Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: jonathan creason on August 03, 2010, 02:58:35 pm

Title: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: jonathan creason on August 03, 2010, 02:58:35 pm
I stopped by the local glass place yesterday and scored 4 large pieces of plate glass (and the guy told me I could have much more).  I've been trying to work on it a little, but I'm having trouble getting decent flakes started on the 90 degree edges.  I end up with a ton of hinges all down the side.  What's the best way to start with this stuff?
Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: JackCrafty on August 03, 2010, 04:25:52 pm
Watch this video.  It's a bit grainy but you'll get the idea.  The glass slab in the video is larger than plate glass, but the same principle applies.  You will need to "scissor" the square edge.

---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGT1sU0_NL0&feature=related
Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: cowboy on August 03, 2010, 05:21:46 pm
You'll want to stitch the edge on a square cut or broken peice of glass. All that amounts to is taking short steep flakes back and forth off the edge all the way around. Once you do that you'll have platforms along the edges that you can work with. Hmm, may have a pic for example. Found one - stitched edge :).

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Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: Josh on August 03, 2010, 05:27:02 pm
...then what?   :) Do you bring the whole edge to below the centerline or do you run flakes alternating sides with the stitched edge?
Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: cowboy on August 03, 2010, 05:36:43 pm
Well, on this particular one.. I beefed up those individual platforms, got em just below center and started popping off some good sized spalls with big percussion. Eventually got it worked into a nice big bi-face right before I snapped it in half  ;D. This was just to demonstrate a stitched edge. Would be a little different on a peice of glass and most likely all pressure work depending on the thickness.
  Shannon has a real good tutorial on bi-facing in the how-to section..

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Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: Josh on August 03, 2010, 05:37:20 pm
Cool that's where I get confused... Thanks Paul.
Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: cowboy on August 03, 2010, 05:46:56 pm
Not a problem :). Hmm, digging through these old pictures is giving me the fever ;D.
Title: Re: Starting flakes on glass
Post by: jonathan creason on August 03, 2010, 05:55:12 pm
Thanks guys, that video and pictures helped a ton.