Run Ranger Run 2016 Bastards hit the finish line.

To all I am proud to announce that the three Bastards are done.

As per Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) all are unique and the Bastard Kingfisher companion blade is the first one ever built.

Starting with the specs of the Biggest to smallest.

Big Inglorious Bastard
13 3/4" Overall length 6 3/4" cutting edge
Handle is 5 3/4" with textured Green Canvas Micarta, with exposed pommel.
Sheath is O.D. front/Black back all are set up for a Blade Tec belt mounting system.

Mid Size Inglorious Bastard
11 1/2" Overall Length 5 34" cutting edge
Handle is post era Red oak salvaged from a rebuild at a civil war era plantation, professionally stabilized, stained and soak in boiled linseed oil.
Sheath is same as above.

#001 Bastard Kingfisher
6 1/2" Overall length 3" cutting edge
Thin MILSPEC cord wrap with always open retention lanyard.

Both sheaths will except the add on of the companion knife so you can choose either knife. Now onto the pictures.

The box is made from Oregon Douglas Fir pine textured and stained with several coats of Boiled Linseed oil to preserve it for a few lifetimes. The ammo style crate was built by my father a former Marine and the lid was laser engraved by Suire's awards who also happens to be a former Marine. Much thanks to both of you and your generosity.

I would also like to thank Larry Browns Machine Works Inc who help me with a few problems, Larry is one of the finest Machinist who happens to build nice rifles, I have ever met and is also a former Navy veteran. Please find him on Facebook great guy.

Doc Taylor also a Army veteran help to rip the old wood and is a master carpenter and great guy that lives behind me.

Also thanks to the "Tipping Point with Boone Cutler" for some airtime on his live radio show. Also to Mike Walker of www.blackskyradio.com for some live time on his show for promoting the event.





Its a honor and a privilege to work with a great 501c3 honest not for profit Veterans organization Gallant Few Inc, and the Run Ranger Run event. Look forward to next year as I may changed it up a bit and do something new and very different.

RANGERS LEAD THE WAY?

V/R
Spencer Alan Reiter
SAR Global Tool

Run Ranger Run 2016 Bastard build day 9 final.

6th Stanza of the RANGER CREED repeat after me.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.

The last day of the build and things come full circle. For all the days "Murphy" showed up in this build he did not come around today. Lots of photos in this update, and tomorrow I will do a photo shoot of the completed project.

Had some issues yesterday and messed up some handles but today things went really smooth.

Textured Green Canvas Micarted one of my favorite materials to work with, and they came out really nice.

Most dangerous machine in a knife makers shop is the buffer. It will rip things from your hands and people hand ended up with the part stuck in there head, leg,eye etc.

Finaql clean up before the knives go into ferric chloride, which turns them a dark gray black.

 

 Into the solution for about 10 minutes 

 

Once they are done etching they are sprayed down with Windex which neutralizes the acid, then sprayed with WD-40 and cleaned up.

 

Once I was down with this step I moved onto making the sheaths. The sheaths are from molded plastic called "Kydex", the blue tape provides a little extra space between the blade and plastic.

 

Heated in a toaster oven at 375 for a few minutes is becomes very pliable. You place the bottom down then place the knife and then top piece in a foam lined press and clamp it down for about 10 to 15 minutes and boom its molded around the blade or object. Then off to the drill press and with the blade still in you drill the holes to ensure a perfect fit. Then you just shape it on the grinder and smooth the edges. These sheaths in paticular are O.D. Green front and black back.

This was the end of the day results, you will see tomorrow what it all looks like.

Spent the rest of the evening rubbing in coats of boiled linseed oil to help preserve the box.

Tomorrow I will do my best to take some really good pictures of the completed project. Honor to work with such a fine event and my heartfelt thanks to all that helped out in my quest.

RLTW!
SAR

Run Ranger Run 2016 Bastard build day 8.

Its not to late to enter the drawing for two SAR Global Tool Bastards that go to a solid "Not For Profit" Veteran organization.

The event http://www.runrangerrun.com/ 

The Veterans organization https://gallantfew.org/

 As relevant Today as is was back then.

Standing Orders Rogers Rangers

1 Don't forget nothing.
2 Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds of ball, and be ready to march at a minutes warning.
3 When you are one the march act the way you would sneaking up on a deer.
4 Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is a army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell folks about other Rangers, but don't never lie to a Ranger or officer.
5 Don't never take a chance you dont have to.
6 When we're on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can't go through two men
7 If we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it's hard to track us.
8 When we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least chance at us.
9 When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.
10 If we take prisoners, we keep them separate till we have time to examine them, so they can't cook up a story. between'em
11 Don't ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you don't be ambushed.
12No matter wheather we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, 20 yards on each flank, and 20 yards to the rear so the main body can't be surprised and wiped out.
13 Every night you'll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.
14 Don't sit down to eat without posting sentries.
15 Don't sleep beyond dawn. Dawn is when the French and Indians attack.
16 Don't cross a river by a regular ford.
17 If somebody's trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.
18 Dont stand up when the enemy's is coming against you. Knell down, lie down, hide behind a tree.
19 Let the enemy come till he's almost close enough to touch, then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

Major Robert Rogers 1759


Day 8 was a one of those days, messed up a set of handles that were very much close to finished. So just dusted off and rebuilt. Had to thin the handles a bit and take them to a nice high polish.

Once happy I applied the same stain used on the presentation box. Then buffed the handles until they looked awesome. The wood is nothing crazy but its really old red oak ( 160 + years ) and the grain structure is very nice and very solid.

Then I worked on the Bastard KingFisher  and it is complete. I did a two tone finish which looks pretty cool, simple O.D. Green cord wrap, Knife is all black but the blade. I also etched my logo in so it is now minus sheath.

Better pictures tomorrow., as you can see the big Bastard will have a exposed pommel and will be looking good dressed out in Green Canvas Micarta one of my favorite handle materials.

Last but not least my faithful support crew Liberty and Justice ha ha lazy Bastards

Hope tomorrow goes well and I can wrap this build up, pictures on Monday.

RLTW!
SAR

Run Ranger Run Bastard Build 2016 Day 6/7

5th stanza of the Ranger Creed repeat after me.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Yesterday got started on grinding main bevels on the Knife Maker Grinder ( KMG ). Everything went really smooth, and the blades are looking good.

Always checking the height of the grinds to ensure they are even on each side

This the initial grinds with a serrated wheel and 60 grit belts, You do all your rough work with this belt.the edges are thinned down to about .020 of a inch or about the thickness of two business cards. The serrated wheel cuts better and runs cooler as they blades are hard and you do not want to overheat the steel and ruin the temper.

From here we change to a smooth wheel and begin going up in grits basically polishing the blade. Removing the deeper scratches from the grit used before.

Since the day was going so well I began on the handles, spotting the drill holes, drilling and rough shaping.

This is the point I got to yesterday and today I will be refining and sanding handles. Hopefully be completed with that task and begin the sheaths.

 

See you guys tonight for a update.

RLTW!

SAR

Run Ranger Run 2016 Bastard build day 5

4th stanza of the Ranger creed repeat after me

Gallantly will I show the world that I an a specially selected and well trained soldier, My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Day 5 is in the bag, it was a long one but a lot got done. Knives got prepped for heat treat, and thankfully they came out completely straight. I had to build a new quench tank today and big shout out to my buddy Larry of Larry's Machine Works Inc for the material and awesome wielding.

I dropped off the box lid for the laser engraving to my friend Todd and its going to be really nice with the Run Ranger Run logo, like really nice.

So here are some shots of today's work in progress, thanks for tuning in.

Grinding the false edges and grind lines pre-heat treat.

 

 

The Bastards ready for Heat treat

 

 

A shot of the box it looks pretty good, just a few more details to go.

 

The super duper new quench tank we built today, made a big difference in oil quenching without burning my face off.

 

A shot of the big Bastard red hot going in the quench tank.

Post heat treat and ready for grinding.

 

 

Lets see what happens tomorrow

RLTW/

SAR