Practice with glass

[Blackfoot58]

I found this jar base while creek walking. I decided to use it for a practice piece for knapping. This will help me to not waste my larger flint pieces while I learn.
I chickened out; decided to stop for awhile, before it breaks. Hopefully it’ll resemble a blade/knife when finished.
I’m having some trouble trying to get the platforms thin enough to take a decent chip while pressure flaking.
The wooden man is 3” tall, for comparison.

 

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[ToddsPoint]

I’ll give you a quick pressure flaking lesson.
First, with your pressure flaker, bevel the edge of a flake.

Next, using the bevel as a platform, take off a series of flakes, making a serrated edge. Push mainly downward and not inward.

This is what it will look like on the back after the series has been taken off. The little ridges will guide your next set of flakes off this side.

Now turn it back over and grind the points that are sticking out. Grind well. The points sticking out now become your platforms and the pressure flake removal will follow the ridge you made.

With the flake on your pad use a lot of pressure on the platforms. Push the point of your tool hard against the platform inward, load up pressure and snap it off. The set of flakes you take off will follow the ridges and this set of flakes will go longer.

Raw Burlington like you have is not easy to pressure flake. Heated material is much easier with pressure flaking.

 

[Blackfoot58]

I’ll give you a quick pressure flaking lesson.
First, with your pressure flaker, bevel the edge of a flake. View attachment 2134926 View attachment 2134927

Next, using the bevel as a platform, take off a series of flakes, making a serrated edge. Push mainly downward and not inward. View attachment 2134928

This is what it will look like on the back after the series has been taken off. The little ridges will guide your next set of flakes off this side. View attachment 2134929

Now turn it back over and grind the points that are sticking out. Grind well. The points sticking out now become your platforms and the pressure flake removal will follow the ridge you made. View attachment 2134930

With the flake on your pad use a lot of pressure on the platforms. Push the point of your tool hard against the platform inward, load up pressure and snap it off. The set of flakes you take off will follow the ridges and this set of flakes will go longer. View attachment 2134931


Raw Burlington like you have is not easy to pressure flake. Heated material is much easier with pressure flaking.

Thanks. I am struggling to get the platforms correct. My grinding doesn’t seem to help much. Maybe I’m not grinding enough. (?)

 

[ToddsPoint]

Grinding platforms is critical, both for percussion and pressure. Too much grinding and the flake won’t release. With percussion this is sure way to break the preform in half. Too little grinding and the platform will collapse and not produce a flake. Here’s a small nodule of “mean white” flint I found at the river yesterday. I used the andesite hammerstone to detach the flake.