Rat Rod Blades Challenge 2021 - Build thread

[GuitarlCarl]

i just found out my knife is illegal in Michigan. You can’t have a knife where the top and bottom are cutting edges, including a flint knife. Oh jeez, I like illegal when the law is asinine.

You could ship it to me, I'm in Illinois.
Wait our laws are probably as ignorant as anybody's...

I see @OddJob 's wife has him by the purse strings...
As far as my knife, I'm just thinking as BFK as I can get.
Realizing I'm using a FILE I'd like it styled as a cane machete

Unless I do the complete set (with a free toaster included)
and I did see a sword in a walking stick, hmm...

Carl

 

[OddJob]

Yes, @GuitarlCarl , yes she does.

 

[Oak Tree]

Old Uncle
Update: primarily for Mr Job so that he feels comforted that somebody else is actually working on this little project.

 

[OddJob]

@Oak Tree , thanks for the support, I appreciate that!

And that old wood is going to make a great compliment to that old blade.
BlaDe oN~!

 

[us56456712]

The original native glue ingredients for my flint knife included balsam fir pitch, powdered charcoal and dried deer dung. I haven’t been able to find any deer tracks since the Arctic cold settled in. Deer don’t eat much and don’t move much in the winter. Today I rode my bicycle 13 miles of frozen bush roads looking for a track crossing. I did find one and tracked it through the woods until I lost it on a paved highway. No dung though. Time for desperate measures, I’ll have to substitute myself for the deer. I got some fibrous dried up weed stocks that will have to go into my oatmeal.

 

[Swampthing]

I did a little bit today after work.

 

[Swampthing]

It’s nice to use a torch and a hammer after a day full of frustrating meetings.

 

[Verrt]

The original native glue ingredients for my flint knife included balsam fir pitch, powdered charcoal and dried deer dung. I haven’t been able to find any deer tracks since the Arctic cold settled in. Deer don’t eat much and don’t move much in the winter. Today I rode my bicycle 13 miles of frozen bush roads looking for a track crossing. I did find one and tracked it through the woods until I lost it on a paved highway. No dung though. Time for desperate measures, I’ll have to substitute myself for the deer. I got some fibrous dried up weed stocks that will have to go into my oatmeal. View attachment 151105

You might want to eliminate fat and drastically reduce protein in your diet for a few weeks before collecting. For best results...

Otherwise, maybe you could get local berries, stalks, and other fibers and put them in your blender along with something acidic (vinegar?), yogurt or other starter culture for bacteria, water, maybe something sugary if your berries aren't sweet enough, and blend it up to a paste. Then seal it in a canning jar for a few weeks. Might make a decent synthetic substitute.

 

[Verrt]

It’s nice to use a torch and a hammer after a day full of frustrating meetings.

Looks like maybe you cracked a tang?

 

[Swampthing]

Looks like maybe you cracked a tang?

Yep
Was going to shorten it anyway so it can fold, but for a few minutes I was using too much hammer and not enough torch and it broke.
it is possible there was a crack already there as the whole break wasn’t shiny and fresh looking.

 

[Oak Tree]

The original native glue ingredients for my flint knife included balsam fir pitch, powdered charcoal and dried deer dung. I haven’t been able to find any deer tracks since the Arctic cold settled in. Deer don’t eat much and don’t move much in the winter. Today I rode my bicycle 13 miles of frozen bush roads looking for a track crossing. I did find one and tracked it through the woods until I lost it on a paved highway. No dung though. Time for desperate measures, I’ll have to substitute myself for the deer. I got some fibrous dried up weed stocks that will have to go into my oatmeal. View attachment 151105

Surely, ye jest!

 

[Oak Tree]

Old Uncle
Update pics

and then this

 

[us56456712]

Surely, ye jest!

It’s gotta be deer dung, jesting I’ve done

 

[us56456712]

You might want to eliminate fat and drastically reduce protein in your diet for a few weeks before collecting. For best results...

Otherwise, maybe you could get local berries, stalks, and other fibers and put them in your blender along with something acidic (vinegar?), yogurt or other starter culture for bacteria, water, maybe something sugary if your berries aren't sweet enough, and blend it up to a paste. Then seal it in a canning jar for a few weeks. Might make a decent synthetic substitute.

Sounds like coyote bait, but I think it could work. A kimchee type experiment. I’m going to try it. Yesterday I found a site where someone is selling organic deer poop. I read the rave reviews and apparently pet hermit crabs love the stuff. Too pricey for me.

 

[Verrt]

Padauk Basher

Day 1

Got a little progress on the books

Outline

Cut out. So far so good.

First hurdle. Copper nails I was gonna use are too thin.
No problem, I've some thick guage solid core copper wire. I can cut that into pins.
Just need to drill out the holes in the tange a little bigger.

Hurdle two. Not sure if you can tell from the photo, but this is how a dewalt drill bit tells you that the steel is too hard.

So I'm scrapping the copper pins idea and used the steel ones that fit the existing holes.

All glued up and nearly ready for shaping.

I got lazy drilling the holes in the scales and payed the price. Instead of marking them up correctly and drilling from the outside, I just clamped the tang in place and drilled from the inside, so of course the scale splintered when the drill exited.

Serves me right.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Padauk Basher

Day 1

Got a little progress on the books

Outline
View attachment 151170

Cut out. So far so good.
View attachment 151171

First hurdle. Copper nails I was gonna use are too thin.
No problem, I've some thick guage solid core copper wire. I can cut that into pins.
Just need to drill out the holes in the tange a little bigger.
View attachment 151172

Hurdle two. Not sure if you can tell from the photo, but this is how a dewalt drill bit tells you that the steel is too hard.
View attachment 151173
So I'm scrapping the copper pins idea and used the steel ones that fit the existing holes.

All glued up and nearly ready for shaping.
View attachment 151174

I got lazy drilling the holes in the scales and payed the price. Instead of marking them up correctly and drilling from the outside, I just clamped the tang in place and drilled from the inside, so of course the scale splintered when the drill exited.

Serves me right.

Could have just used a torch to blue those holes and drop the temper before drilling. Put the blade in water or wrap in a wet towel while heating the tang to preserve your HT up front where it counts

 

[Oak Tree]

Old Uncle

well, I’m undecided and neither one brings happiness. May look for other options

 

[Verrt]

Old Uncle
View attachment 151243
well, I’m undecided and neither one brings happiness. May look for other options

Marie Kondo says to only use a stain that inspires joy in you

 

[Oak Tree]

Marie Kondo says to only use a stain that inspires joy in you

Had to google Marie Kondo. Oh the uncultured swine that I am!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Hey, Marie: clutter brings me joy.