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I suck at this...

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paulc:
So this is a piece of what seems to me perfectly good obsidian that ought to have an arrow head in it.  It is the 4th piece that I reduced to gravel yesterday after work.  I actually got some good flakes that stretched completely across the piece on all 4 starts yesterday.  But after perhaps 10-15 minutes of work on a piece I had broken all 4 into multiple pieces of mostly useless rock.  Anyone know of any knapping events coming up in the next couple months within say 4hrs of Savannah, GA?

THanks, 

Parnell:
How long have you been doing this Paul?  As the expression goes...you gotta break A LOT of rock.

Sit back settle in get comfortable and analyze whats going on.  You've got to understand the principles of what's going on so understand how to set up and manipulate platforms and the correct way to grind the angles that you are striking the rock and the amount of pressure you are puting on the rock...WITH BOTH HANDS, left and right.  The tighter you grip your piece the less the energy travels.  Think holding a baby bird.  Don't overgrip your bopper, either.  I've found that most times you don't need much "backswing" with the bopper, and like with most sports and stuff, "follow through" is everything.  Abrade your edges.  Abrade your edges.  Abrade your edges.  Angles and pressure at which you abrade MATTER.

I'd say beginners get way to caught up in trying to get the point before getting an even preform.  Concentrate on making an oval with a nice even bifaced cross-section.  Then start thinking points.

Don't get frustrated.  It takes time. 

Stringman:
You said a mouthful, Stevo! Paul if at all possible, try to make it to the Classic. Gonna be lots of good instruction goin on there. And maybe a free rock or two will be handed out.  :-K

Outbackbob48:
Steve, very well said, I agree 100% about new knappers trying to go all the way on the first date :o Just try and make clean preforms. When it starts to get ugly grab another rock and make the cleanest preform that you can, after going thru all your rock go back and try thin your preform into a point, hopefully after all those preforms you will have learned how to then go to finishing into a point. Paul take your time and enjoy the ride, North Georgia knappin the end of April, Lots of knappers at the Tenn. classic, new knappin coming up in May weekend after the classic in Virgina. I'm thinking about going to the classic and working my over to the new Virginny knappin the next weekend. Don,t get discouraged it takes lots of practice at first, Knapping is a hobby of tonnage. Paul not sure if those knappins are within 4 hrs Check them out and maybe I,ll run into you at one of them. Bob

paulc:
I've only been serious since maybe the New Year.  I have busted a 5 gal bucket of very questionable stuff from OH that I collected myself, a 20lb box of Texas stuff off Ebay and this Obsidian, 20lb I guess also off of ebay.  I have a bunch of glass, maybe 1/4" thick I got somewhere that I get even worse results from.  It cracks and flakes every which way.

North GA is definitely a possibility as I used to work outside Dahlonega for those of you that know N GA.  Love those mountains.  Where/when is the N GA event?

Thanks,

Paul

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