what would you do advice please

[iowabow]

I am reaching for advice here so please jump in.  Finally. I can make a nice sided bi face without troublesome steps or hinges.  So now do I keep thinning the bi face if so do I flake or strike it with the bopper.  So what do you all do when you have made it this far at this scale?

[cowboy]

That looks good John! Personally I would carry on with percussion on that peice (i use copper). You can get such large spalls even from a nice biface with percussion. If i were to swith to pressure at that point i would pretty much stop thinning and just pretty it up some. I like thin .

[Tower]

what I would do is make the broken end the base , straighten the edges , build some small platforms isolated, to remove the high side. I would place the tip of my finger 2/3rds the width across from the platform and remove the flake. This will help control the flake & terminate it close enough to the edge to pressure it. I would finish thinning it with my Ishi.

[JackCrafty]

At that point I make my final decision on what type of point I want and notch it or flute the base, if required, before I thin out the blade.  Plaform preparation is key from here on in.  I touch up the edges with pressure if needed.

[JustinNC]

I'd take pictures of it and post up that I could finally make a decent biface consistantly thanks to the people on here, then procede to break it trying to thin it more and cuss it, then start allllll over again.....or you could just make a nice point

Sorry I didnt have anything useful to say, but your progression amazes me. I'm a little more thick headed and slow learning. Keep it up. Always like looking at your work!

[iowabow]

Well I am here to learn so I am going to proceed with thinning and if it break I will post the pictures so I can learn why as will. I always wondered when I should stop percussion and switch to pressure.  So thank you all for the replies

[maddog314]

Break it and start again and break that one and start another Looks like you are doing a good job on that one>

[AncientArcher76]

I personally would use an Ishi stick u can thin it doing that too.. I would as mentioned isolate a few platforms to remove the high side! No rush so kinda clean it up set some platforms... take a picture when u get that far!  U can use a sharpie marker and circle the high areas in reference to percussion flake after u isolate the platforms... hope it helps or makes sense!


Cheers,

Russ

[iowabow]

I was not use to knocking thin flakes from so small of a platform. I started to get the process down toward the end. I did as many of you suggested and isolated the platform with some pressure flakes and then with very from but carfully aim I hit the small platform with some good speed. below is an example of a nice flake.  Even though I had trouble in the beginning the stone started to work with me.  There is a bad section in the stone that does not flake well so I thinned from the other side. I was able to reduce the thickness but more importantly I think I got the idea.

[jamie]

well done john. you are doing great

[Tower]

It's all Ishi thinning from there. Good job.

[iowabow]

Well here is where I stopped what a hair raising ordeal. The concrete on the upper left caused problem after problem but I keep fighing it to the very end.  Also I have a new issue the edge of the platform is sometimes breaking at a 90 and creating a half moonshape if you are looking down at the flat point.  It happenned three times and I never had that happen before.  Anyway it was not a deal breaker but could be if it happens when I am working on a tip someday.  I have no idea what to do with the base any suggestions.

[iowabow]

[Tower]

Give it a concave base & you've made yourself a plainview point.

[sailordad]

man oh man you have come a very long way in a real short time
thats looking real nice

now ifn that were my preform
i would set it up to flute it and make a clovis style blade
but thats ust me,im into fluting lately
havent made much but i keep on trying