Aquarium turtles 😀

[Muskyman]

Turtles , I should start making them. The kind that are all tucked up into their shell.
What ever I’m doing wrong I’m very consistent at it. I can take a piece of rock that’s pretty good on both sides and turn it into a perfect little turtle that’s all tucked away in his shell.
I’ll keep trying for sure, and watching videos. That helps for sure. I’m learning to slow down and study my piece more and it’s helping me to drive flakes better. I just seem to get to a point where I think it’s going good and then whala, perfect little turtle. I am, I think, doing better with the step fractures. If I can get the thinning both sides figured out I might actually make something that looks like a point. Might try and heat treat some of the next batch of rocks I get.

[Parnell]

Haha!  It is really tough at first and there is no way around it…you gotta break a lot of rock.  Take some pictures, describe what is going on.  Are the platforms you are preparing below the center line of thickness?  I notice a lot of guys only using percussion and first and don’t help prep with an Ishi stick.

Just thoughts…there is so much at first.

[Muskyman]

Obviously I’m not really sure Parnell. I think I really need to slow down, make better platforms and remember that videos are edited and even a lot of what I’m seeing isn’t happening as fast as it seems. I did the same thing with my bow making. Once I slowed down and quit trying to make a bow start to finish in one go I started doing much better with it. I think if just get a piece to preform I might just set it down and then work on it in a day or two from there. Probably going to have to get some more rock before to long. Probably stick with the Georgetown for now.

[Allyn T]

The trick to thinning is getting your flakes across the middle. If they aren't going past halfway it'll get narrower before thinner. Believe me it takes a lot of practice but you'll get there.

[Parnell]

I really recommend over-understanding the importance of platform angle, position, preparation…everything.  I think it’s more important to consider the development of the preform by making that even centerline.  Maybe take a sharpie and actually draw on the piece where that centerline is.  Remember that the pressure you put on the piece with your left hand matters as much as your percussion strike.  It’s like throwing a pebble in a pool and the wave traveling out.  If there is a rubber ducky in the way it will interfere with the energy wave.  Consider if how you are holding the piece has a rubber duck factor.  Also, I like to think of the piece like hiking up a mountain.  When going uphill you attack the grade at an angle.  Walking straight uphill is exhausting to energy and leads to step fractures.

[Muskyman]

I actually thought last night about drawing the center line on the next piece I’m going to try to work on. Watched a video and the guy had done that to illustrate what he was doing. It does seem like I’m not driving flakes past the middle of the piece.  I figured that was part of my problem. Got to figure out how to drive them past the center to the other side.
Thanks for the help.
 I have been trying to get flaking practice in with the pieces I’ve already destroyed and bigger flakes I’ve made.

[Allyn T]

For my knapping support is probably the single greatest asset I use. Once you learn how to use it properly it does everything. It'll help your flakes travel further, it lets you cheat on platform prep somewhat, and it'll help you cut through mass. On the flip side improper support will put pressure in the wrong places and snap your piece.

[paulc]

I'm not a skilled knapper but I do.find setting a piece down and walking away a good strategy. Discipline and patience is key. Fwi, Paul

[bjrogg]

It’s a very common problem.

I find that I sometimes have to take short flakes off the opposite side to move my centerline closer to the side with the turtle back on it.

I still struggle with it too

Bjrogg

[Muskyman]

Thanks gentlemen. I’m thinking that I really need to spend more time studying the rock and also preparing my platforms. Found myself yesterday just bashing on a piece when things weren’t going my way.. naturally that didn’t work out well. Probably order some more rocks before long. I am learning that thinning is going take me a while to get the hang of. Going to slow way down on the pieces I have left and see how much that helps.