Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: gstoneberg on November 06, 2012, 12:32:28 am
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My wife is out of town so I spent quite a bit of time in the shop tonight. Prepared a cholla handle and got the blade glued in. Also cut a thin mesquite cap for the other end and sanded it flat. Here are the components:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8339/8159924597_bca18de83a_z.jpg)
I'd have had it all glued up tonight, but my smooth-on hardener lid was welded on and I couldn't get it off. I'll have to locate my other strap clamp to get it open. I did get the sinew wrap done before I called it a night.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8159959486_55d4ed19d0_z.jpg)
Then I got side tracked with a big spall, thought I'd do another knife blade.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8204/8159925871_97572d4d3c_z.jpg)
I should-a quit while I was ahead. I had it mostly thinned when I hit the base with the bopper to do a little thinning down there. The preform snapped about an inch down from the point end. I was so disgusted I didn't even take a picture. Then, I switched to making a big point. I had it mostly done but the tip was a little thick so I whacked it there and...
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8062/8159961190_ed7566cb42_z.jpg)
Took off the last 3/4". ::) I have got to learn to do my tip thinning with the ishi... :'( Finally ended up with a little 113 grain point.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8159927483_c2613a12e5_z.jpg)
What a waste of good flint. It was some primo stuff too. >:( O well, most of it's gravel now.
George
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That's a great looking knife George. Bummer about the other blade, but you made a great save. I have several pieces of Cholla, maybe I should make a knife. Yours is great.
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Cool, George. 8)
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nice knife and a great lookin' blade george, the smaller point looks like it'll hunt, Bub
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Hey is that one of the pieces I sent you? Looks great!
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Thanks guys, and yes Peter, that's one of your cholla pieces. I think every piece you sent will make a nice knife. Thanks. :) I'll have to fiill the smallest one with something to strengthen it. I remember somebody filling a cholla up with colored acrylic that was really pretty. This piece was stout enough it shouldn't need it.
Don, if I didn't want to keep that blade I got from you to display, it would sure make a pretty knife. I think you should do a knife. Did you find the cactus down there?
As for the point, it'd go on a dogwood shaft but I think it might be a little thick at the base to go into a cane shaft. I would have preferred a flat base but I had to knock off a big hump on one side with a flute and didn't want to lose any more length. Interestingly, after I broke the preform I knocked a 2" flute off the point end thinning up there. (I was frustrated and swinging pretty hard.) Boy, if I could just do that every time I need to...
George
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george fill that cholla with two part epoxy, you can add some color to it with food coloring, Bub
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Man George, you can push them out when the boss is away! :D . Really nice blade!
Tracy
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Nice knife & good save on the point.
Rob
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george fill that cholla with two part epoxy, you can add some color to it with food coloring, Bub
Bub, that thing is almost totally hollow. That'd be a lot of epoxy, it sure would be pretty though. Could never use 5min though, take longer than that just to mix. I have enough smooth-on but that's for laminates. Guess I need to go shopping...
The boss is back home, no knife work tonight. ;) Glad to have her home!
Thanks all,
George
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You could also try a dowel if it can fit.
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the couple i did were hollow as all get out, took two of the tubes to fill'em, wrap it in stretch wrap and fill her up, dont have to use 5 min, set the blade in the epoxy two, Bub
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here's a pic of the one my son made, epoxy with color, it did take a while to completlly cure out, Bub(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/knapping/Picture008-1.jpg)
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Bubby, great looking knife and handle. Did you fill the cholla from the end or each opening from the outside and then sand.
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OOOH G, that is one nice looking knife!! dpg
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jeb we filled it from the hilt end, Bub
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Thanks. :)
Bub, I went over to Harbor Freight and the only epoxy they had in big tubes was 5min. Did you say you were able to get quick set epoxy to work? They had their superglue on sale too. Might have to check Lowes for slower setting epoxy.
I'm thinking of shortening the handle a half inch or so. Looks a little long to me. Feels good though.
George
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NICE! 8)
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geoge i talked to my son jason and he said he used 5 min that he bought at wally world, the handle was big and took about 3 packs of it, wrapped it in stretch wrap, set it a bucket of sand to keep it upright dumped all the epoxy in a container and added the color and poured it in and set the blade, at least that's how he did it, Bub
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Can someone post a how to on Cholla knife building?
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They are both nice. I like the color. Makes my gears turn. I use loctite epoxy in the big bottles. It works great and the bottles are cheaper than a hand full of the tubes.
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Can someone post a how to on Cholla knife building?
i would but i gotta make a blade first, Bub
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Can someone post a how to on Cholla knife building?
I can take pictures of the epoxy filling I'll be doing in the next couple days, but since it's my first cholla knife handle I'm not sure I qualify to do a "how-to". It could very well turn out to be a "how not to..." :D
I've been side tracked with rifle deer hunting this weekend, but I'll get back at the knife this afternoon and tomorrow night. O wait, I first have to fix the garage door opener...
George
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Its looking pretty sweet so far George! Can't wait to see it finished. Josh
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Yea, I had planned to work on it tonight, but some friends came over and their kids went to town grinding up the deer from Saturday. Hopefully that'll all wrap up tomorrow and I can get on it.
George
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Lots of new pictures. Gonna go a little more build-a-long-ish now. Keep in mind it's new territory for me. Thanks for the help Bub.
I shortened the handle about an inch and wrapped it with cellophane. Borrowed some of the sand from my granddaughter's sand box.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8183966627_68b414f6b0_z.jpg)
The cholla is quite hollow.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8342/8183965993_6074eb7c8d_z.jpg)
Here's the colored epoxy set-up.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8201/8183965281_850e2e6d13_z.jpg)
5 drops of blue in about half of that epoxy. It was quick dry epoxy and I did it out in the shop where it was pretty cool, hoping to delay the time before hardening. Barely got it in before the epoxy went hard. It always amazes me how it can go from a liquid to a solid in just a few seconds.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8484/8184000450_2faacc8ece_z.jpg)
Made waaaay too much.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8340/8183999582_a26716f4e8_z.jpg)
I've got some clean-up to do, the glue seeped out a bit around each hole. Need to true up and glue on the mesquite end cap. Not a bad night's work.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8479/8183962363_b79ddc71a1_z.jpg)
George
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Way cool! ready to see the finished product!
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that's pretty much what ours looked like after unwraping, looking good, Bub
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Made a little more progress tonight before I assaulted the flint. Got the mesquite end cap shaped.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8070/8191357261_53179533e0_z.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8338/8192444608_07fa9e24d0_z.jpg)
Now I have a lot of hand sanding to do. I need to sand each epoxy spot as the cellophane left the surface really wavy and it's below the level of the cholla.
George
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Boy that sure looks nice! Love the look the end cap gives it.
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Can't wait to see the end product George that is looking really really cool.
Jon
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Finished up the cholla knife today. The finish is semi-gloss poly, 6 coats.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8236949060_f44ae47254_z.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8343/8236951388_87137214e3_z.jpg)
Didn't get the best glue line on the mesquite cap, the cholla is so soft it's hard to keep it steady enough on the sander.
George
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Alright!!! Nice work!!
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good to see the finished pics, look's great george, Bub
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Very nice George.
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George that looks great! I have a peice of that wood around here some where.
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Thanks guys. I wish I could make longer blades, but I guess all things in time. I have a lovely blade from Scott I intend to haft up next. Be awhile though with deer season still on and the freezer pretty low.
George
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George that came out way nice great job.
Knapper
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I did my knife about the same way but used good ole J B Weld to fill the handle, think I'll epoxy on the next one. I like the mesquite cap on yours. Bob
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George you do some nice work.
Rob
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Thank you guys, I am just copying Bubby. :)
George
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That came out great George! Well done sir! Josh
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8) Very Nice!
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Great job looks great
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I did two things both work good.
One is epoxy.
On a couple I made the tang longer to almost the end inch short. Welded a small nut on the end of the tang. Holloew out the center so nut fits through. Then put a washer on cut down screw the right size so when you tighten down the screw. The washer tighten down on the back of the handle. Tightening the handle down. Cut and add a end cap.