How should we do this. I’m new here. Pics of the starting materials, some progress pics, and then the finished product?
All on Feb 1, or do it as we go?
So, I'll make a thread on Feb 1 called "
Rat Rod Blades Challenge". I'll put a link to the thread in this one as well so we all know where to post.
Unlike the main buildoffs we'll all use that single thread to post build updates etc.
You'll start each new progress post with the title of your build in bold at the top, for example:
Rat Fink Machete
This will differentiate actual build updates from regular jabber jawing in the thread.
No work is to be done on your build until the start date Feb 1. After that you'll have 3 months to finish your knife, with a deadline of April 30.
There is no restriction on gathering up materials, tools, etc. before the start date.
Feel free to do some practice runs from now as well, as long as none of your practice work makes it into the challenge.
All final pics will need to be posted in the challenge thread by April 30, with
Finished: <Build Title> at the top of their final update post, followed by three photos of their competed build that want to be used for voting.
If everyone's done before then we'll call it early. But life happens (usually to me), and I want everyone to have time to finish if something unexpected comes up and they're delayed.
So, on Feb 1 or soon after, everyone will post in the challenge thread, stating the name of their build, pics of their starting materials, and what their plans for it are.
Then as everyone makes progress they'll post updates in the same thread, remembering to put the title of their build at the top of the update.
Because there's potentially a lot less work on something like this than a bike build, or even a model kit, I'm going to rule that everyone can have up to two entries in this, and unlimited substitutions if things go wrong, but only a max of two builds per person will go to vote at the end.
Anyone can join in at any time after the start date, as long as they, include a starting point photo, and haven't started any work before Feb 1.
If at any point after March 15, two thirds of the existing participants have said they're finished and aren't starting a second build, then the challenge will be closed to new entries. Exceptions may be made, case by case.
The goal of the challenge is to make a completed functional knife where there was only parts before, or if you're beginning with a complete knife, then it should be re-made, refurbished, or customized to the point where there is a
substantial visual and/or functional difference from the starting point.
Additional updated rule regarding non-knife entries:
You can enter an alternate bladed tool or weapon if you choose. Eg. An axe, hatchet or sword. However, it should be in the spirit of the challenge (no ice skates). Use this scale of awesome as your guide,
the further you stray from a "knife" the more impressive and creative the work you plan to do should be.
For example, forging a hatchet from a wrench is awesome. Putting a premade axe haft from home depot on an old axe head is not. In the second case there are things you could do to make it awesome though, hand carve the haft from an interesting wood and carve intricate designs into it, endgrave or etch the blade with patterns, reprofile the head to give it a
substantial functional difference from the starting point.
If you have a non-knife idea but are not sure it counts, ask the group for their input.
I don't think any further restrictions on builds than that are needed. Just remember that this is RRB, and creativity, skill, out of the box thinking, and being an all round clever fellow go a long way in the votes.
Most of the above info will be recapped in the first post of the challenge thread, when it's posted.
I'll probably also deputize
@OddJob to help me out with any adminy, rulesy stuff I miss, because he did a good job with the model kit bash, I've never hosted a challenge before, and am just making this all up as I go along!
