Flintknapping rule breaker

[Locogear]

Hello everyone, I've been trying to flintknap bottle bottoms but it's a LOT harder than I thought it was going to be (unless I'm just missing something). So I was thinking about breaking the rules and trying to cast an arrowhead either out of lead or aluminum or maybe copper? I've no idea. Obviously those metals will probably only be a one or 2 time use but that's ok. Has anyone experimented with this or does anyone have any suggestions?

[Dakota Kid]

I prefer knapping old TV picture tubes to bottle bottoms. The glass is about an inch thick, which makes any curve easy to remove. I can never seem to get a flat point from a bottle.

As far as homemade metal points go, the best raw material I've found is old stainless steel spoons. Pound them flat and cold forge/work them into the desired shape and sharpen. I'm always running into people with silverware they don't want, but even if you had to buy a few they're cheap at the bargain stores. If you're dead set on casting, look into bronze alloy casting grain/chunk. They have a bunch of different ones to choose from at most jewelry supply companies. Aluminium might be okay, but I wouldn't bother with lead or copper as are pretty soft. Sterling silver would probably work as well, but you can't beat stainless for durability.

[bowandarrow473]

for homemade arrowheads, there's nothing like old saw blades. you just heat them up and let them cool slowly to temper them, then cut out your arrowhead, them put it back in the fire and get it glowing red or orange and then take it out and quench it in water or oil. after that just put it in the oven at 400 degrees for a few hours and then sharpen em up and haft away!

[Locogear]

Those are great ideas! I love it when other people do the thinking for me 😆, do y'all have any pics of these pieces? Saw blade or spoon arrow heads?

[Locogear]

Another thing, if I do decide to cast bronze, would y'all happen to know anyone with a knapped arrowhead I could use for a master in making the mold? 😁

[Dalton Knapper]

Locogear - as for casting a point, I think the weight would be very important and since it is metal, the sharpness of the edge is a consideration. Stone points have naturally sharp edges because of the way they are made and a metal cast would be inferior. Your metal will weigh more than rock and if you are going to make the point from metal, why not just make contact era points from saw blades as suggested or do like the Comanche and other historic tribes and use barrel hoops or comparable metal. It just seems a little odd to use metal for rock. I am sure you can find many examples of iron points in the historic record, but just be aware that most probably didn't fit modern width requirements by your state's game laws.

[riverrat]

bottle bottoms are easy and the hard things about them teach you to knap and flake just about anything. the glass is alot easier to remove than a lot of flint ive worked. but it teaches you all the right angles, the pressure, how to deal with flat edges, convexes, how to run flakes a long long way, ect.dont give up. heck its a free resource. its like going to college on a scholorship. lol Tony

[Dakota Kid]

Any more picture tube glass is just as free. The trash men won't take them. I see them laying every where. I picked up three small ones today in fact. The glass breaks as easily as bottle glass, but there's more to start with. When I first started my points always came out way smaller than I intended. The extra glass the picture tubes provide helps out with that.

There are vids on utube on how to break them safely. They are under a vacuum and will implode if you don't equalize pressure before hitting them heavy.

If I have time later, I'll post some of my spoon points. I finally managed to knap a hunt worthy point last week so hopefully I'll transition to stone points by next hunting season.

[GlisGlis]

If you are after cheap boradheads you may want to  google for "trade points arrowheads"
there is also a youtube vid on spoon arrowheads
You may also consider bone arrowheads
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,36300.0.html

[Locogear]

All that sounds great, no I haven't given up on knapping but in the meantime I want to start hunting right away :p and yea I know to make the metal light enough I'll have to use a soft metal that won't hold a good edge, but y'all have given me some good ideas to think on, I appreciate all the help

[flungonin]

Have you thought of the bottoms of coffee cups (ceramic). Ceramic is pretty cheap. Thrift stores, and free samples of ceramic (tile) from home improvement centers. Different varities of cheap material available. Ceramic lids from toilets have a lot of material also.

[Locogear]

I've thought about ceramic toilet pieces, but never really thought about mugs. That's a good idea too. My trouble is controlling my fractures, I always end up taking off too much

[riverrat]

i was a handyman most my life. ive made bookoo toilet points lol
 Tony

[Zuma]

for homemade arrowheads, there's nothing like old saw blades. you just heat them up and let them cool slowly to temper them, then cut out your arrowhead, them put it back in the fire and get it glowing red or orange and then take it out and quench it in water or oil. after that just put it in the oven at 400 degrees for a few hours and then sharpen em up and haft away!

You know I have done the same thing but I would never post it here in
FLINT knapping cause it ain't.
A bunch or metalurgy in ' Around the Campfire'
Great folks over there also.
Zuma

[Locogear]

for homemade arrowheads, there's nothing like old saw blades. you just heat them up and let them cool slowly to temper them, then cut out your arrowhead, them put it back in the fire and get it glowing red or orange and then take it out and quench it in water or oil. after that just put it in the oven at 400 degrees for a few hours and then sharpen em up and haft away!

You know I have done the same thing but I would never post it here in
FLINT knapping cause it ain't.
A bunch or metalurgy in ' Around the Campfire'
Great folks over there also.
Zuma

Yea that's my fault. I posted the topic