Long Flakes?

[bushman]

I asked a while back about needing help to drive off longer flakes with pressure. I did get a lot of good advise, someone sent me this link on how to roll an edge: http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/4009/t/help-with-slabbed-material.html?page=1
I have watched a bunch of YouTube movies from Jim Winn. I still have the problem with not getting flakes to travel all that far. I did improve somewhat from when I asked last time but not very much. Last night I was using some really nice smooth and small-grained basalt tryin to make an arrowhead. It was a flake that I had knocked off of a spall. I went and brought the face closer to the one side, ground the platforms lightly because I was using antler that drove off a course of flakes, since they didn’t have any ridges to fallow they where scallop shaped and just over a ¼ inch long. Went and did the same to the other side. On my second pass I did everything like I did for the first passes excepted I tried to fallow the ridges from the first pass. But my flakes look the same as the ones from first pass, scalloped and just over a ¼ inch long. I use to have problems getting the flaked to detach when I first started and now with that arrow head I was trying to make, every time I went to build up inward pressure the flakes would detach before I even got enough pressure into the flake (or so I thought) and I hadn’t even pushed with my leg to drive off the flake yet. Is that what was causing the flakes not to travel? And how do you get around that?
Bushman

[JackCrafty]

All basalt is tough to knap.  Try your technique on a thick piece of glass.  If you get the same results, then the platforms are not strong enough, the angle is not right, etc.  Once you are making long flakes on glass, then go back to the basalt.

[bushman]

Thanks jackcrafty, I will give it a try on a thick piece of glass and see how I do. Got to wait till it stops rain. Let you know how it goes.
Bushman

[nclonghunter]

bushman, I know exactly what you are saying. I have recently began trying to get my second row on the previous made ridge. The first series leaves a row of raised points that peaks at the ridge line. If I am correct on what I am learning, then I have now been grinding those points with the abrader and then pressure flaking. It dulls those ridge points but prevents them from collapsing and getting short flakes.

Let me know if this works or is correct...Good luck

[bushman]

bushman, I know exactly what you are saying. I have recently began trying to get my second row on the previous made ridge. The first series leaves a row of raised points that peaks at the ridge line. If I am correct on what I am learning, then I have now been grinding those points with the abrader and then pressure flaking. It dulls those ridge points but prevents them from collapsing and getting short flakes.

Let me know if this works or is correct...Good luck

Nclonghunter, that sounds about right. I tried it again tonight and it worked, I found out that I wasn’t grinding enough and the platforms were failing. Turned out a not too bad point. Will post it when I get a chance.
Bushman

[JustinNC]

Convexity convexity convexity.
Abraid abraid abraid.
Angle angle angle.

I used to have the same trouble. I used to either collapse the edge or pop out a deep divot. After watching Saw Filer (Shannon) for a weekend, my pressure flaking has improved 110%. I used to HATE it. Couldnt tell you how many pieces I wasted because I didnt know what to do with them because I couldnt finish them by pressure flaking. Now I LOVE it. Convexity and a clean edge along with propper pressure in the right place is your best friend.

[crooketarrow]

  Justins 110% right. Back when I started there was'nt any internet so I did'nt know there was anything other than pressure flakeing. It took me years for breaking rock,cuts,cramps to learn what justin just said. I see people now that in a couple months are turning out huntable points that took me years to get that far. You get those longer flakes with exsperince just keep at it.

[JustinNC]

  Justins 110% right. Back when I started there was'nt any internet so I did'nt know there was anything other than pressure flakeing. It took me years for breaking rock,cuts,cramps to learn what justin just said. I see people now that in a couple months are turning out huntable points that took me years to get that far. You get those longer flakes with exsperince just keep at it.

A watched videos over and over and it never clicked until a weekend of sitting there watching Shannon. Watching Jesse and his percussion work as well helped tremendously.