Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: cowboy on June 18, 2009, 01:22:34 pm
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I keep driving past this sign going to work down I35. Thought i'd make an Andice outa Georgetown :). A couple have asked about punch notching so I thought this would be a good opportunity to help explain how I've been doing it with copper.
Make your point or blade and get some little tiny notches started with pressure (I usually go in about three flakes or so) then abrade it down with some kind of little tool. flip the thing over and punch, punch. Be careful to not let the shoulder lay on your pad or your likely to break it off. I let everything just kinda float out in thin air and drive the flake into the pad. Another thing there is to drive your punch into the pad too or it'll follow through and break off a shoulder. Abrade those notches up after every flake then flip it and repeat - keep going till ya find what your looking for or something baaaaad happens ;D. I actually broke about a quarter inch off of this one and had to redress the base :-X.
Here's a few pics to go along and the little flakes you'll get out of those punched notches.
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more.
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wow beautiful point.
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Thanks, Paul. I've got a nice smooth, thin hand-sized biface made out of some of that rock you sent me that's screamin' to be an Andice/Calf Creek, but I haven't gotten up the nerve to start punchin' on it yet. Your tutorial helps answer a couple questions about punching that I had. I like that pic with the point and all the flakes laying around it-cool shot.
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Way cool Paul and a very nice job exlaining the how to. I always just punched on my leg pad,(ear breaker is my middle name):) but after seeing how you do it I will have to try that.
I agree with Hillbilly about that one pic....Super point!
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Real nice job, Paul. It seems like everytime I try this it always seems like I'm a juggler, or need three hands.
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Cowboy, nice job. Pretty point. Thanks for the tutorial! Always enjoy your posts.
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Dang, I know that sign.....
You are a brave man, my friend. Those shoulders would be vibratn' like a tuning fork if it were me punchin' that point....
And how do you get the thing to "float out in thin air "? Are you putting pressure on the tip while you punch? I can already hear the *snap* in my head.... ;)
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That's what I was getting at, Patrick. Trying to hold everything in the right spot at the same time.
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Wow. That is a great point. I've seen some of those and wondered how that notching was done. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks ya'll. Steve: you better go ahead and punch that thing - go ahead and hit it, it won't break - I promise ;D ::). That thing turned out OK but it's not quite the right shape (as I have problems with) and could have been somewhat thinner. I saw one a feller had up in OK a coupla weeks ago that was a lot thicker with deeper notches and around five inches long. He had been offered $250.00 for it, after I showed him one in my ID book he bugged his eyes and I never saw him again :D.
Yup, I figure you've seen that sign before Patrick - back in your old neighborhood :). I don't know why you ever moved - I'm having a blast down there while I'm supposed to be workin ::). Oh, about floating everything out in thin air. I just try to keep the base and shoulders out past the pad. The only part resting on the pad is the notch being punched - and yep, three hands would be a blessing ;).
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Thanks for posting this Paul, it's exactly what I needed to know. ;)
BTW, that point is KILLER!
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Yep, I saw that sign tonight too. Thanks for the lead Paul. I didn't make a haul, but I got a few nice rocks. Not bad, for just being in the neighborhood.
Those notches are wicked bad. Great job.
Mike
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Thanks, but I would still have to see it done in person. I still need to learn to do that. I keep breaking the opposite ear, or barb off. I have a lot of fish harpoons...... ;D That is a beautiful point. ;)
Wayne
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Great point Paul, not sure I could manage them notches with 4 hands ::) :D
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That is a beautiful point! Thanks for the tips on how to punch notch, I tryed some earlier with mixed results, sometimes iI would get huge C flakes almost like an overshot an broke alot of ears off. Thanks Paul. Later Bob
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Very nice Cowboy,you do some amazing work. :)
Pappy
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thanks all! It all takes practice, and as GregB likes - endeavor to persevere ;D. So much stuff to do and so little time ::).
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holy $#!+ !!!
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Thats awsome, I'll be trying that. will that technique work for removing stacks.. lol
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I have taken some stacks off with a punch but they always dive into the opposite side if not break the point in half. I recommend avoiding stacks ;D.
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thanks all! It all takes practice, and as GregB likes - endeavor to persevere . So much stuff to do and so little time .
;D Those three words pretty much sums up life doesn't it? ;D
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If you ask a really good knapper about how to remove stacks,They will always say,"Just don't put them in there" Every time! ;D