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Offline gstoneberg

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Spalling
« on: January 29, 2012, 05:18:03 pm »
I'm running out of spalls to make points out of, so I decided to see if I could get some spalls off a flint nodule.  Started like this:



and ended like this.  I saved a big chunk to try for a blade.



I'm sure this is no big deal to you guys that do it all the time, but I was sure glad to get some knappable pieces.  Had a lot of small stuff too, sadly, but some is better than none.  Decided to take the smallest, thinnest spall and make a quick point to practice my notching.  Boy, the raw stuff is HARD.  I whacked it like would have snapped every heated spall I have and it took it like it was nothing. :o  Did get a little point, very thin and notching went a lot better.




This is one of the few I've made thin enough to see a pattern in.  It's light, at 75gr.



I think I'll cook the rest after I've spalled a few more.

George
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St Paul, TX

Online Will H

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2012, 05:24:22 pm »
I'm proud for ya George! Them notches look great! ;) way to go brotha!
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Offline Tower

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2012, 05:51:38 pm »
Sometimes I like to just spall. Have a lot I need to do. Great set of pics.
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Offline bowtarist

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2012, 07:44:11 pm »
Cool gstone.  nice play by play too! dpgratz
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Offline Jimbob

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2012, 10:05:42 pm »
Looks like your getting the hang of notching!  Lookin good.
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Offline criveraville

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2012, 10:30:46 pm »
That's a nice looking point there George ;)

Cipriano
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Offline bubby

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2012, 12:06:10 am »
that's a great looking point George, Bub
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Online iowabow

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2012, 05:14:44 pm »
You got it now! That looks pro.  Great job
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Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2012, 06:01:08 pm »
Thanks all.  This thing is really thin.  I didn't contribute much to that, the spall just came that way.  That, and the the fact that it was raw stone so I could put more force on the notching tool really helped with the notches.  I couldn't get flakes to run across the surface of it for nothing. 

George
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St Paul, TX

Online iowabow

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2012, 03:28:44 pm »
I think you are doing great.  3-6 months from now maybe sooner you might think of that stone as one arrowhead and the flakes that come as possible alternate flakes for arrowheads.  This is hard to explain and it may be that it is just how I think.  I think of the stone as having a large point that I am going to go after.  I save the large flakes to make addition points from but I am coring out a larger prize.  You really don't even need to think of this at this point but put it in the back of your mind for later. 
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Online Gus

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2012, 04:06:28 pm »
George,

This is a Good Encouraging Thread!

My spalling skill right now is POOOOOR at best to this point.
I do try to approach the rock with the mindset similar to iowabow, shooting for a single point out of a nodule.

At this time I'm lucky if I get a passable point out of a nodule.
More likely I get a bunch of back fill for my yard and a fat semi pointy (Football shaped) pendulum.
But every now and then I get a flake that is workable.
And every now an again I get a point out of the workable flakes...  :o

-gus
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Online iowabow

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2012, 04:36:16 pm »
The one thing I really like about this web site is the respect everyone has for each other.   G when I look at your work I see me walking the same path and know that you are going to be good fast because your progress is simular to what I went through.   
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Offline gstoneberg

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2012, 04:59:52 pm »
I agree Gus, this is a good thread.  I feel the process is pitifully slow, but when I look back at the points I can see the slow improvement.  At the beginning the spall is what determined whether I'd get a point.  It was a big day when I took a thick spall and got it thin enough for a point.  Over the weekend I took a point that I'd given up on a few months ago because it was too thick and too narrow and finished it without incident.  So, I guess there's progress and it helps when John and others give help and encouragement.  Hopefully we can make some gravel this weekend when you're up.  I can check with my sweetheart, we have plenty of room if you want to come up the night before or stay into Sunday.  I have Sunday morning tasks at church though, so I don't get to knapp until the afternoon.  Sometimes that's nap in the afternoon... ;D

George
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Offline AncientArcher76

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2012, 12:24:45 pm »
Nice work on spalling that rock!

Russ
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Offline cowboy

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Re: Spalling
« Reply #14 on: February 01, 2012, 01:31:48 pm »
Good notching there George! I've sat and spalled a lot of times just getting some stuff ready to cook. I think that's better practice than knocking off a spall and making a point right then. Allows you to learn a lot and develop that knack..
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