Hard Spot?

[gstoneberg]

I had a nice point about done that had a hard spot near the base.  This spall had cortex over a large area and I fought it all the way.  The bump was far enough in I decided to leave it and corner notch it.  Big mistake as I promptly stalled both notches and then nocked off a corner.  So, I reworked the base flat to do some side notches and ran right into that hard bump.  I smacked at it from a couple angles and it totally defied me.  Finally I wound up and gave it one of those do or die/break the point whacks.  A little chip flew off the edge of it and into the back of my knuckle.  I bled like I've not bled before knapping.  Ran into the house and took out 2 incredibly thin pieces of flint.  This morning I took out another  one.  The way it's festering up I suspect there's still another one in there.  Good grief.  Still don't know what to do with the point.  I hit it so many times the  base isn't flat across anymore.  Not sure I have a shaft thick enough to haft it to.  Hate to give up on it though.   The heart is from a white spall too small for a point.

George

[Tower]

When the stone is hard it helps me to keep my platforms close to the face I want it to travel. Less resistance. That's perfect size to heat treat! Treat it & try to thin some more. 

[gstoneberg]

Looking at the pictures I think the hump was really on the opposite side of the point I was working on.  That's one of my problems, I get fixated on what I think is the problem and then don't take a good look at it.  As you point out, it looks like I didn't have the platform close enough to that edge to drive that flake.  Pictures really give you a chance to look at the point, just like it helps tillering a bow.

Thanks for the help. 

My wife decided we needed a laminate floor in her sewing room so my knapping time will be minimal this weekend.  My back hurts already and all I did was unload the boxes of flooring.  I was quite a bit younger the last time I did this.  O well, too cheap to pay somebody else to do it.

George

[gstoneberg]

Ah, just put the last of the trim in Mary's sewing room.  Got her sewing machines and TV back in.  The rest she'll do herself.  Glad to have this job behind me.



Maybe after church I can take another crack at that hard spot.  This spall was heat treated, does it sometimes help to heat treat a second time?

Thanks,
George

[warhawk]

GREAT JOB ON THE FLOOR.

[Tower]

Its nice ro stand back & look at a job that's done well! Great looking floor!

[gstoneberg]

Thanks guys.  Laminate floors thankfully don't demand great skill and look pretty good.

I did get out in the shop and cleaned up the point that started this thread.  I worked a few minutes to strengthen that platform and...



drove a nice flake that removed that hard bump.  I really whacked it and thankfully didn't break it.  After a little more thinning and then notching I got this point.



Since that went so well I took out a really thin spall that had cortex over 1 whole side.  I wasn't sure there would be enough flint there for a point, but it actually turned out quite nice...other than I had the notch on the base get away from me.





Good day.

George

[warhawk]

Hope you get a trophy buck with that one soon.

[bubby]

nice point's George, but the one that gave ya fit's turned out real nice, Bub

[cowboy]

Determination. that's the only way to get through those hard spots. That brings back memories . Point's are looking deadly George, but that floor is Wow!

[Tower]

That point cleaned up nice. Perfect weight. Both points are killers. Ditto on what cowboy said, sometimes ya just can't let em beat ya!

[mullet]

 Nice ones, George. I've found out that sometimes it pays to put a troublesome one down for awhile and go at it later with a different outlook.

[gstoneberg]

Good point Eddie, bout everything else in life is like that.  I should've figured that out. 

I'm just beginning to get a handle on notching (knocking furiously on wood).  Now I'm struggling with getting them even.  Had to make these wider as they weren't aligned very well. 

Thanks all.  George

[bowtarist]

Way to make it happen George.  I really like the first point you posted after finishing it.  I do what Eddie said a lot too.  Get to a road block, put it down and grab another, come back to the road block later w/ a different mind set.  Great looking points!!

[gstoneberg]

Thanks.  I think this point that fought me so badly is the one I'll have on the bow tomorrow when I'm hunting.  Spins nice and true.

George