Knap nightmare

[sleek]

Obsidian.... everyones favorite point material. You couldn't convince me it make a point. I cant pressure flake it, or precussion. With pressure flaking,  i get short flakes. With percussion, i get crumbly dusty mess. I abrade fyi. I cant get the stuff to shoot flakes. It may make a flake, but steps and hinges.

I can knapp glass, and some rock sometimes, and milk glass is my favorite as well as jadite. Obsidian, it doesnt make a point. Not for me.

[Dakota Kid]

Try hitting it lighter when using percussion and flattening your angle when pressure flaking. If it starts to step you have to clean it up before proceeding or it just gets worse.

If that doesn't work, you may have just gotten some crumbly obsidian. I've noticed that some pieces just want to disintegrate. I've had the worst luck with mahogany where the black is more prominent.

[Zuma]

X2
Zuma

[jeffp51]

If it is all you can get your hands on, you figure out a way to make it work--at least somewhat.  Since I have never worked anything else besides bottle glass, I can't tell you how to treat it different than harder materials.

[gutpile]

make you a callahan pad for pressure flaking....gut

[loon]

uh... indirect percussion?... ...

make you a callahan pad for pressure flaking....gut

A what?

[Dakota Kid]

I'm pretty sure it's a pressure flaking palm pad with a cut out groove to allow for unimpeded flake detachment. Basically your flake detaches into empty air. A regular pad could dampen the force resulting in a step. I've never used one, but the idea is sound. Maybe next time I make up a new pad I'll try one out.

[gutpile]

exactly... works like a charm.... can achieve long flakes with it...gut

[gutpile]

google 181 pressure flaking pad...easy to make...

[YosemiteBen]

well Sleek - come on out for a visit - I can work with ya!

[sleek]

I am going to tey the sugestions here and report back.
Ben, I very may well take you up on that sometime this year. Probably during off season.


I get frustrated with things and have to put them down sometimes when they get me to the point my body temp rises and I want to throw whatever is in my hand, but cant cause I like it. So I am taking a break to do some oaper airplane building.  Its a hobbie I started as a kid and I am perfecting now.