Author Topic: Some Progress  (Read 4426 times)

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Offline Parnell

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Some Progress
« on: February 28, 2010, 11:41:57 pm »
I got some tutorial time in this weekend with Clause Van Order.  I posted a lot of pictures from the Big Cypress Shootout.  He really showed me how to get the basics done and well, my flintknapping I dare say, may be finally born.  Claude gave me the lightest point and the two darker points are my first really decent ones.  I tell you though, my left hand palm is pretty bruised up from the pressure flaking.  I had a great time this weekend with Claude - he really is of the salt of the earth.  Nice as they come.  Here are some pictures.

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Offline FlintWalker

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2010, 11:53:35 pm »
I've heard him described as a "true southern gentleman".  I hope to knap with him sometime.   Your points look nice.
Be thankfull for all you have, because no matter how bad you think it is...it can always be worse.

Offline cowboy

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2010, 12:38:21 am »
some nice work there. I'd like to meet him some day..
When you come upon a track or trail you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing.

Offline DanaM

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2010, 08:44:33 am »
Nice points your lucky to get pointers from someone like Claude :)
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline Bone pile

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2010, 09:48:45 am »
Looks like your on your way,nice looking points.Sitting with Claude you'll learn something, a very interesting fellow.I wanted to go down to the shootout Sat but the weather sucked.
Bonepile
Venice Florida

Offline mullet

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2010, 08:35:39 pm »
 Great points. You can't ask for a better teacher than Claude. In one day sitting with him without a bunch of people will knock about two years off the learning curve, unless you're Shannon. I guess the next time I'll get a chance to see him is after he moves to Tenn.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline jamie

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2010, 07:11:27 am »
great work
"Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all."

waterbury, ct

Offline Parnell

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2010, 10:41:19 pm »
Things I did last evening/this evening.  I'm going to just post stuff I'm working on.  Please feel free to point some stuff-make suggestions, out to me as I'm really trying to learn...

Made a new bopper which I like better.  No lead in it.  You can see the other I was using - the cigar tube- looking thing. 

Some new pictures...

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Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2010, 01:31:01 am »
Hey I see the obligatory band-aid!  ;D  Is that some of the rock you picked up at Dade City when we went?  I still haven't had a chance to play with my bucket full.  Keep at it.

Swamp
From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Offline Parnell

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2010, 08:59:45 am »
Heya Bjorn,
Yup - I'm starting to work through that bucket.  My pressure flaking is definitely improving but I just don't think I'm reading the rock right yet.  I'm still getting a lot of stepping.  It'll come together with practice though...
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Offline Bone pile

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2010, 09:27:24 am »
Gee I'v see that type of "unleaded" booper before.................I call them Claude clubs and once you get the hang of them you'll like the results.
Bone pile
Venice Florida

Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2010, 11:18:23 am »
Steve, You know I'm not an expert, but it sound like you aren't "pushing/pulling" at just the correct angle.  I push the flaker straight in and then try to push/pull it off at close to 90 degrees to the flat plane of the rock, grabbing the flake as I go.  That is probably really confusing, but it's the best I can offer.  ::)  I just have not done enough to explain it better.  Fact is that may only be what I THINK I am doing.  Have you heat treated the rock you are working?   I'm glad i picked up one of those buckets of spalls, I know I won't be able to work anything bigger for a while any way, and I bet I'd make a whole lot of unusable junk working down a big piece.  Plus it is a really nice variety. 

Roger, It's a shame a "Claude" does not come attached to one of those clubs.  Now that would be a handy tool to have.  ;D

Swamp

From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Offline Parnell

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2010, 11:45:55 am »
I haven't heat treated any of it yet.  I need to go pick up a toaster at the charity shop...
I'll be really curious at how much it makes a difference with the work.
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Offline Swamp Bow

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2010, 01:23:54 pm »
I haven't heat treated any of it yet.  I need to go pick up a toaster at the charity shop...
I'll be really curious at how much it makes a difference with the work.

Steve, take the wife garage saleing this Sat morning.  Cheap entertainment.  Might find some cool tools too.  $5 for a toaster oven is what I pay, but I'd pay $10 if I HAD to have one ASAP.  Be sure it hits 500 degrees.  Makes a huge difference in that local chert I have, but it's still tough.  I need to play with that more to see if I can make it easier.  It also made a big difference in the coastal I picked up from the Withlachoochie a while back too.  You might want to get an ID on some of that rock to be sure it needs it.  The obsidian obviously doesn't.
From the middle of a swamp in SW Florida.

Offline Parnell

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Re: Some Progress
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2010, 10:53:36 pm »
Here are some of the things that I've been working on.  I'm getting much better flakes.  I'm definitely getting a feel for some consistency and I like making little bird points with the flakes.  They are sharp, too.  Very fun.  Even more interesting is my wife has decided that she likes flintknapping!  I think that's great - just hope her hands don't end up looking like mine and that she stays away from my bucket of rocks!  Her things are on the left side.

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