Biface reduction pictures

[Saw Filer]

I sat down this morning and decided to take a few pictures of the progress as I reduced a chunk of Georgetown down to a biface.

 The first picture is a series of side shots showing the thickness from start to finish.

The next three are just shots of the progression after a series of thinning flakes have been removed.
  And the last picture is both sides of the finished blade.  It finished out 5" long 2-1/4" wide and 3/8" thick

[DanaM]

Thanks for sharing Shannon, some people have a God given talent and your one of them my friend

I also have a God given talent its Pi##ing people off At least I have a talent eh

[Saw Filer]

Ya ain't never pi$$ed me off
 But then... I can get along with most anybody. I've proven that with you     

[DanaM]

Youbetcha eh

[xin]

Thanks for posting.  Like to see how accomplished knappers do it.

[piper]

  Thanks Shannon for the pic's...Nice material and slick chipppppping...I enjoyed


  Curt

[jamie]

thats a great series of pics. mods should lock this at the top. would help people get an idea of what to hit. girlfriend is good with graphics and i was actually thinking of having her help me do a series like this to show striking angles and platform prep. peace

[Saw Filer]

I'm sure she could do a better job than I did Jamie.  Looking back, I wish I had held the rock in exactly the same position for each picture, showing the same side every time. Might help to mark some of the platforms with a sharpie too.  I know there's a better way than what I did.  I just don't know how.

[sailordad]

i wish i had enough rock to get good at making a nice biface like that.
damn son you got some sick skills 
lately all i can make is rubble,havent made a nice piece in a week or so now

[Saw Filer]

Tim, I been saving that piece for a while.  If you can make a small one...you can make a big one.  Ya just gotta set up the platforms and WHACK 'EM!
 
 I get like that some times. I never start out working a good piece of rock. Most all of those "scrap" points were made as warm up points.  If I break one I'll usually walk away for a while.

[aero86]

yes, platform prep, sharpies.  yes, please use next time. 

could you do an arrowhead?  i can get long flakes when getting arrowhead material, then i think i have a good platform and the flake goes no where.

[ricktrojanowski]

Thanks for posting this Shannon.  I'm stuck at about the 3rd from left.  When I try to go thinner than that I usually get into trouble.  Are you varying the placement of the platform the thinner you get?

[Lombard]

Super cool.

[Saw Filer]

Rick, I set up platforms to always have more mass above it, than it does below it.
 When they get down there fairly thin, the platforms are pretty much centered though.  That's when isolation becomes more important.  I relieve the areas on both sides of the platform on the top side of the point and make sure the flake to be removed has some convexity or at least a ridge to travel.

[aero86]

are your platforms where it comes to a point on the edge?  im pretty sure i understand, but im not sure!