Bear Repair

    After 10 years or so the bear fell down for the last time. The ants had inhabited his base and the entire lower section had become honey combed and crumbled away and over he went. I hauled him back here last summer on the meat wagon to try and figure a way to save it, and attempt to eradicate the ant colony in his legs. People were always asking what happened to him.

It sat in the way out in the shop until I finally got it all together here in the last couple days.
I screwed what was left of his toes back on and trimmed around his feet.

I had a long bit that I could bore 45 cm (18") up his legs, beyond the ant damaged interior.


I squirted linseed oil in the holes and turned in threaded rods.
Sort of like a foot canal.

All the remaining toes etc were trimmed up and screwed back on with  glue. The area was given a liberal coating of linseed oil.

This hoop is about a meter (3') across and will serve as his new base.
Arc welded up with green power.

All the weight will be carried on the threaded rods going up his legs. Once he is set up, the base will be filled with rocks to hide the interior support and look like the bear stands on gravel.

His paw had been knocked off some time ago, it was turned in to me last summer for safe keeping.

Even with out the log base the carving must still weigh 160 kilos (350 lbs). I rigged up a harness and a hand winch and cranked him up until I could tilt him up on his base to see if he stood straight.
Skookie immediately climbed up and perched on his head.

So, 'Bear' stands again. He's got more pins and screws in him than Evil Knievel, and he's not as tall as he used to be, but better than being in the scrap pile. I'm going to wrestle him outside somehow and keep him around here while I enjoy it and do some other detail work on it. Eventually I will turn him loose and he can find his way back down to oversee the hot spring area once more.

All that bending over welding and wrestling the bear has been a little hard on my back.
Theres just one cure for that, a little ice and into the hot tub.
I caught the last of the sun on Fire Mountain.