noob questions

[knapperboy]

Jayman, what I am trying to say is use pressure but up with your thighs and not your arms so much. It's hard to tell exactly what you're doing without seeing it but it looks like a similar problem I had when I started knapping. To see what I mean look at some YouTube and watch the placement of the flaker and the movement of the arm of the knapper. Hope that helps.

[jayman448]

Jayman, what I am trying to say is use pressure but up with your thighs and not your arms so much. It's hard to tell exactly what you're doing without seeing it but it looks like a similar problem I had when I started knapping. To see what I mean look at some YouTube and watch the placement of the flaker and the movement of the arm of the knapper. Hope that helps.

could you clarify as to how I use pressure from my thighs? my flaker is much too short for the indirect percussion method ive seen on allergichobbit's youtube page.

[Tower]

  Knapperboy's right.   It's kinda her to explain.   I only use direct pressure, but I use my legs for pressure.   With & without the use of an  Ishi stick.  But your angle may be too steep.   We would have to see you knap

[jayman448]

I hold the material in my heel of my hand with a leather pad and just push with the flaker.. like I said total noob

[Tower]

Knap On.   It will all work out after the tonnage phase is over.  😀

[le0n]

i would suggest a lower angle of attack with a close eye to existing platforms and desired platforms.

i marked up one of your photographs:

these perspective arrows are pointing in toward the center of the head (not downward toward your thumb). it's a little hard to portray this in 2-dimensions, but i tried anyway to show the method on your actual piece.

if you grab that same piece you should be able to match the platforms in the photograph and thin as needed. the photographed edge was a little blury, so i may have mis-interpreted a few platforms.

practice on spacing your initial flakes with an insight as to what the resulting platform would look like. note the surface before and after each flake result and commit it to memory. the resulting platforms are worked on the flip side.

and as previously stated, just work these platforms on bit and pieces of scrap material. when it starts becoming predictable, move back onto one of your preforms.

[jayman448]

hey that's really cool. thanks so much for that pic

[Tower]

Have you tried a continuous platform?

[jayman448]

... a what? I am an absolute noob. I literally have no idea what im doing, and less of an ide what u r talking about XD

[Chippintuff]

When you get a grip on the platforms as marked, you will be well on your way. When you pop the first flake off, if it is short, you have placed too much pressure perpendicular to the flake path and not enough pressure in exactly the direction you want the flake to travel. Watch closely and determine whether the preform is twisting in your hand when the pressure begins building up. It takes a lot of strength to do good pressure flaking, and can take a lot of practice to develop that strength. A lot of pressure flakers complain about sore hands, wrists, forearms, elbows and even shoulders when they are in the first few months of knapping. Don't feel bad about asking questions. We all have asked, and we all have been where you are.

WA

[knapperboy]

Great replies and thanks Tower for clarifying for me. The only thing I can add is try to grindo your platforms again and follow your ridges down and the glass point shown in the picture should be thinned out a great deal. Place the end of the flaker against your thigh and push inwards on the point. Don't try to drive a flake at first only build pressure. Once the pressure has been built up give a little flick of the wrist and you should drive a long flake. Keep the angle of the flake shallow. Try to push inward not down. Hope that helps.

[Stringman]

And when you get all of that right, the point snaps... 

This is a journey, so enjoy the ride and don't get overly frustrated. Keep postin pics.

[GlisGlis]

Hey Jayman448 have a look at this link:
http://flintknappinginfo.webstarts.com/uploads/BasicConcepts.pdf
I think it was allready linked in the past here as a valid reference for flintknapping

[Parnell]

And when you get all of that right, the point snaps... 

This is a journey, so enjoy the ride and don't get overly frustrated. Keep postin pics.

Break lots of rock.  Don't get frustrated.  Work on your tools over time.  Find a teacher.  Break lots of rock.  Don't get frustrated.

[Tower]

Don't be scared to break them.   After all it's just a rock.