Author Topic: what did you learn on?  (Read 6899 times)

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JustinNC

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2011, 03:48:47 pm »
All this advice is good! I learned on raw pedernales stuff and the occasional root beer that I found. Tonnage, then I learned the art of cooking the rock and worked with that  - tonnage ;D till I started picking up on it. Looked at books, vid's, utube. Best thing I ever did was get with somebody that could show me in person..

cowboy I know and have watched a few people that are pretty fair, but I've yet to watch anybody knap rhyolite that is consistant on it. I guess I need to point the truck towards Creston and see if I can talk Mr Parker into breaking rock with me.

Offline bubby

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2011, 04:35:18 pm »
jackcrafty, what do ya use for soft stone abrader's
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Offline cowboy

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2011, 05:52:28 pm »
I sat and watched James (robustus) one weekend and picked up a lot along with a peice of green rhyolite that he gave me. I think it must be some of the best rhyolite because it works good. I'm still hanging onto one chunk of it :).
When you come upon a track or trail you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing.

JustinNC

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2011, 05:57:13 pm »
I sat and watched James (robustus) one weekend and picked up a lot along with a peice of green rhyolite that he gave me. I think it must be some of the best rhyolite because it works good. I'm still hanging onto one chunk of it :).

about 2hrs from here to James' front door. I've got some less than ideal stuff, and some decent stuff. I picked up a piece lastnight that was really nice. I promptly put it back down because I didnt want to mess it up. I can get all that stuff I want. Some works a lot better than other and I've managed to mess it up never the less.

Offline Hillbilly

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #19 on: February 17, 2011, 08:11:23 pm »
You have to HIT rhyolite, you can't play with it. Hit it like you're trying to kill a snake. ;D Also, rhyolite ain't rhyolite ain't rhyolite. Some of it is like granite. Some of it is layered and can't be worked without steps. Some is good stuff. I learned percussion on something even worse-I went to TN and picked up a couple truckloads of silicious limestone, works about like the porphyritic rhyolite.
Smoky Mountains, NC

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Progress might have been all right once but it's gone on for far too long.

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #20 on: February 17, 2011, 08:19:28 pm »
Bubby, I use sandstone.  There are various grades of sandstone.  Use the stone that holds together well and doesn't make too much dust is the good stuff.
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline mullet

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #21 on: February 17, 2011, 10:03:52 pm »
 Steve, I guess you didn't like that Chert I brought to Cade's the first time? ;D I've watched James beat and make some beautifull points out of Ryolite using wood billets. And I've watched Claude VanOrder beat on the same kind of stone with copper boppers. And, honestly, the end product is hard to tell. I think a knapper with a butt load of experiance can turn out points  of dirt if they had too.

Steve, you saw that Clovis point that Claude made out of Argilite. It doesen't have the first hint of a stack and was fluted on both sides by hand. And then the flutes thinned out finishing it, all with copper.

 I still like beating on that crap because I like a challenge. :(
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Offline bryan irwin

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #22 on: February 17, 2011, 10:37:30 pm »
justin bring some of that over to the house cause i done broke up all of mine i got a 2' high pile of gravel and no points.
bryan irwin

JustinNC

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #23 on: February 17, 2011, 10:40:04 pm »
Steve I talked to james tonight, sounds like I may be using a soft hammer stone when I should be using hard hammer stone, also sounds like I'm using stone when I should be using wood, also, I keep worrying about breaking it...and I shouldn't and just need to drive the flake on off. Also learned that I don't need a moose billet. Now a little/lot more dues paying and riding to creston one day to see how it's done, I orta get somewhere.

Offline leapingbare

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #24 on: February 17, 2011, 11:11:28 pm »
I'm from Charlotte NC and before i joined the Army i knapped a lot of rhyolite i mean a lot and thats also what i cut my teeth on.
 Its been 12 years and i live in the flint Mecca now i middle north TN  ;D ;D ;D
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JustinNC

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2011, 11:27:58 pm »
Oh yeah, I've seen that candy you get up that way! I thought I'd read where you started on rhyolite. So you grew up in charlotte itsself or what?

JustinNC

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #26 on: February 18, 2011, 12:48:51 am »
Found some harder hammerstones and got some cleaner, more predictable flakes and started whackin it harder and viola, less stacks and easier thinning.

Offline Bill Skinner

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #27 on: February 19, 2011, 12:59:00 am »
I learned on Buffalo River chert and Talahatta Quartzite.  I switched to obsidion for a while, I love/hate it.  Easy to get thin but I cut the snit out of myself every time I worked a chunk.  Bill

Offline leapingbare

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #28 on: February 19, 2011, 08:28:53 am »
Yes i was raised in the city Justin. Moms parents lived out in iron station and i spent my summers out there. When i was 16 i went to live with some friends of the family Ann and Hawkeye. They were big into abo skills and my journey began,through them i met others and been at it ever sense.
Mililani Hawaii

Offline jamie

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Re: what did you learn on?
« Reply #29 on: February 19, 2011, 08:30:02 am »
after steves comment all i can picture is justin running around the rhyolite with a billet and beating the snot out of it  ;D
definetly check out the rocker punch knapping. not a lot of good info on it but once you figure it out it works incredibly well. does a great job on the nasty stuff. it was the only way i could get decent flakes from low grade onandaga. i also used the method to shape connecticut basalt before i grind it for celts. our basalt makes rhyolite look like obsidian.
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