new heat treating test starting today

[iowabow]

I was thinking this might make a good article in the PA mag what do you guys think? I got a good rain storm yesterday and the chance of a brush fire has now ended. The forecast indicates clear skies for the next four days. This might be enough time to pull it off again. This article could be about the construction of the pit and results/comparison with the first test.

[Josh B]

Cool!  Sounds like a good article to me.  I made it home, but it rained both days, so I didn't get to do any heat treating.  I did spawl out my stone so it's ready when I get the chance.  Josh

[iowabow]

Isaac will serve as my camera man and research assistance. He will record data so I cant influence the experiment. He will sit in the shade and read and record all day long.

[iowabow]

This post wont have the data posted as we go like the last one so I will just put a couple pictures up of us during the process.

[Stringman]

Hope ur paying that  boy with plenty of lemonade and cookies!

[iowabow]

Hope ur paying that  boy with plenty of lemonade and cookies!

See below

"Isaac will serve as my.....  research assistance"

It is not an intership....therefore he will be paid!

[iowabow]

So far data supports first test

[iowabow]

It is a repeat preformance

[iowabow]

Still going strong

[iowabow]

This process appears to be very predictable now!

[iowabow]

Please let me me know if you have read anywhere a process like the one I have discribed. I would really like to know if this adds to what we already know or that I am simply repeating someone elses work.  I know others have heat treated flint (that I learned from) but this research seems to provide important new data to all of us! JW and I talked and it seems more fitting to call this a "Burlington Pit".

[iowabow]

After five long days the flint will be pulled from the pit! It will be noon before it is cool enough to see the results. What an amazing journey this project has been. Primitive archery has so many cool things for us to discover and learn from. Our ancestors had a strong understanding about how to process a task with dynamic results using simple yet elegently designed forms of basic technology. 

[jr 2bow]

so where is the pics of the flint

[JW_Halverson]

So, have you ever read a description of this type of heat treating being done by aboriginal peoples wherein they describe the phenomonon you encountered?

[iowabow]

I am hoping PA mag will run my article on the second a slightly modified process that we did this go around. The flint just came out and it is amazing. So I am holding off on posting the pictures in hopes that they will publish them as well.