Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: gstoneberg on May 21, 2011, 11:37:24 pm
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I picked up some broken floor tile today to start learning knapping...saving my flint until I'm a little better...OK a lot better. I was able to break the first 2 pieces of tile in about 4 whacks. I guess percussion is gonna take a lot more work. Switched to pressure flaking since I didn't want to break all my tile in the first 10 minutes. Did that until my hand blistered. Didn't make it all the way around the second point. Really addictive. Need to learn how to do thinning flakes. Gonna go watch some more youtube video. Wish my hands were tougher, too much keyboard work I guess. Here's what I ended up with, nothing to write home about...but sure a lot of fun. ;D
George
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3627/5744238989_9575f75d96_z.jpg)
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Got to start somewhere. TV screens are good, old toilet tanks, and 1 gallon bottle bottoms are also good. You did know that this is very addicting? Bill
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good job, man! I am trying to knap my old toilet lately and i feel your pain.I have been knapping over ten years and mine look about like yours. You will find that flint is much stronger , especially "cos its thicker. keep going and try glass too. wear safety glasses!
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never thought of useing tiles, George I can send ya some obsideion if ya want, Bub
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Looks good. Keep practicing and you'll get it. Try setting up individual platforms and grinding well to see if you can get you percussion flakes to run farther. Also hold your rock at different angles and see what happens.
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Wow George - that looks like some extra rough stuff to work on! Your in the right zone to be finding plenty of flint with a little driving around. You may even cross the Brazos river on the way to your lease. I had a neighbor bring me a cooler full of rock from San Angelo one time. About half or better was limestone but he got lucky and some of it was really nice working stuff. Anywho, I would recommend glass over that tile till ya find some..
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I had a long reply all done and then deleted it by mistake. :'( :'(
Thanks for any and all advice, I need it so badly. I do have some glass to practice on, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" thick. Today I'll get out a tarp and try some of that. Also going to try Patrick's indirect method again today using an ishi stick Crooketarrow made. My flaker is too short, at least I couldn't make it work yesterday. This tile was one of those Craig's List free if you pick it up adds. I was hoping for ceramic. She had an old toilet but Mary would have killed me if I'd carried that out and put it in her Prius. I have some decent flint and Neuse brought me a chunk or two of some beautiful obsidian. I just don't want to break up that stuff until I at least have a prayer of making a point. I do cross the Brazos river on the way to the lease but have never stopped. I'm usually on a mission at that point. I did play with rock angles and see the difference it made on flakes. I don't have the technique down on creating platforms, but I saw how much nicer it worked when I spotted one and took a flake there. Makes me want to try more.
I want to pick up a book now on arrowheads. I have no idea what the styles are the shapes should be. I know it's too soon to worry about it, but suddenly I'm interested.
Thanks all,
George
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never done and percussion slab knapping
but have done alot of pressure slab work
jesse showed me some percussion knapping at the classic
first you want short litle flakes to come off the edge,this will help to get some convexity going
next pass the flakes should be a little bigger and so on
you dont want to try and run long flakes right away
as they will have a tendency to terminate and create steps/hinges in the middle of the piece
i woud also recomend watching any you tube vids you can find on slab knapping
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build convexity is the only way to go on slabs throwing the short flakes all the way around flip it over do it again...abrade start tip base then middle using longer flakes half way meet them in the middle from other side... hmmm its easier done then trying to explain it sometimes! LOL
Russ
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good start. there is an excellent tutorial on tank knapping on paleoplanet. in the beginner section. i'll try to find the link.
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here it is
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/3864/Johnstone-Slab-Knapping-Tutorial
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PaleoAleo...Tom is a great guy I have spoke to him on more than one occasion...that guy knows a lot about everything! He does a lot with the Atlatl teaching people and stuff! Great limk Jamie its amazing what u can do with the johnstone!
Russ
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I tried working some 1/4" glass before I read this...unfortunate. I was able to take thinning flakes trying to get an edge to work when I didn't want it. I wasn't able to take thinning flakes when I wanted to. Now that I've looked through that tutorial (very helpful...thanks) and watched paleomanjim (the man is amazing) I'm anxious to try again. Too bad my knapping blisters need a break. Not sure I like the glass much. I have shiny little glass slivers all over my arms. Does that happen with flint too??? I might move to the thicker glass before I try again. I didn't make anything worth a picture. Thanks again for the help.
George
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George: We're going to have to get together! Me, you, and Cipriano I reckon :). We're so close it's killin me but so much time gone at work is killin me too. I'm in the process of moving my babe in with me from OK right now and man, that takes alllllll my time. We gotta come up with a time and place, it's so simple but so hard to do..
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I'd like that too Paul. Hopefully I'll get to watch Patrick on the 11th. Let me know when you get some "free" time.
Thanks,
George