was impressively rusty, so I took it as an excuse to try out a new environmentally friendly rust removal technique. I shy away from using highly chemical and dangerous methods because... well I guess that is just how I was raised, I don't like easy fixes that can poison and kill. Instead of some dangerous chemical I opted for apple cider vinegar. And let me tell you that stuff works. Holy cow. One night soaking in that removed easily 90% of the rust first go. While I was testing it on the rusty maul head, I figured why not ad the beastly axe head to the experiment. I could have removed most of the grime from it using sand paper, but maybe the apple cider vinegar would work on that as well. Yup, it worked. Saved me some sandpaper and did a way better job. It even gave me a clear idea where the blade steel of the axe was. Which inspired me even trying to refurbish the axe head.
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For those of you who don't know, a piece of harder steal is hammered into the axe head to make the blade. This allows the part you sharpen to maintain an edge. The stuff that makes up the rest of the head is too soft to hold an edge and your axe would constantly need to be resharpened.
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So I cleaned off both maul and axe head and placed the maul to the side. I grabbed an axe file and began the journey of filing out the chips from the blade. This took me probably close to two hours throughout a couple of days. Once I had blunted the edge smooth, I went about profiling the blade. I might mention I have never done this before, so it took me a while to get the blade straight. It will function fine now, but I would not enter any lumberjack competitions with this axe.
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That done, I grabbed my sharpening stone and put as much edge as I am capable of on the axe head and taped it up so I could hang the axe.
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The handle of this axe is a real beauty. Axe handles are made from hickory. A very white wood. However if you oil it with linseed oil it turns a lovely golden colour. If you just use it over the years with dirty hands it will eventually darken into a deep brown. This is the case with this handle. I sanded out all the splinters and took some dark English Oak, Danish oil and rubbed that in. I finished it with a couple of coats of linseed oil between sanding. It now looks and feels spectacular.
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Since the handle was already fit to the axe head all I needed to do was apply a new wedge and voila! A good as it ever was, refurbished axe. I have since given it as a gift to my friend who gifted me the maul head. May he find a reason to use such a beastly axe. He is also a talented leather worker, so hopefully he will make a nice protective sheath for it.
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Thus ends my axe odyssey. In the future, I would prefer to work with axes that are older but in better shape. It was a good learning experience though, so it was worth all the work in the end.
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Sometimes I'm asked how I find the time with a family and work to do this stuff. I simply answer, and I'm not being cheeky here. "I don't watch TV" Amazing how much time you can free up to do interesting projects when you don't do that.
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Stay golden pony boys and girlsJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-3458244175787706732013-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:002013-01-17T11:07:06.923-08:00Dadhood x 2<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8386144922/" title="Dad x 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Dad x 2" height="700" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/8386144922_cbcab47f9b_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8385061161/" title="Dad x 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Dad x 2" height="700" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8375/8385061161_01fd2857c4_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8386145502/" title="Dad x 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Dad x 2" height="700" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8386145502_2142ae238a_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Man oh man, I have been away for a while.
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So many things started happening at once I just had to focus on life and my desire to blog was set aside. I have been busy though, and I have plenty to share.
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So first off I would like to officially make my welcome post for my new daughter Rowan. She was born on November 17th, 2012. She is a happy healthy 2 months old today, and a steady reminder that life only gets busier and more fun as was grow older.
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Here are a couple of shots with me and my girls.
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I took 6 weeks off work to help Beth adjust to the new life force, and how she interacts with all the other life forces within our household. It was a very special time full of great breakfasts, second breakfasts and high adventure. I believe I will look back on this as one of the best times of my life. I got to have movie marathons with Beth, sledding and uninterrupted play time with Lilly and quiet new dad time with Rowan. I am a blessed man to have so many wonderful women in my life.
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I have some more refurbished tools, bow and artwork to post about and some more beer to write about as well. I hope everybody is having a wonderful 2013, mine has been Tip Top so far.
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Stay golden Pony Boys and GirlsJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-26494919979693581552012-11-27T07:09:00.001-08:002012-11-27T07:11:07.478-08:00Illustration for Kayak 42: War With America!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8148572886/" title="Kayak42_intro_CS4 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Kayak42_intro_CS4" height="290" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8148572886_0262231738.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Here is the Illustration I did for the latest issue of Kayak. The Issue deals with the war of 1812 and will be produced in English and in French.
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I did this illustration by sketching it out on paper scanning it in to the computer and inking and colouring it in Illustrator. I then added some texture using Photoshop. The Issue will be out in December and will include the work of some very talented Illustrators. <a href="http://www.diochon.com/">Alex Diochon</a>, <a href="http://www.curatolocartoons.com/">Fred Curatolo</a>, <a href="http://kokorobot.ca/">Jessica Lindsay</a>, and <a href="http://kmilneartist.tripod.com/children-s-art.html">Keith Milne</a>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-90441897972617089212012-11-02T14:00:00.000-07:002012-11-02T14:00:38.511-07:00Kayak Issue 42: War With America!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/8148539067/" title="Kayak42_Cover_Web by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8148539067_701b41d9dd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kayak42_Cover_Web"></a>
Here is a glimpse of the latest Issue of Kayak. Double the action, double the fun. Double sized Kayak! This issue is about the War of 1812, a forgotten war between Britain and America. In your mailbox and on the newsstand December 2012.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-91966452447794174062012-08-28T08:07:00.000-07:002012-08-28T08:08:31.717-07:00Kayak Issue 41 Otters<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7873924708/" title="Kayak 42 Spread Illustration by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Kayak 42 Spread Illustration" height="376" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7873924708_e659ee0405.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Here is the opening spread for Issue 41 of Kayak. Teeka and Beau performing a play Shakespearian style. Illustrated using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for the finishing touches.<br />
<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-29965230599032995472012-08-27T10:54:00.002-07:002012-08-27T10:58:55.081-07:00Kayak Issue #41: Canada On Stage<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7873954178/" title="Kayak Issue 41 Cover by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Kayak Issue 41 Cover" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7873954178_9041392ef6_c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kayak will be coming out on newsstands shortly. This issue focuses on the evolution of theatre in Canada. It is full of interesting facts, talented acting troops and famous actors from throughout the years. Inside you will find all this, coupled with illustrations from some of Canada's best Illustrators.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our comic focuses on Cirque Du Soleil, one of my favourite performance groups in existence. Brought into existence by the talented <a href="http://www.diochon.com/">Alex Diochon</a>, who is up for a Manitoba Magazine Award (Maggie) for his work on this and many other Canadian history comics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This cover is Done by <span style="color: #bf9000;"><a href="http://boutain.blogspot.ca/">Stéphane Boutin</a>.</span> You will find more of his work inside the magazine. You will also find the work of <a href="http://minyaka.com/">Tania Mignacca</a><a href="http://minyaka.com/"> </a>who is new to doing wok for Kayak. She has done some great work for our fiction feature on the start of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those who already <a href="https://cps.cstonecanada.com/kyk/">subscribe</a>, the magazine should be dropping in the mail shortly, for those who don't, keep an eye out at your local newsstand, and library.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will be posting my artwork for the introduction of this issue shortly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please check out issue 41 of Kayak and learn more about theatre in Canada.</span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-30591946672454231792012-08-17T07:12:00.000-07:002012-08-27T10:59:11.892-07:00Barefoot or Bust<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7785730618/" title="Vibram Five Fingers by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Vibram Five Fingers" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/7785730618_0f5bee1641.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite recently I have switched to minimalist running. About a year and a half ago I listened to a book tape called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303">Born to Run</a></i>. It is a fascinating, if not one sided story of a man and his search for answers as to why some people seem to be able to run forever without getting injured, and why the rest of us always seem to get hurt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is an inspirational book filled with interesting facts and even more interesting characters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before you strap on you <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_790734293">huaraches </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_790734293">(</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.invisibleshoe.com/">barefoot running sandals of the Tarahumara Indians)</a>.and try and run 100 kilometers. I have a few tips.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;">1. Be realistic</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">If you are like myself, and you have been running in standard running shoes for your whole life. there is going to be transition time needed. So dial down your distance and get used to the changes in your stride and let your feet toughen up a bit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">2. Size matters</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Someone who is 120 pounds might find it easier to slap on some minimalist shoes and giv'er a good 10k run no sweat. I however am about 205 pounds. That is a healthy, active 205 and I have to say, if you are capping 200 pounds you'll have to watch yourself. No matter what you do you are going to hit the ground with more force. This is not a bad thing as it quickly becomes apparent where things are uncomfortable and you can correct your technique at an early stage. My main issue is for the first couple of weeks my calves felt like I had inflated them with a bike pump. I was starting to get concerned, but with patience and rest they relaxed becoming accustomed to the forefoot strike I changed to from my original heel strike style of running. My calves have complained for a little while, but my knees and my back have been thanking me since I've made this change.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">3. Turf wars</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">One of the most helpful things I have done to help condition my body to the changes in running style is to run on grass. I have a park close to where I live and I cut my distance from 7-10k down to about 2k. It may seem a bit drastic. But when I originally made the running style change, I tried to keep the distance similar to my old distances, and that I believe led to the increased discomfort of my calves. I have been doing this 2k circuit at the park for a number of weeks and recently I have been able to increase my distance to 4k. I am now alternating park runs with pavement runs as well. The great thing about running on grass is you can ditch the shoes entirely if you like. Although, I have been cautioned by a friend that stray nails and broken pieces of glass have been known to lie in wait in many a field. So go barefoot at your own risk. I generally keep my shoes on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">4. Patience is a virtue</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Everybody is different and is going to develop at a different pace. This style of running is not going to make you some kind of superman. However I believe the benefits described in Christopher MacDoogall's book <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303">Born to Run</a> are worth a little time and effort. All aches and pain I have experienced have been based on my misconception of what my body can do and how long it would take for it to adjust to minimalist running.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">In the picture above you will see my Vibram Five Finger KSO's. These are just one pair of the many minimalist shoes that are being produced. They look goofy but as the name suggests they fit like a glove. You can find minimalist shoes that look more like standard runners from companies like Brooks, Merrell and New Balance.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">For those of you interested in running and wanting to try something new, or in this case new/ancient (modern running shoes have only existed for about 40 years) pick up <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303">Born to Run</a>, see what you think and if it strikes your fancy, give this style of running a try.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Stay golden Ponyboys and girls</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-12458983342863957852012-08-09T09:19:00.002-07:002012-08-09T09:20:32.902-07:00My First Man Bow<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737812854/" title="My first bow 7 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="My first bow 7" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7737812854_89883992a0.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737799410/" title="My first bow 10 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="My first bow 10" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7737799410_cebd83ae35.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737810826/" title="My first bow 6 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="My first bow 6" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/7737810826_52d44d7194.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737801258/" title="My first bow 1 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="My first bow 1" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7737801258_3670a8551a.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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So here are some shots of my first primitive style bow sized for an adult human being.<br />
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About a year ago I decided I wanted to try and build a bow that was primitive in nature. I did not use hide glue, and I did not use sharp edges of rocks to shape this bow. Thus my reference to this being a primitive "style" bow.<br />
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I went out last year and cut a small tree from the river bank near where I live, debarked it, and let it season for a couple of months. I then used a hatched to rough out the basic shape and use a rasp to shape out the rest of the bow.<br />
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It took a long time, but what else are you going to do a 10PM at night during a Canadian winter.<br />
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I almost broke it trying to flex it at an early stage and so I figure I lost about 20 pounds of draw weight. I had some wood split up on the back of the bow and had to use a drawknife to remove some serious wood. I then salvaged the bow by laminating rawhide onto the back to keep it from braking. I also added some elk antler overlays to the tips.<br />
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It has held up and shot a couple hundred of arrows so far. I need to build some arrows specifically for it as I only have my hunting arrows I use for my 50lb fiberglass bow.<br />
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There are many flaws with this bow. Knots, some holes in the wood, imperfect tiller. I attribute a lot of the success of this bow to the length I made it. Seventy two inches of height really spreads out the amount of pressure on the limbs.<br />
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I only ever expected this bow to blow up in my face. So I have to admit that after a year of toiling, reading, and watching youtube videos into the wee hours of the morning, it is quite a relief that I got to shoot some arrows with it. I do not know how much longer it will last, but I am confident that I will make better bows in the years to come.<br />
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I would like to thank Professor Roland Bohr who I have had the good fortune to become acquainted with for his encouragement and all the knowledge he has shared with me.<br />
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I will post shots of some of the kids bows I have made for my nieces and nephew over the past summer. I will also take some glamour shots of my elm longbow and maybe post a video to YouTube so people can have a look at how it shoots.<br />
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Stay golden Ponyboys and girls.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-25021359269345216472012-08-08T12:46:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:46:23.583-07:00Home Brew at Last!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737755724/" title="First Batch of Beer 1 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="First Batch of Beer 1" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7737755724_243e77ec41_c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<i>Preparing to transfer the beer from the secondary</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737757566/" title="First Batch of Beer 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="First Batch of Beer 2" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7737757566_3eb5096721_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<i>Sterilizing the transfer tube</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737759252/" title="First Batch of Beer 3 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="First Batch of Beer 3" height="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7737759252_1143b33ce9_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<i>Starting the transfer process to clear the sediment from the secondary.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737760714/" title="First Batch of Beer 4 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="First Batch of Beer 4" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7737760714_ddd7b9bd98_c.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<i>Bottling the tasty brew</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7737753950/" title="First Batch of Beer 5 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="First Batch of Beer 5" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7737753950_95f9924f80.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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<i>The finished product, a tasty brew ready for storage... and consumption.</i><br />
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I started Brewing my own beer recently.<br />
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My gorgeous and loving wife got me all the gear to brew the beer this last Christmas, but I was short bottles. This proved not to be much of a problem since I have two qualities I'm proud to brag about. Patience and a love of Grolsch. Some do not enjoy this brand of beer, but I do, and lucky for me because some 48 reusable pint bottles later I am now capable of storing my craft beer.<br />
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It takes about a month to sort out your brew but as I have discovered, it is worth the wait. My First Batch was an English Bitter kit from <a href="http://makebeer.ca/">Coopers</a>. It was a bit green when I first tasted it but it has sit for about two months now and has a fine flavour enjoyed by all who have tried it.<br />
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The exciting thing about home brewing is the variety of beers you can make and it not a bad way to save a few bucks. I've just got in touch with an old friend who is going to help me score some quality beer kits from the states that are otherwise unavailable to Canadians. I'm very excited to get me hands on <a href="http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/dead-ringer-ipa-extract-kit.html">Dead Ringer IPA</a> produced by the company <a href="http://www.northernbrewer.com/">Northern Brewer</a>.<br />
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I'm happy to help carry on my fathers legacy of home brewing. I've watched him make his own beer for about 20 years and I've always wanted to do it myself. Well now I have, and I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. One of barley, hops and yeast.<br />
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Drink up fellow brewers, life is good.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-3668560544801806662012-07-23T14:23:00.002-07:002012-07-23T14:24:25.398-07:00Pooh Bear Finished<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7632630662/" title="Pooh Bear by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7632630662_9dfc3e0351_c.jpg" width="485" height="785" alt="Pooh Bear"></a>
Egads that took a while.
Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been a bit occupied with some projects that I will post about soon.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-16118789230237911822012-05-31T08:26:00.001-07:002012-07-23T14:25:00.751-07:00Pooh Bear Sketch<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7308575760/" title="Pooh by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7308575760_9e2ef53185_c.jpg" width="485" height="783" alt="Pooh"></a>
Here is a sketch I am working up in colour. It just popped into my head, and I could not get it out. So I had to draw it.
Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin together fornever.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-81511212296610632892012-05-23T10:43:00.002-07:002012-05-23T11:38:03.085-07:00Little Drummer Boy: Sean Quigley<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7256413572/" title="Little Drummer Boy by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Little Drummer Boy" height="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7256413572_78bb748abd_c.jpg" width="485" /></a>
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<iframe width="485" height="273" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IrNcD34KFhM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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A couple of weekends ago I was attending an event at the Manitoba Museum for work and cake. While there, I met Sean Quigley. Most of you have probably seen his video for The Little Drummer Boy. If not I have embedded it into this post.
We were chatting and I was doing some kids drawings of otters on a white board. Sean is a very outgoing man and asked... nay, demanded that I do a caricature of him. Well here it is. I wish I had timed myself but I can tell you it did not take that long. He was very happy with it. I feel I could have made the eyes a bit more accurate but all in all I'm happy with what I have done.
I will also add that Sean is a very nice guy and was a pleasure to draw.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-55972154671483070572012-04-30T21:07:00.000-07:002012-04-30T21:15:03.672-07:00My Axes<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961888780/" title="My refurbished axes 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="My refurbished axes 2" height="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6961888780_db1a32eb08.jpg" width="485" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961866736/" title="My refurbished axes 4 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="My refurbished axes 4" height="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/6961866736_8e479d3c94.jpg" width="485" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961903094/" title="My refurbished axes by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/6961903094_bbaed64fbc_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="My refurbished axes"></a><br />
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Here is the last post for tools and such that I have refurbished in the last year. For those of you who come here to see my art. Worry naught, I will be posting some new stuff shortly.<br />
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About a year ago I decide I needed an axe.<br />
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I have a fire pit in my back yard but nothing to process wood with. So I put it out to the universe. I says "Hey universe, I need and axe." Well ask and you shall receive. My father-in-law just happens to have a couple of of old axes he can spare me.<br />
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As anyone who cares to spend the time researching knows some of the best hand tools in the world are made in Sweden. You can get affordable yet well made stuff like Mora's, or you can get boutique stuff like the Gransfors Bruks axes. Now I can not justify paying the price it costs to get one of these axes. They are hand forged and of great quality. Maybe when I'm fifty and a bit more financially stable I can get myself one. But the truth is I don't imagine I will need to. As it turns out the axes that my father-in-law provided are both of Swedish make. HB of Sweden (Hults Bruk) has been making axes for about 300 years. If I take decent enough care of these axes I should be able to pass them along to my children when they are old enough.<br />
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That is the great thing about refurbishing old tools. They just don't make them like that anymore. It sounds cliche, but it is true. In an era of forced obsolescence companies won't produce something for under 80 dollars that will last. So the best option is to find tools that were expensive 40-50 years ago, buy'em cheap clean the rust off sharpen them up and blammo you have a quality tool that will last another lifetime.<br />
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The axes you see pictures of here are my felling axe (large), my Scandinavian style forest axe (medium), and my hatchet (small).<br />
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This ends the bulk of a lot of personal projects I've had doing, so it may be some time before I post any more craft stuff. In the mean time I will be posting more artwork and that sort of thing.<br />
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Stay golden Pony Boys and Girls.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-19790263654653544052012-04-26T10:08:00.000-07:002012-04-26T10:09:54.289-07:00Mora Knives and Nature<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961696196/" title="Mora's and Hatchet 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Mora's and Hatchet 2" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8157/6961696196_0b4ae655fe.jpg" width="485" /></a><br />
<i>My camping knives.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961736058/" title="Mora Clipper by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Mora Clipper" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/6961736058_fd852ba746.jpg" width="485" /></a><br />
<i>My Mora Clipper.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7107793937/" title="Frost Mora from the 50s with custom sheath by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img alt="Frost Mora from the 50s with custom sheath" height="" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7107793937_aca154d4cf.jpg" width="485" /></a><br />
<i>My vintage Mora with birch handle.</i><br />
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Around the same time I developed my interest in archery I started to watch the series <a href="http://lesstroud.ca/survivorman/home.php">Survivorman</a>. I know this series finished quite some time ago, but I don't have cable so you would be surprised how many television shows I have not watched. However I got a hold of the 3 seasons, and man it opened up a whole new world to me. It rekindled the interest I have in the wilderness and the skills I need to survive and be comfortable in nature. <a href="http://lesstroud.ca/">Les Stroud (Survivorman)</a> focuses on extreme situations but because I worship his show and what he does I have come across some other individuals who have inspired me to maintain and learn more about nature and how to experience it in a safe and respectful manner. <a href="http://www.raymears.com/">Ray Mears</a> is another individual who I watch and respect greatly. He is a British survival expert who focuses a bit more on Bushcraft (the skills needed to live comfortably in nature). The third individual is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wildernessoutfitters/videos">Dave Canterbury</a> a survival expert who focuses on North American frontier style living, which includes archery, black powder rifles and self reliance skills. He has a vast youtube library where he shows you a plethora of skills for free.<br />
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The pictures I have posted are of my camping knives. When I got interested in doing some outdoor camping activities all these experts (Les, Ray and Dave) agree a knife is essential for anybody trying to practice primitive or survival skills. I chose to get a <a href="http://www.moraofsweden.se/home">Mora knife</a> which is a wonderful brand made in Sweden. They are very tough and reliable and very affordable. You can pick one up from <a href="http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/HikingCamping/KnivesTools/MultiBladeKnives/PRD~5028-388/light-my-fire-swedish-fireknife.jsp">MEC</a> or <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=31077&cat=1,51222&ap=1">Lee Valle</a>y for under $20 dollars.<br />
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The Mora Clipper is my main camping knife it has a synthetic handle and a synthetic sheath. I have beaten the living bejeezus out of it and it is still sharp and functional.
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The second knife is one my father-in-law gave to me, it used to be his when he was a kid. It is also a Mora which bodes well for the craftsmanship of the company (the knife is roughly 40 years old). It was pretty dull and beat up when I got it but I sharpened it, sanded and oiled the handle and made a moulded sheath that holds the knife using friction. Meaning that I do not need a strap to make sure the knife doesn't fall out of the sheath if inverted. It was my fist attempt at this kind of sheath and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. As per my father-in-laws request, I will hold onto this until my daughter is old enough to use a knife and give it to her as her first camping knife.<br />
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Well enough of my nature/knife nerd-out. Thanks for stopping by I hope some of you find the time to get out and enjoy some of the natural spaces you have at your disposal. I know I will.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-10198594620424190232012-04-23T19:55:00.003-07:002012-04-23T21:10:08.061-07:00Well Bow Me Down!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961815786/" title="Lilly's first bow by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/6961815786_f70e79a57e_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Lilly's first bow"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961792084/" title="Jute twine bow handle by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/6961792084_a589e6d7ec_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Jute twine bow handle"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961784130/" title="Primitive kids bows by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/6961784130_26e9120297_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Primitive kids bows"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961776012/" title="Primitive kids bows 2 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/6961776012_0134634b55_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Primitive kids bows 2"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6961752110/" title="Primitive kids bows 5 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7260/6961752110_502a50cedf_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Primitive kids bows 5"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7107832419/" title="Primitive kids bows 4 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/7107832419_fdfb9373cf_c.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Primitive kids bows 4"></a><br /><br />A couple of weeks ago I constructed my very first fully functional bow. <br /><br />This is the culmination of a year or more of obsession. About a year ago I was doing some research on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Plains_of_Abraham">Plains of Abraham</a>. While researching the look of a french musket on youtube I noticed on the suggestion sidebar that there was a video on the English longbow. This set off a chain of events that has led me to purchase a longbow and recurve bow in the last year. <br /><br />On top of taking up archery, I have developed a healthy amount of knowledge of how to make my own primitive bow. Now, all the knowledge I have is theory gained from reading books like <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/The-Traditional-Bowyers-Bible-Volume/dp/1585740853/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1">"The Traditional Bowyers Bible"</a> volume one and two, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Arrows-Native-Americans-Step-Step/dp/1599210835/ref=pd_sim_b_5">"Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans"</a> and a heap of youtube videos. I have to admit that without youtube my ability to understand what I have been reading would have been greatly limited, but fortunately for me that was not the case and the information so generously provided by people around the world has allowed me to successfully construct this bow. <br /><br />In truth it is not a bow for me. It is a bow for my daughter who is two and a half years old. Wah... wah... waaaaaaa....<br /><br />Before you are too disappointed, let me tell you this is one heck of a bow. It has truly exceeded my expectations and has given me the confidence to continue and build larger bows.<br /><br />It is made from what I believe to be poplar. I cut it about 4 years ago to make a walking stick and it had been seasoning in my parents garage for all that time . The other day I was over for the afternoon and had some spare time so I grabbed a hatchet and an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinel_knife">Opinel knife</a> and went to town on the wood. All in all it probably took me about 5 hours to figure everything out and get it shaped up. I then wrapped the handle with jute twine and used waxed nylon cord to make the string.<br /><br />Like I mentioned earlier, once I put a string on this thing I was not disappointed with its performance. I tested it out using plastic arrows with suction cup tips that belonged to a dollar store bow we bought for Lilly some time ago. Well let me assure you they all rest in pieces. This thing shot them so hard they literally shattered on impact when they hit the wall I was shooting them at.<br /><br />Needless to say I'm holding off giving this bow to Lilly until she is older and I can build her some arrows that can withstand the bows power.<br /><br />If you could have seen the grin on my face when I realized that this thing worked. So proud. I have already started on my next bow which is slightly longer than my first attempt. My first bow measured in at 36" and my next which is made from oak gathered from the riverbank is about 43" long.<br /><br />In my haste I have already come up against some obstacles. Number one the wood is green and unseasoned. My fist bow was very easy to make because the wood had such a balanced strength to it due to the amount of time it was given to shed its moisture. The wood I am currently working with still has a fair amount of soft flex to it, and will need to dry longer before I put the finishing touches on it. If I can maintain my patience and not muck about with it too much, it should get stronger and easier to work with as time goes by.<br /><br />I'll keep you posted on the progress.<br /><br />Stay golden Bony Boys and Girls.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-61343753186907298922012-04-09T08:46:00.002-07:002012-04-09T08:56:39.986-07:00Kayak Issue #40: Titanic Spread<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6877940578/" title="Kayak: Introduction Spread by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/6877940578_fd0cd82768.jpg" width="485" height="367" alt="Kayak: Introduction Spread"></a><br /><br />As I mentioned before I produced a two page spread for the most recent Issue of Kayak. <br /><br />It is of the two otters (Teeka and Beau) exploring a shipwreck. I had a blast doing this though it does ad a bit of stress to designing the magazine as well as producing illustrations. But the truth of it is, it wasn't going to happen without the pressure. The illustration really didn't come together until I added the bubbles. Once those were added it really said "Hey, we're under water!" Which is great because prior to that the image looked like a bunch of fish with two otters floating in zero gravity. <br /><br />I did the main illustration in illustrator with some colour correction and texture work in photoshop.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-31253053602637652422012-03-27T14:10:00.003-07:002012-03-27T15:37:34.484-07:00Kayak Otters<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/7022194603/" title="Kayak Otters by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6226/7022194603_21481f5378_z.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Kayak Otters"></a><br /><br />These are two characters I developed for Kayak . <br /><br />They are the new ambassadors of Kayak magazine to Canada's young and impressionable. I chose them because many of our national emblems have been used so many times. We had a Beaver mascot who did not grab the hearts and minds of our readers. We've tried Moose which I am totally against. Not because I dislike moose but because <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphism">anthropomorphic</a> rendering does not lend itself to such a majestic animal. They always look goofy and ridiculous. They are not. Moose are huge, and I mean huge majestic animals. To round their antlers make them seem sweet and cuddly does a diservice to them, it also makes people more ignorant to the danger they can pose as wild animals. I simply did not want to do to the moose what Disney has done to the Hippo. <br /><br />I considered the Lynx, raccoons have been done. Then I thought, maybe otters. Playful, river creatures that can stand on their hind legs and lend themselves to looking a bit more like humans and the ability to wear historic costume if need be. I absolutely love the response so far. It ranges from complete acceptance to confusion followed by acceptance. I have yet to meet a person of despises otters. I myself am a big fan of them. Their names are Beau and Teeka and I hope you like them, because you will be seeing a lot more of them in upcoming Kayak issues. My first two page spread in the magazine was done introducing Beau and Teeka. You will find it in the current issue of Kayak due to drop in the mail shortly. It will be on the newsstand in April.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-65536772518528855172012-03-19T08:36:00.006-07:002012-03-19T12:03:13.413-07:00Kayak Issue #40: TITANIC<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6850877620/" title="Kayak40_TITANIC by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6850877620_23a562046d_b.jpg" width="485" height="" alt="Kayak40_TITANIC"></a><br />So here is latest issue of Kayak. This one is a very exciting issue jam packe with information about the Titanic, and many other watery disasters that have taken place around Canada. I'm not sure what it is about shipwrecks that capture our hearts and minds but I'm hard pressed to find a person who isn't fascinated when they come across the weathered hull of a ship on a beach.<br />I don't come across near enough of those in the prairies.<br /><br />The artists in this Issue are <a href="http://charlenechua.com/index.html">Charlene Chua</a> for the brilliant cover, <a href="http://www.namisato.org/">David Namisato</a> for the fiction story, <a href="http://www.diochon.com/index.php">Alex Diochon</a> came through with an amazing visual telling of the song <span style="font-style:italic;">The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald</span> by <a href="http://www.lightfoot.ca/">Gordon Lightfoot</a>. And myself. Yes that is right, I finally organized myself well enough to get a proper illustration done. It involves some new characters being added to the Kayak roster. Beau ad Teeka. I'll talk about them in some future posts. The magazine should drop just prior to April, and you will find the magazine on newsstand from April-May, or at your local library. If you don't have Kayak at your local library please request it.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-91968329050422535812012-02-29T05:51:00.004-08:002012-02-29T06:33:46.955-08:00Ski Pulk<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6930470735/" title="IMG_3890 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6930470735_3088aff3a9_b.jpg" width="485" height="808" alt="IMG_3890"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6784248374/" title="IMG_3894 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6784248374_84253a8777.jpg" width="485" height="318" alt="IMG_3894"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6930389773/" title="IMG_3912 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6930389773_3b3c44ca1f_b.jpg" width="485" height="808" alt="IMG_3912"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6784333778/" title="IMG_3904 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6784333778_cba26bd11c.jpg" width="485" height="318" alt="IMG_3904"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6784298052/" title="IMG_3924 by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6784298052_5c232d476a_b.jpg" width="485" height="798" alt="IMG_3924"></a><br />One of my latest projects has been the construction of a ski pulk.<br /><br />SKI PULKS: sleds towed with a harness and rigid poles<br /><br />I have to say I'm quite impressed. I made mine a bit more heavy duty than usual but it is for pulling my daughter not supplies, so that can be forgiven. The Main benefit of doing it myself is that it would have cost me between 250 - 300 dollars to buy one and I got mine done for about 80 dollars. And it is not a hard thing to put together.<br /><br />If you live in a snowy area and you would like to try to build one. <a href="http://www.skipulk.com/images/stories/pdfs/pulkbook.pdf">Here is a link to a make your own ski pulk booklet.</a> I have to give a tip of the hat to the ski pulk company for offering this booklet. They obviously understand not everybody has the money to buy their products which have a very specialized audience.<br /><br />The harness is a backpack waist strap bought for 25 dollars from MEC. The carabiners combined cost about 8 dollars. 50 cents for the D rings. 4-5 dollars for 15 meters of Paracord (which has a little too much give) which will have to be replaced with another kind of cordage. And last but not least the sled (hunting/icefishing sled) cost 40 dollars. All you need is a drill to make some holes in the edge of the sled and lace the rope through.<br /><br />I have not had a chance to try it with skis yet. I'll do that this weekend hopefully. but with snowshoes with crampons I can pull my wife and my daughter, at least for a little while.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-8918354215572722302012-02-28T10:59:00.002-08:002012-05-01T09:54:35.056-07:00Hunting Knife Sheath<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6930019137/" title="Hunting Knife outside of sheath by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6930019137_010100962f.jpg" width="485" height="360" alt="Hunting Knife outside of sheath"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6783890084/" title="Hunting Knife in sheath by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6783890084_b236d555f4.jpg" width="485" height="360" alt="Hunting Knife in sheath"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6783879726/" title="Hunting knife and hatchet by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6783879726_c75bf52bef.jpg" width="485" height="360" alt="Hunting knife and hatchet"></a><br />This is a hunting knife sheath that I put together as a gift for a friends brother-in-law. I used tooling leather and neats foot oil for a natural finish. I sewed it using nylon sail thread and some rivets. <br /><br />I moulded the leather for a friction hold. which means the knife will not slip out of the sheath if inverted. I did however ad a safety band with a snap just in case.<br /><br />I think it looks really rugged. I have posted a shot of the hatchet and the hunting knife together. The hatchet sheath uses a much lighter leather and it did not take the oil anywhere near as well as the tooling leather. So note to self, vegetable tan tooling leather is the bomb.<br /><br />I have one more craft project to post and then I am back to artwork and such.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-72781692862232114622012-02-25T19:56:00.002-08:002012-05-01T09:55:04.510-07:00Refurbished Hatchet<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6783942060/" title="Refurbished hatchet in sheath by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6783942060_bbdd5e56e6_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Refurbished hatchet in sheath"></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6783924606/" title="Refurbished hatchet beside sheath by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6783924606_8739e63e95.jpg" width="485" height="360" alt="Refurbished hatchet beside sheath"></a><br /><br />I like to fix up old tools, especially old axes. I also like to make stuff out of leather. So when a friend had a beat up old hatchet with a smashed handle covered in paint. I took the opportunity to replace the handle, re-sharpen the head, and remove the paint on it. I then made a Gransfors Bruks style sheath to protect it. It was a fun little project. I have also refurbished a felling axe and made a scandinavian forest style axe. I have not taken photos of those yet.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-19679426551472789482012-02-24T09:16:00.003-08:002012-02-24T11:18:04.653-08:00Friar Tuck Finished Painting<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6926135199/" title="Friar Tuck by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6926135199_871739f971_b.jpg" width="485" height="587" alt="Friar Tuck"></a><br /><br />So here is the final product, I'm pretty happy with it. Still a lot of work to do but I can feel my sense of being able to create depth in an image using colour value. This makes me want to do some more Robin Hood characters. I can add it to the list of things I would like to do I guess. The chicken sure does look delicious though.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4192433463611609097.post-35014795498461098452012-02-23T09:16:00.003-08:002012-02-24T11:16:17.588-08:00E.T.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalamafraz/6852354107/" title="ET_web by James Gillespie, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/6852354107_043c119a97.jpg" width="485" height="386" alt="ET_web"></a><br /><br />Just a picture of E.T. Done in my spare time. I don't particularly like the movie E.T. I don't hate it either. I like the look of the little extra terrestrial though. So I drew him. Please disregard the fact that Elliott is spelled with 2 t's.Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12586802661543462749noreply@blogger.com0