Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: DanaM on May 12, 2008, 02:43:44 pm
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We have what the locals call blue dolomite, definately harder than limestone, it has a pale blue color and you can see the
fine crstaline structure in a freshly broken piece. Googled Dolomite and some of the sites with specific info says it fractures conchoidial.
I went and grabbed a few pieces at lunch and will bang on them after work but I have a feeling I will need a baseball bat like hillbilly uses :D
Anyone know if this stuff is worth any messing with or if heat treating can improve it, at the least I may be able to get some axes and scrapers from it.
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Anything that practures conchoidail can be knapped. Be a man and knapp it raw. >:D Justin
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I will trade you a box for some of that wussy rock you have Justin ;)
Just because the locals call it Dolomite doesn't mean it is, doing a bit more research I see they were talking about the mineral
Dolomite fracturing in a Conchoidal manner, didn't say anything about the rock :-\
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Dana a picture says 1000 words, let us see it.
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I just came home from work I have one piece in the truck I will get a pic up later.
I don't think its gonna knap.
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Pictures, but this crap is hard don't think its gonna work maybe for an axe.
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/DanaMont/Bows/Other%20Stuff/IMG_1925.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/DanaMont/Bows/Other%20Stuff/IMG_1926.jpg)
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One word Dana! HEAT! LOTS OF HEAT!
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Looks like silicified limestone/dolomite. The better grades of it will knap, and you're right, wood is the best thing for it. It's really variable-one rock may knap good and the one lying next to it won't. The better stuff is good for large percussion pieces, but you're not going to get nice pressure-flaked arrowheads out of it unless you find some really highly silicified stuff like the Alibates stuff in Texas. I find some in Eastern TN that works pretty good. If you have limestone/dolomite, you probably have chert outcrops somewhere in the area.
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I'm looking fer the chert Hillbilly I'm looking, of course I'm not sure what it looks like but I'm looking 8)
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Just do the smack test Danna! Smack it with a hammer stone or billet and check the results. Just remember from the Classic some of the tough stuff really needs some heat! Burn baby BURN! (Can you tell I'm in my shop again!?!?)
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looks like great stuff for axe heads. very similar to some of the noviculite axes ive made
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Ok I beat on that chunk of rock and all I got in return is sore wrists, but man it was fun ;D
when I got tired of beating on it I tried spin up a coal got smoke but no fire :( Beer was cold and brats were good so all was not lost eh. ;)
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Looks like the same crap we throw under bridges for erosion. Have fun >:D
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dana post a pic of the fire board . close ups would be great
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Danna walk around and pee on random rocks, seems to work for me. ;)
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That almost looks like a hunk a sandstone, it's so grainy :-X. Don't know if it'll work or not - seeing them Parkers beat on that cry-a-lot and getting points out of it, I can honestly say that it might make something ;D.
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Paul, the rhyolite actually knaps pretty good, better than raw perd. Did you try any of the quartzite? That's the rough stuff. ;D
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Do what Jesse said Dana, It worked for me too. I found 2 milk crates of spalled rock doing it :o The hafted ax and adz I brought up was made from stuff similar to that. If you see some kinda pinkish or coca cola brown, you are starting to get "warm".
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Thanks for the advice guys but I'm telling ya there just ain't much up here. Come winter I will be knapping Ice Chunks ;D
Think winter starts again in a month or 2 :'(
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I tried some quartz I found around here Steve, made one thick point and busted all the rest into sand ;D. James gave me a couple chunks of that Rhyolite - gonna see if I can kill some copper when I get home next week ;D.