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Offline II BYRDS

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Braking obsidian
« on: December 10, 2009, 10:58:08 am »
A good friend of mine just moved to Utah, Hill air force base. He was my teacher of breaking rock. His great grandfather was a tool maker for the Cherokee. His grandfather was his teacher of the fine art of flint napping, bow and arrow making for the children of one of the Cherokee reservation. so now i am on my own. i guess in Utah obsidian is every where. Dan sent me a big box of obsidian as a gift! now i have this glass and need some in site. i don't get much out of reading about it, i get more out of waisting a bunch of rock. i know that the shelf prep is very important, the angel of the dangle is also important, i know abrading is very important. there is only one thing left???? the blow from whatever i am breaking it with. i am not scared to hit it but how hard, less of angel more of angel. just asking for some in site.   
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Offline StevenT

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2009, 11:16:39 am »
First, read the "Bad Habits" post.  Other than that, sounds like you have the basics. As stated in the bad habits post, main thing is to throttle down on your strike. After working with it for a bit, you will get a feel for obsidian. Pay attention to the warning in the bad habit post. If you didn't were gloves before.... you should with obsidian. and flakes will still penetrate!
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2009, 01:30:10 pm »
You'll just have to break enough of it to get the feel of it. You don't have to hit it as hard as you do most chert/flint, and you need to grind the platforms good to keep them from crushing.
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Offline II BYRDS

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2009, 02:18:26 pm »
sounds like bleeding is a common thing with obsidian. i tried working a peice that was in my wifes flower bed and was wearing a pair of shorts it was this past summer. when i went to get up from my set i looked down at my legs and it looked like i had blood colored freckles ;D
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2009, 02:40:26 pm »
Yup keep the superglue and bandaids handy when working obsidian :)
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Offline Hardawaypoints

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2009, 04:52:52 pm »
Quote from: II BYRDS on December 10, 2009, 02:18:26 pm
sounds like bleeding is a common thing with obsidian. i tried working a peice that was in my wifes flower bed and was wearing a pair of shorts it was this past summer. when i went to get up from my set i looked down at my legs and it looked like i had blood colored freckles ;D

See? You're already getting it. 
Obsidian is a great teacher.  It won't put up with too much b.s. and will reward you when you get the physics/mechanics right.  Keep after it & good luck on your knapping journey.

Jim
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Offline stickbender

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2009, 05:47:25 pm »
 
     Take a piece, and whack it after you have prepped it.  Oh, and it is a given, if you are seasoned pro, or newbie, if you work with Obsidian, you are going to bleed.  Super glue, and band aids.  And mostly it is the flakes, that you thought you dumped, or brushed off, that will stick in your pad, and slice, and dice, you without you knowing it, till you notice, that your rock is wet, and sticky, and your hands are covered in blood.  Or you pass out...... ;D  Just abrade, set up your platforms, and and your angles, and give it a test whack.  See what it did, and try to figure out why.  Then start over, and give it a lesser, or harder whack.  After a few whacks, you will have it.   ;)  It doesn't take much to spall, or percussion flake.  Then call your buddy in Utah, and ask for another box, now that you know how to work it...... ;D  Enjoy. :)

                                                                             Wayne
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Offline Blacktail

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2009, 08:19:07 pm »
the bleeding isn't that bad  :D...half the cuts i got i didn't even know  ::)....yep band aid....but, after awhile you wont get cut as much...you just learn to make sure that every thing is ground down...when i was first getting started...i just used hammer stones and hit the rock...i did 2-3 buckets of learning spalling...and then picked up every thing i could use and got a 1 1/2 bucket of spalls .......then i tryed bifaceing 1 1/2 bucket the best i could..then i got 3/4 of bucket of bifaces...and then i tryed making points...i did this a few times and after 5 yrs of chipping...i am an all right knapper for ME...JOHN
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Offline mullet

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2009, 10:41:40 pm »
 stickbender, myself and Claude just whacked and crumbled, (not Claude) a bunch of Obsidian last Sunday. Thanks, Wayne. ;D I think after about 4 hours, Claude had 4 or 5, paper thin, 4"wide ,7 to 10"long preforms laid out. Not counting the fluted Folsom about, 7"long he made for Wayne.
  And I got home and had small pieces of Obsidian stuck in my chest that must have gone down my collar or through my shirt, and my butt,  :D from sitting on the ones that fell in the chair.
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Offline sailordad

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2009, 12:09:29 am »
Eddie

now thats funny  :D ;D
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Offline stickbender

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2009, 03:30:39 am »

     Yeah, that was the obsidian that I got from Emory Coons, in Burns Oregon.  Really nice stuff.  Eddie, if you can how about downloading the picture of him holding those blades, and of those eagles he made, and put them on here.  Thanks.  I forgot to let you down load them from the camera, in case they are too big.  Anywho it was fun, and I am glad that I got to sit down with Claude one on one. ;)  It sure helped, and thanks again for supper. :P
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Offline II BYRDS

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Re: Braking obsidian
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2009, 08:51:13 am »
Hey guys thanks for all the info sounds like i need to buy some stock in Bandaid (Johnson & Johnson). just want let you know i cant see any pictures posted in Photo Pucket! i dont have e-mail at home.
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