Apocalypse Build along

[Winter]

I need in on this. What's the deadline? Can I use power tools if the power is not electric?

[MeetTheGeeks]

I was going to add this to my blog but its permission seems to have been removed so not to worry.. I'll post it here instead....
Seeing as everyone seems to have written a storyline with their tools it’s meant I’ve had to try and put something together. Not very easy but here goes.

At The End:
Rain. That’s how it was in the beginning. The steady patter of the lightest shower and it went on for days. Children played in the pools that had gathered and splashed innocently with the infectious laughter of youth. The rain came, and it stayed for what seemed like hours. The hours rolled into days, the days into months. From the rain came the problems that had started all of this. Rivers burst their banks flooding villages at first. Then the towns and cities all came under the threat. We all moved to higher ground in an effort to get away from the water, the laughter turned to fear as we watched the bodies of the dead float past with the debris of our former lives. The waters rose. We moved higher in the vain effort to escape its grasp and so it was moving higher until one day, the rain stopped. The sun came out again. We stood and basqued in the warmth of this long lost friend and gazed across the valley of water that once held houses, schools, shops and supermarkets. The everyday world of disposable goods with heat or light at the flick of a switch. Cold drinks with a dash of light as you open the door of the fridge and delve deep inside for exotic flavours from all over the globe. Sheer gluttony as meals are made with excess and plates filled as heartily as our bellies and the remnants cast into bins. Bins cast into land fill and left to rot. As rotten as the desire now of a warm bed in the vain hopes to awaken from this nightmare. But I do not awaken. Huddled in makeshift shelters we try to sleep, but sleep only comes in short bouts. Always listening for the rains, or the feel of the rising tides against my feet. I awake to a faint hint of gravy poured over mashed potatoes with corned beef and bits of cheese that melt and string from the plate to my mouth as I savour every lingering moment. But as I look around the smell is only a brief pause between sleeping and waking which my stomach doesn’t thank me for. Mashed potatoes, what I wouldn’t give for mashed potatoes.
It took nearly a month for the water levels to drop; everything was caked in a thick layer of mud and silt. Homes that once stood as a testament to hard work on streets, in the perfect little rows were now only mere shells of a former life. People returned to piles of bricks lacking roofs or walls. We had everything and we returned to nothing. We had no communications, we had nowhere to live, and we had nothing to eat. We only had each other. It is true, in the darkness most species huddle together, as did we without realising. Animals huddled together in packs trying to survive this aftermath. The dead lay decomposing and swollen from the drowning waters as did the wildlife. No one moved them or offered them a burial, the fight to survive over took all of these needs of our formal selves. The daily struggle was upon us. We looted what we could carry from the stores but most things were beyond use. The water, the mud and silt has ruined almost everything that was not in a tin so pickings were soon scarce. Bottles of fresh water were heavy and without a way to carry them we left them. Vehicles had no fuel and no way to refill if you did find one above the water line. We opted for barrows eventually, rifled from the garden centres to carry what we could gather. Tyres were filled with expanding foam to take the rough ground and save repairs while on the run. Canned foods in supermarkets were the safest thing. The labels were spoilt so you never really knew what was in the tin until you opened it. But no matter what you ate it. The staple diet was now without bread, cakes or biscuits or indeed any of the luxury things we took for granted. Water had tainted all of the shelves that once held the items we dropped into baskets. No longer did we queue to swipe plastic to allow us to leave with our hauls. We raided buildings, remnants of homes, warehouses, schools, shops, business parks and farms for anything that was canned. A few places offered extra pickings that remained above the water line, flour, coffee and a bottle of vinegar or a part pack of sugar all became useful. Sugar for wounds kept them sterile while cuts and grazes were treated with vinegar to stem the flow and help sterilise. It was all we had. Pillows and bedding were excess space in our barrows so we left them. We took what we needed, what would help us survive and left luxuries.
The young and the old seemed to be affected at first. Without knowledge or books we didn’t know what was happening. Joints swelled, a rash appeared and breathing shallowed. The shivers were the final sign that the end was coming. We burnt the dead on pyres as far away as we could and our numbers dwindled. The hillsides in the distance at night glowed with fires of the dead. Locked on land surrounded by water we could not drink. Twenty seven at first, at least at the high ground we had twenty seven. The families moved back into the towns and the children were the first to go, then the parents in a mixture of grief and loss of hope. Whatever it was that took them was in the water. Those that drank from the lower ground water or stagnant pools died within days. We even boiled it and stored it in sealed containers, still they died. It was resilient. It’s not the biggest things in life that run the greatest threat, it’s often the smallest unseen forms of life that spread wildly and engulf. Bacteria, a virus, even an amoeba, the ones that cause the greatest weakness in man was now engulfing the entire food chain. Birds that bathed in the pools at the roadside, or tilted their heads downwards scooping up beak full’s of cool water dropped in hours. The insects died first, anything that fed on other dead things died. Without the bugs, beetles and flies the birds died. The smallest ones at first, swallows, sparrows and the crows ate them. The carrion feeders died next with the buzzards. The rabbits, foxes, badgers and all the other wildlife soon followed as the triangle of the food chain fell in on itself. Death toyed with us at every turn. So we moved higher again. The higher ground had running water and it only ran downhill. Whatever was in the water that was killing everything had not managed to get into the higher water tables. Where water ran downhill, was where we needed to be. So we moved to the wilds of the high ground after plundering everything we could get. Being above sea level was the only way to survive, the highlands, the moors, the hills of the breacons. The woodlands gave us shelter for homes and wood for the fires. Evolution had given us the biggest leap of all, backwards. Tired, cold, hungry and with heavy eyes we bathed in a small pool of safe water. Washing away our old lives, we scrubbed the dirt and sweat away and watched it run down the hill to the past. This was a new beginning. The beginning of the end.

[Arclightuk]

As with everything else on this thread mate that was good I read a lot of books of this genre and this would fit right in very nicely

:-)
Gav

[puukko3883]

Build along ... yes, we are building tools with other tools and things that we find in the ashes of our Apocalypse and sharing this rise from the ashes with our fellow wayfarers in this world of now ruin !!

Praise you Ru Titley (so he has written and so it shall be done), praise you and may you find canned hams on every dusty, abandoned pantry shelf !!

With carving knife, carving hatchet, rasp, file, hand saw (Japanese made pull saw actually), this is the progress on my ApocaCiupaga thus far !!

Rise you fellow Pheonices, rise from these ashes, scavenge and build !!

[puukko3883]

...
Canned foods in supermarkets were the safest thing. The labels were spoilt so you never really knew what was in the tin until you opened it. But no matter what you ate it.
...

Good grief MeetTheGeeks you poor chaps have it rough over there !! Floods, zombies, soccer fields turned into moors !!

May your next can be a canned ham my friend, a canned ham on you !!

[Rod_Paradise]

You guys are NUTS, ut I'm loving this thread

[Everything Mac]

Having finally managed to secure a flight back from the rigs - I have returned to a world of madness!

Hoards of "Zombies" roam the streets (or maybe that's just Glasgow's regular inhabitants?) And the world is in turmoil.



I'll do my best to make some form of sharp to help me survive this madness and then to scavenge whatever food and shelter I can. Films teach me I'll have to get out of the city to have any chance of survival.




*serious hat*

Great thread guys - I like what has been made. That Axe is rather interesting too. I am very curious as to how it will perform.

I'm on an indoors day unfortunately, so I'm going to try and jump on the apocalypse story band wagon.

All the best
Andy

[puukko3883]

...
That Axe is rather interesting too. I am very curious as to how it will perform.
...

Everything Mac my ApocaCiupaga will perform all of the mandatory tasks for a PA (post Apocalypse) Tool as laid out by PA Tool Law Giver Ru Titley (so he has written and so it shall be done) !!

...
SO ... THE RULES !! (note: I kind of exaggerated the text font here.)

1. No power tools to be used .
2. No HT required.
3. No forging .

Any materials may be used but they must be either recycled , found or reclaimed.
so recycled steel ,mild steel, iron , brass , plastics , glass , stone ,bone ,wood , tyre rubber , clothing / leather etc etc .

To keep things totaly legal no offensive weapons and please if You want to make something sharp /pointy from a non magnetic material please add a magnetic steel pin etc so theres no stealthy type issues folks .

So We thought about the basic criteria/ challenges for the tools , You can make one or as many as youd like to complete the challenges

which are (only some ideas, so please surgest more )

1. You must be able to point and notch joint a stick (either green or dead ) . think shelter building , traps and hunting / camp tools .

2. You must be able to cut rope and fabric . think clothing ,shelter building , making a improvised rucksack etc .

3. strip electrical flex cord , a good source of wire for snares / binding tools etc

4.You must be able to open a tin of Canned food .

5. the tools must be handled and sheathed for Your own protection .

6. the tools must be easily resharpenable with something as basic as a file .

...

My ApocaCiupaga will perform all of these Ru Titley PA Tool Mandatory Tasks and I will demonstrate each once the ApocaCiupaga is fini !!

I'd like to take this opportunity to share with my fellow Ru Titley Apocalypse Tool survivor artists a great find I came upon today;




Roadcat my friend, in what ever England pine tree you're sleeping in tonight, I wish I could share some of these with you ... well ... and one of the striker sides of the box, they're Stike On Box ... well ... and a one gallon freezer bag to keep them dry in ... oh well ... good luck and happy camp fires to you !!

[Bridger]

I have a sort of clever idea, but I was reading the requirements and I don't think I can make it open a can of tinned food as per rule #4. How about I make it able to open a beer bottle? That would be just as useful for any post apocalyptic parties. What do ye survivors think? Btw, isn't it great that even though the entire world has gone to hell our internet access is surprisingly reliable?

1. You must be able to point and notch joint a stick (either green or dead ) . think shelter building , traps and hunting / camp tools .

2. You must be able to cut rope and fabric . think clothing ,shelter building , making a improvised rucksack etc .

3. strip electrical flex cord , a good source of wire for snares / binding tools etc

4.You must be able to open a tin of Canned food .

5. the tools must be handled and sheathed for Your own protection .

6. the tools must be easily resharpenable with something as basic as a file .

[puukko3883]

I have a sort of clever idea ... How about I make it able to open a beer bottle? ...

Young Bridger, yes, yes, YES !! As long as you can demonstrate that it will open a bottle of stout or maybe a porter !!


You sit by the light of an oil lamp, smoking your pipe, sipping a shot of prize salvage whiskey, forgetting for a moment how the world has gone to hell in a hand basket and that you're at the bottom of the basket, you have a little hunk of rope, a large safety pin and an old map of France that you found while rummaging through some old rich codger's abandoned desk while the growls of a bear pack could be heard outside the window of this cob webbed, dusty, cold home library. What to do with these items, after dark, quiet, safe (for the moment) in your cubby hole den, the creative juices thankfully washing out the bile and adrenalin pumped in your veins from a long day on the razor's edge ?





Well ... you make a little hatchet man lanyard or course !!

[Ru Titley]

Ok Ive had a chat with Riche about a few things that Folks have been asking about in order to get a little bit sorted for this thread .

Ive removed the KITH element from the thread so this is gonna just be a build along Guys (it only took 6 pages to get that sorted ) , it takes away all of the issues over timings etc and means theres no pressure to get things completed for a set date .

I personaly think as to the power tools rule even using non mains electric power tools makes it too easy , but if Folks wanna use em go ahead if it means a few more join our little band of Surviors so be it , but I wont be outa prinnciple .

Axle thats some great writing Man , and Mr Puukko Your chair leg axe is wonderful Sir .

[Roadcat]

(This post is especially for Puuko's enjoyment)

And so it was that I came to the top of the hill. And the clouds did part and a voice did say unto me:

"Ok Ive had a chat with Riche about a few things that Folks have been asking about in order to get a little bit sorted for this thread .

Ive removed the KITH element from the thread so this is gonna just be a build along Guys (it only took 6 pages to get that sorted ) , it takes away all of the issues over timings etc and means theres no pressure to get things completed for a set date .

I personaly think as to the power tools rule even using non mains electric power tools makes it too easy , but if Folks wanna use em go ahead if it means a few more join our little band of Surviors so be it , but I wont be outa prinnciple .

Axle thats some great writing Man , and Mr Puukko Your chair leg axe is wonderful Sir ."

[Roadcat]

Been a busy few days but I've finally had a chance to write up another blog post. It's another 2 parter and is available here (part 1) and here (part 2). Thanks for reading.

[puukko3883]

With 75 degree F temps here the bear pack that has been hibernating in my little work shop for the winter has finally moved out, the several dozen little cubs wandering about the old garden were actually cute, wrestling with each other, chewing on each others ears, but bear pack cubs are kind of like kittens, they're not cute little cubs for long and to them you are dinner.

I was able to find an old Lauri LPT blade laying on the floor of the workshop and I had saved the handle from the hatchet head born of tragedy (you didn't think I would throw that away did you ?), I cut the handle, cut the tang of the Lauri, sharpened the edges, put a point on the tang, drilled the cut handle with one of my most valuable tools (the hand drill), filed some slots in the hole and drove the blade and tang into the handle, old school all the way !! Here are the tools that I used for this little post apocalypse project;





and here's the result, my ApocaPuukko !! Hope you like the finger guard !!
Oh, the lanyard is made from some leather sinew that I replaced that were the ties on those snow shoes of mine (see pic from earlier in this thread).

[fluffy]

You lot had better be prepared to supply your own zombies because any used on a passaround basis with these toys are going to be badly damaged!