Since winter time has rolled into the Northeast and my quartzite and argillite stash is buried under freshly fallen snow. I have turned to the grinder again. I have built myself a super grinder. 11 stacked tile saw blades which eats rock like candy. Really shortens up the time for the rough grind of the blade. It is cold in the shop also so after an hour with the kerosene heater it is pretty comfortable. A bucket of warm water and I am ready to go grinding, The last warm spell we had I was out with the tile saw and cut a whole pile of preforms, so I am set for a while. Here is a shot of some of my recently finished blades.
Clockwise from the red blade which is Fenton slag, Dark green Burns, Goldfield jasper, pink and green Fenton slag. ruby/raspberry Fenton, Wyoming Oil chert, Mexican green, Georgetown, and AZ Basalt.
Then I made the best blade I have ever done, nicest flake pattern, from the best material Mexican Velvet obsidian, and promptly dropped it on a stair step to the basement. Initially survived the fall landing on the butt of the blade, but when it fell over, it snapped. I wanted to cry, I might just yet.
I was given two chunks of jasper to saw, heat and biface this summer for a client. This is the first two bifaces I got from the slabs. Heated to 500. Very nice material.
