Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: bubby on March 02, 2011, 04:26:11 pm

Title: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 02, 2011, 04:26:11 pm

I've been trying to work this brazillian agate, hard stuff and as you can see my side notches are nonexistant, HELP!!!,seriouslly I could use some input thank's, Bub
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/handpad-2.jpg)
(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/handpad003-2.jpg)

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: cowboy on March 02, 2011, 04:33:20 pm

bubby, that looks like some tough stuff! Normally if i'm dealing with a stalled notch I'll either call it good enough or try to punch it out. For notching I use a hand flaker with the copper hammered down flat and fairly thin. Make sure your platforms are below center and squeeze those flakes off back and forth into a notched rubber hand pad. when they stall try to get any kind of flake at all to come off to move that platform to the opposite side then correct your angle. Some of them just stall out and you can do nothing or wind up breaking it in half and sometimes you can save em. good luck :).

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: mullet on March 02, 2011, 04:48:58 pm

Bubby, that Brazilian Agate works real good after it is heat treated.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: Tower on March 02, 2011, 05:08:22 pm

Mullet is right . Heated is the only way I'd work that agate. Raw is hard on tools. Harder than most flints or chert's I've knapped.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 02, 2011, 05:22:53 pm

cowboy, thank's I got the notches started again, wide and ugly but started
mullet, I heat treated it like you showed with charcoal, but only used one bag instead of two, maybe it didnt get hot enough or cook long enough?
Tower, you're right, it's even hard to cut without treating
thank's Bub

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: JackCrafty on March 02, 2011, 05:23:42 pm

Sometimes hard stone needs a hard tool for notching.  Try a steel pressure flaker (horse shoe nail, for example).  Also, the notches will always stall on thick, hard material.  The only way to get them going again is to "cheat" by using a diamond file or something similar.  You can file down one side of the stalled notch until the edge is below centerline.  Then you can push off a flake and be in business again.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 02, 2011, 05:55:28 pm

I don't think it's that thick, just hard, where can ya get a diamond file,maybe a gem store, Bub(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/handpad004-1.jpg)

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: iowabow on March 02, 2011, 08:52:24 pm

I am so new so if this sound dumb don't laugh. I had difficulty with a notch the other day. The sharp horseshoe nail did not remove the flake it should have and rounded the platform. I took my copper point and reshaped it with a file. I made it the shape of a small screw driver and used it on its side. I was very surprised to see it remove a flake so that I could continue. I saw that the ends of your copper were rounded like mine were before I tried the nail that did not work. I have not made many notches so take this with a grain of salt.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 02, 2011, 08:58:36 pm

thank's Iowa, I do have a piece of copper like ya said, wasn't gitting it soI just moved around till got some to pop of, and don't worry aboutsounding dumb, if ya offer up something and it's wrong these guy's will straighten ya out, and that just help's the learning curve, Bub

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 02, 2011, 09:22:09 pm

well I went as far as I'm gonna, wide, shallow and ugly but it's gonna work, might try cooking it again(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/handpad006-1.jpg)

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: sailordad on March 02, 2011, 09:27:25 pm

nothing wrong with that
just remember
shallow notches dont grab as much hair and such when penetrating
and are a lot easy to fill in with sinew when hafting to a shaft  ;)

ya agate is real tuff stuff,even heated it canbe tuff
but once ya figure it out
it makes great eye candy points

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: cowboy on March 02, 2011, 10:47:42 pm

Looks good bubby! I've never tried any kind of agate that I know of. think i'd cook it a little better next time and those notches will go a lot better with your flat chipper..

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: mullet on March 03, 2011, 12:05:53 am

That Brazilian Agate has to get hot from what I've been told. Somewhere around 600-800 dgs.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 03, 2011, 07:22:49 am

thank's guy's
Mullet had a thread on here showing how ya cook you're rock by covering with 2" of sand and 2 20# bags of charcoal, will that get it hot enough, when I cooked it I only used half as much charcoal? Bub

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: jamie on March 03, 2011, 07:40:02 am

ya done good.  ;D

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: JackCrafty on March 03, 2011, 01:02:44 pm

Bubby, you can get diamond files on ebay for cheap.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 03, 2011, 06:00:54 pm

thank's Patrick

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: mullet on March 03, 2011, 09:33:24 pm

Yea, I bought a set of 12 small ones for $20. Just Google Diamond Files.

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: bubby on March 04, 2011, 07:19:38 am

what grit should I get, Bub

Title: Re: stalled notches
Post by: JackCrafty on March 04, 2011, 01:09:58 pm

You don't get much choice as far as grit.  The files are all about the same.