Author Topic: Stone ID  (Read 2355 times)

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Offline ssrhythm

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Stone ID
« on: December 23, 2020, 11:44:34 pm »
These pics are of some rocks the previous rock-hound owner of the house we are in had in spots around the yard.  A lot of this is knappable, and it is all raw stone varying from dang tough to crazy ridiculous tough.  I’m also going to post pics of some points I’ve been able to beat out of some of it.  I’ve really just started into knapping, and it has been the steepest, longest learning curve I’ve ever encountered  in all my 52 years.  I’m also hooked and determined to keep getting better. 

Anyhoo...I have purchased some obsidian, keokuk, dacite, and Georgetown spalls.  The Georgetown is from Ryan Gill and seems to be a great compromise between the stupidly east to chatter, overshoot, step, and hinge high grade rocks I’ve purchased and the super tough raw rock from my yard.  Between the Obs/Keo/Dacite and the yard rocks, I’m doing better with the yard rocks.  I have been trying to watch everything JCrafty snd Freezecracked and Flintknappingtips are putting out there, and by using some JCrafty inspired aluminum indirect punches and beating the yard rocks with extreme aggression, I can produce non-steppy, still-not-thin-enough points. 

I’m thinking that I need to haul my rock up in the hills for a couple of days and nights of distraction-free solitude...slow waaay down and get my head really into it...and work at it.  But I digress.

Should I heat treat this yard stuff or keep trying to improve while keeping it raw and tough?  If you recommend heat treating, what’s the rock ID guesses and what temps do y’all suggest.

I know it’s a bunch of ugly little chunks...but I want to see what I can do with all of it.
So... here are the rock pics....

Offline ssrhythm

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Re: Stone ID
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2020, 11:46:28 pm »
And...

Offline ssrhythm

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Re: Stone ID
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2020, 12:01:01 am »
Going to use the grainy green and red to try and
make earth pigment paints out of.

Here is a pic of two knives I made for my boys.  The small antler “skinner” was made from a pretty small blocky chunk of the yard rock, and I was happy that I got it to where I did.  It was obvious that I couldn’t get it to a projectile point thinness, so I made it into a stout skinner.  It is mind boggling sharp...my son has opened a handful of boxes, cut steak and chicken with it, and I know I could skin a deer with it with ease...hard stone is holding an edge.

Compare to the keokuk step and hinge fest knife I made my oldest son.  It was a biface that I was not screwing up horribly, but I had a hump that I could not undercut for the live of me...so I kept moving in on it until It was gone and my biface was seriously cut into...I chose to just go with it vs trying to get a point out of it, and I managed to turn it into a neat looking curved blade knife.  I got it sharp despite the crushing, hingy, steppy problems I created everywhere on it.  Unlike the small knife, the Osage curve does not hold an edge well.

Considering this, and until I get better...especially with the more brittle stuff...I’m reluctant to heat treat it.  If heat treating will produce rock similar to the Georgetown from Ryan, cool.  If it will produce results that more closely resemble the keokuk and dacite...no thanks...not yet anyway.

Advice welcomed!

Offline ssrhythm

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Re: Stone ID
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2020, 12:09:08 am »
One last question and point...is the top point Jasper???
All I know is that it flakes, it’s red, and it is an absolute beast of tough rock.  And yes... I definitely need to spend a few weeks doing nothing but practicing notching on chips and flakes...it’s pitiful right now.  Thanks, Eric

Offline JEB

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Re: Stone ID
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2020, 03:53:36 pm »
Some sort of chert. Don't think it is flint  Cook some of it up and try and tame it a bit then knap in.

Offline mullet

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Re: Stone ID
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2020, 07:11:15 am »
Looks like some of the rock I left at my house when I sold it and moved to SC.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?