Flutes

[Outbackbob48]

Lets see some of your fluted points and fluting discussion, Here is one that I successfully got a nice flute on each side, One side went 1/2 way and other went just past 1/2 . Had hoped for a little better picture Bob

[bjrogg]

Nice Outback, I'm thinking all mine are in two pieces.lol
Bjrogg

[Outbackbob48]

Nice Outback, I'm thinking all mine are in two pieces.lol
Bjrogg

Bj, just like the rest of flinknapping a long learning curve , I got a whole bunch of broken fluting attempts. I did learn that your preform must be almost perfect for nice long flutes. Bob

[Trapper Rob]

Nice Bob I'm like BJ end up with 2 pieces.

[JEB]

Good job Bob. Going to try that one day.

[Tower]

That’s why I make the Plainview point 

[Outbackbob48]

Hi Don, nice to see ya on here again.  If you flute those thin points of yours would be a nice long hole thru the middle Bob

[Hawkdancer]

Nice points!  I ain't got that far yet!
Hawkdancer

[1442]

I got introduced to a solberger jig here not too long ago and got addicted to fluting with it for a while.
Was getting good results until I went to a knap in with my new jig and broke five attempts.
Came home and took my time and just relaxed while making this point and took pics of the process.
I had thought about the breaks at the knap in and kinda figgered what I did wrong, and tried to make sure I didn't do any of that.
A piece of raw central texas pedernale flavored rock.

[1442]

I took lots of pics and tried to capture set up details

[1442]

first flute went perfect
The last pic in this post shows the tip profile where I have beveled slightly to the side I'm fluting. I think that's important to define exactly where the flute terminates and helps keep it on that side of the point.
 

[1442]

second flute stopped a little short but I'm real happy with it.
the thing about these points is that you can chip the tip back to the short flute and make it look like they both went all the way.
When they do both go all the way out the tip like the first flute on this one did it makes an awesome tip profile that feathers out to almost nothing with the ridges down each edge feathering down too looks just deadly efficient for poking large thick skinned critters.

[Outbackbob48]

1442, thanks for the great pics  of your fluting . I have a couple of quick questions. I also am using a Solberg jig to flute. Do you always place your point that deep into arms, I always place my point even with the top of arms as in more support? Second my jig doesn't seem to have the pressure flaker as parell to point as yours , it has noticeable angle to the side of the flute, often wondered if this will cause shorter flutes? Nice pics of profile of as I said perfect preforms no dips tip to base and nice straight median ridge, Thanks again for the great pics. Bob

[1442]

I don't always set my point so deep in the arms but these arms are made of hardwood and are really rigid and I'm not liking them as much as the first set of arms I had built out of thin pine so in an effort to compensate  im setting it deeper until I rebuild my arms back like they was.
I've had several points fail right at the bottom of these arms I think due to most of the support being right there and the energy from the flute will spread out and go to the support instead of towards the tip.
I think if most of the support is near the platform then the energy gets past that as the flake detachment spreads out to maximum width and depth then travels down the point towards where the tip is supported.
From what I can tell the angle of applied force to the axis of the point definitely effects flute length and will cause the platform to fail prematurely if the bit is pulling outwards too much as the pressure is building on the platform.
measuring from the bit to the platform face then from the bit to the tip contact point I like the tip to be 1/4" more max. less on shorter points. I'm experimenting with less pull out measurement on the second flute because it has a habit of releasing before im ready and not going as far as the first flute. I think pull angle more parelell with the point would allow more pressure to build before release and direct it more toward the tip after release
I am mostly setting up heavy ground platforms and I like to be able to build up enough pressure that I think something is fixin to bend or break then lightly tap the bit to initiate the flute. This way I get plenty energy into the flute and it don't seem to matter if its too much energy like it does if the flute releases without enough energy to go as far as was hoped for.
I got some more pics of platforms and preforms and flutes on my phone if I can figure out how to post them I will and add some more thoughts I have too.

[bjrogg]

Interesting