The 30-Day Rebar Challenge!

[Jothra]

Tie wire! Exploding beds! Bombs! Flesh wounds! Stay tuned!

[Monrogue]

Tie wire! Exploding beds! Bombs! Flesh wounds! Stay tuned!

Rock on

[Jothra]

Day 7 was theatre heavy, because of an early day at my actual job.

First thing was first: people aren't too smart when it comes to scabby old furniture. Maybe a pile of 12 people on a twin bed from the Roosevelt administration is a bad idea. I'm not sure either of the beds we have onstage were meant to hold 2000 pounds.

One bed needed some tie wire reinforcement to keep the frame from spreading apart. Fortunately, we already know Leatherman wire cutters have no problem at all with tie wire. I was unsure, though, about using the small screwdriver to twist (and therefore tighten) the wire and pull the frame back together.


Do the Twist! Wait, is that joke too old?

I was half expecting to bend that driver. It took an awful lot of twisting to get that bedframe where I wanted. It was getting pretty hard by the end.


One last bit of wiring to keep it all from shifting!

Another bed (which, incidentally, was mine until I finally got a good bed a couple of months ago during my big move) has a tendency to let the metal frame spread, so the boxspring and mattress can just fall through the bottom. I used tie wire to bow each side of the frame to the inside, then tied the sides to each other with 20 feet of wrapped nylon rope. The tightening part was the hard bit, since the whole bedframe needed to get pulled together. I used the plier head for my pokey-twisty-hoo-haw.


More twisty! This was probably harder than me than the tool.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the second bed needed some 1" plywood spacers to keep the boxspring from sitting funny on the rope, and my old spacers had been thrown out. I cut a 2" strip using a table saw, then cut it into four pieces with Val's saw. Cutting plywood is a huge chore for any hand saw (by virtue of the layering, obviously), but Val handled it like a pro. A very slow pro, but a pro. The saw still seems like new.

Finally, I needed to make a fake bomb. You know the type—a black ball with a white rope sticking out of it for a fuse. We found a hollow plastic ball-and-chain in a dollar store, and used Val's saw to cut off the little cylindrical part with the chain stuck to it. Then I cut a 10" piece of thicker rope, wrapped some tape around it at about the 4"/6" split, and stuck it in the hole left over from the sawing. My picture idn't turn out, but I like it enough to take another picture when I'm back in the theatre Sunday.

I guess I shouldn't have said "finally" at the beginning of the last paragraph, because there is one more thing:


Oh my sainted aunt Agnes McGee!

I almost forgot to duck behind a bed to pre-spike myself for a scene. I made it, but it was not my best landing, and I got a nice elbow-mounted rugburn. I used my nice, cool Rebar to cool it a bit while I waited for my scene to start. First aid? More like one-eighth aid!

Anyway, still no damage to the tool! Not even scratching from all the wire-twisting!
Day 7!

In a few minutes: Day 8, now with hammers in!

[Jothra]

So, there's good interesting extant terrifying news on Day 8: it's a red-letter day, but not in the classical sense. Unleash the kraken hammer!

For the play, we need some kind of wood flute. I asked if a bamboo tin whistle is a reasonable alternative. Apparently it is, which is handy, since I have the materials and a fair approximation of the know-how!

To begin, I started by finishing the water-pipe version I had been working on. This was easy to finish with Val's awl.


The time-consuming part was the measurements, but I had already done that. All I needed to do tonight is ream out the last three holes.

That done, I had a piece of bamboo already cut down to the right length to make a low D whistle. I did that cutting months ago, and it's been in my closet since. I have done one of these with the Wave's saw before, but it took ages, so I don't feel bad that this one was done with a proper and saw. I also had the fipple (the bit that makes the noise when you blow through it) shaped, inserted, and glued already, which saved me some time tonight.

I measured the holes, then decided to try a new and stupid method of starting the first hole:


Stop! You can't touch this!

There are two problems I should have seen coming: the bamboo was plenty hard, so it took a few taps, and bamboo is a grass, easily split along the grain. You can see it splitting in that hammer picture. You can also see it in the picture below, though you'll also notice that the reamer is doing OK at reaming out the first hole:


Bamboo murder! Whodunnit? Call David Caruso!

The split actually made the rest of the reaming easier, and was simple enough to superglue afterwards. About two hours of reaming with both the reamer and the blade, and filing with a small set of woodworking files (the Rebar file is too big for whistle holes), and eating chicken wings (yum!), here is the final product:


The tuning's not perfect, but it's pretty good for a hack in his apartment using a Leatherman Rebar. Worse than the water pipe one I finished earlier, but better than that one they made for Patrick Stewart on TNG.

A bit of sanding, and this thing'll be ready for the stage. I suppose it doesn't really need proper tuning, but why not? I have a free evening for once, so I may as well have some fun.

And how much damage did the hammering do to Val?


About this much. Well played, Val.

So there we have it—a musical finish to Day 8!

[RamoN]

Great! another multi beating espectacle for the masses to enjoy 

Already following it 

[Monrogue]

The hammer comes out yet again, and Val took it like a champ

[Jothra]

Oh, and I needed to do a little touch-up work on the blade, but it was basically just stropping.

[Rs217]

This challenge is absolutely fabulous. 

[Jothra]

I'm waaaaaaaaaaay less familiar with the Rebar's limits than those of the Huntsman, but it's not taking too long for Val to prove herself.

[Nhoj]

Now I think you're just looking for reasons to hit your tool with a hammer

[Jothra]

Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, and there weren't any nails handy.

Actually, the Victorinox reamer is basically ideal for this project, but rules are rules. The Rebar reamer is pretty good, but doesn't have the same mega-sharpened edge. It's a trade-off between ideal reaming and improved durability.

[ironraven]

The awl is about the only thing I've used and not liked on my Rebar, which is why a Climber may be a better companion than a Compact. But then there are too many screwdrivers and can openers!

I do want to see Val pushed in the same manner Vicky was. 

First time I read that, it was misread VERY dirty.

[Nhoj]

I do like the Victorinox reamer but it has the tendency to fold. The spirit reamer isn't the same but I like it better because it locks.

[Jothra]

The awl is about the only thing I've used and not liked on my Rebar, which is why a Climber may be a better companion than a Compact. But then there are too many screwdrivers and can openers!

I think I like the awl, because of the more durable edge. This means that it will function nicely as both a reamer, Victorinox-style, and as a pokey, Wenger-style.

I do want to see Val pushed in the same manner Vicky was. 

First time I read that, it was misread VERY dirty.

Oh my yes.

I do like the Victorinox reamer but it has the tendency to fold. The spirit reamer isn't the same but I like it better because it locks.

Also, I wouldn't want to hammer the Victorinox reamer into something, because that would involve hammering directly on all the closed tools, unless one wanted to get creative.

[Jal]

While I'm loving this challenge, I'm not so sure if my tools do. Reading about your uses has gotten the brain juices flowing. I've already utilised the flat side of the Piranha as a palm tapper to budge a tight lock so I could shove it open and my modded Rebar as a hammer to pop open a jammed lock (Yeah... I do encounter a metric tonne of locks at work...) that would otherwise require the usual kick dancing maneuver due to its chest-height.

Woohoo! I can finally open and close the push-pin locks that are gummed/rusted shut!

[Jothra]

Edit: I forgot to mention that the second bed needed some 1" plywood spacers to keep the boxspring from sitting funny on the rope, and my old spacers had been thrown out. I cut a 2" strip using a table saw, then cut it into four pieces with Val's saw. Cutting plywood is a huge chore for any hand saw (by virtue of the layering, obviously), but Val handled it like a pro. A very slow pro, but a pro. The saw still seems like new.

I meant to say I used the table saw for 2' strips, not 2". then I cut it into four 6" strips. Criminey, but the imperial system messes with my internal Jothrometer.

[JAfromMn]

Your rebar is holding up great.

I am starting to think that the stainless steel finish is the way to go for work tools.

all that wire work would mess up a bo tool for sure.

[CanadianLMfan]

The Rebar will definitely survive this challenge.

[Jothra]

Your rebar is holding up great.

I am starting to think that the stainless steel finish is the way to go for work tools.

all that wire work would mess up a bo tool for sure.

True, unless you think of scratched black oxide as adding patina. I know I love scratches on tools. Not that I have much of a choice.

The Rebar will definitely survive this challenge.

Probably, but when I need to get into heavy prying, I'll have to watch the prybar/slot driver. I broke one completely out of my Wave a couple years ago.

[Jothra]

As promised: 3-2-1, I'm the booooo-ooooomb!


It looks jet black in person. The light levels are awful in this shot.


Day 9 is, unfortunately, photo-free. Darn and shucks heck!

Anywayne, Val's still on Reaming Squad, and is actually moving up in the ranks! We needed five holes drilled in a piece of 1/2" plywood so we could wire it into an old bassinet as reinforcement (so we can stick a 10-year-old in there. Classy?) The drill was in a far-off basement. So I found something about in-line locking Rebar reamers: they kick ass. The holes were all completely done in less than a minute. For real! I am pretty impressed.

We attached the wood with tie wire, because when all you have is a hammer, every problem needs tie wire (I think that's how the saying goes). Val is already famous around here for fantastic wire cutting and tying feats.

The pliers also bent two bungee strap hooks together to link the straps into the Bungeezord. Industrial-grade bungee hooks require a hammer (or at least a damn lot of plier force) to bend in, but the aroind-the-house type worked well with Val's pliers.

There still isn't any significant tool damage, and I'm really impressed with the reamer so far. Thanks, Rebar, for a wonderful Day 9!

[Monrogue]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

[sawman]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

I like the Rebar awl. They built it to mean business. 

[Monrogue]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

I like the Rebar awl. They built it to mean business. 

That they did my friend

[CanadianLMfan]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

You should see the ST300 awl!

[JAfromMn]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

You should see the ST300 awl!

you will

[Monrogue]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

You should see the ST300 awl!

you will

Can't wait Joel

[nate j]

I have to admit that I have been coming to the LM sub-forum because and only because I learned Jothra was doing one of his 30-day challenges here.  Keep up the good work!

[CanadianLMfan]

Nice day 9   That awl is pretty beefy.

You should see the ST300 awl!

you will

Can't wait Joel

 

[Grathr]

 Another great challenge!

[JAfromMn]

I won't be doing anything until the rebar challenge is over.

I'm enjoying reading about the rebar now.