Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: Andrea S on April 05, 2008, 04:04:32 pm
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Before traders came along, you're well aware that the native Americans used stone and knapped their arrowheads. However, in places such as the Northern Plains, there was no suitable rock to be found. Instead, they crafted their arrowheads and spearpoints from elk, antelope, or buffalo bone.
The points I will be showing how to make are crafted from cow bone, as it is the most readily available to me. I call these bone points "anyone can make" because I'm a college kid with limited resources and a limited budget, so if I can make them, chances are, you should be able to as well. I'm using a Dremel tool for most of the shaping (primitive, I know) because it's the best tool I have for the job. You could just as easily (though perhaps not as quickly) use a coping saw and hand files and rasps to do the same thing I'm doing.
A word of warning: bone dust is SMELLY. Unless your shop has fantastic ventilation (I'm talking chem lab fume hood here), you're doing your work right next to a running shop vac, or you just really love funky smelling things...DO IT OUTSIDE. Your wife will thank you, your roommates will thank you, your nose will thank you. If it's breezy and you can get it so the wind is blowing everything away from you, more's the better.
Okay, so, here we go.
Supplies:
- Beef bone, clean as possible, or bone from any other critter that's at least 1/4" thick
- Pocket knife
- Dremel tool, with cutoff wheels and sanding cylinders
- Small hand files
- Safety glasses (you only have one set of eyeballs!!!)
- Particulate filter mask (so you’re not snorking bone dust)
It was suggested that I try a pet store to find beef bones. I did, at Wally World, for under $4. It was double wrapped and labeled something like "Beef Ribeye Chew". I wouldn't try using the knob ends of the bones, since they don't provide a good flat blank.
It still had gristle on it. If you can avoid getting gristly bone, do so. The gristle is great for your dog but you're trying to make a bone head here, not a meat head ::). I boiled it for a bit to soften up the gristle, which created a rather interesting smell, and may or may not have actually done anything important. I then used my trusty pocket knife to scrape away the gristle and membrane as best I could. Don’t worry about getting it super duper clean; the gristle is likely to get ground completely off in shaping. The only annoying part is that pencil doesn’t really write on it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4054.jpg)
So then, we have a nice clean bone:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4055.jpg)
Now, you should look the bone piece over for cracks. Mark them out with a red pen so you don't accidentally try to make an arrowhead out of the cracked section.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4057.jpg)
Also, these bones often have a large vein cavity running through them. You can find them by looking for a large hole in the end of the bone, then following the slightly raised section across the surface. I'm not 100% sure if using this portion is entirely detrimental, but I'm not going to try finding out the hard way. Mark where the vein runs with a red pen, same as the cracks.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4060-1.jpg)
After some consideration, I decided on two different sizes for my arrowheads. Making some wide and some thin arrowheads is probably the best way to maximize space usage on a bone. I made paper templates and traced the outlines of the arrowheads in appropriate places on the bone with pencil.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4058.jpg)
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The trick is to make the arrowheads fit into the flat planes of the bone as much as possible. If there is unavoidable curvature underneath the template, make it so that the point area is the curved part, as it will be taken down the most in thickness and the curve can probably be negated. You can see in the below picture that the placement of that arrowhead is too curved at the butt end, so it needs to be shifted left.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4062.jpg)
You have to constantly keep sighting down the bone to see it, though, because from the top, the placement of the template looks just fine.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4063.jpg)
When you’re satisfied with the placement, trace the outside edge of your pencil marks with a regular sized Sharpie marker. The thickness of this mark is appropriate to allow for the kerf of the Dremel cut-off wheel. You can see I've simplified the points to triangles, because it will be much easier to cut the notches at a later stage.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4064.jpg)
Now, get an extension cord and take your dremel and your bone and a big pile of cutoff wheels OUTSIDE.
The toughest part of cutting out these forms is allowing for curvature of the shape. You will grenade a cutoff wheel REAL quick if you try to make it follow a curve while cutting. Bone grinds down surprisingly fast, but this job will likely take you a while, because no matter how good your technique, cutoff wheels will be exploding all over the place.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4069.jpg)
Eventually, you will end up with something like this:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4070.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4071.jpg)
And with a little persistence, you'll end up with these:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4072.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4073.jpg)
Next up, shaping - get your sanding drum Dremel bits ready!
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you go Girl!!
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This is interesting Andrea. Thanks for taking the time to post this build along. 8) Pat
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very nice! i like it
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Looks like they're well on their way. Does the band-aid have anything to do with the trusty pocketknife? ;D
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great job cant wait to see rest have my sanding drum on my dremmel tool and my box of bandaids ready to go .Actually I have a couple of large cow bones that I thought about trying so Im watching to see how yours come out
Dennis
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yep, can't wait for this one. got a huge cow bone in the freezer, that wants to become a butload of arrowheads ;D
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Cool do along Andrea I have a couple deer legbones I keep meaning to do something with :)
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Nope, the band aid was from using a board full of nails to separate out some nice greasy buffalo sinew, and accidentally separating out my finger in the process. Wasn't really fully aware of it till the fibers started turning pink. :o
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Okay, so...bones being the generally non-flat items they are, your blanks are bound to end up with some googly shapes. So, throw on the handy-dandy sanding drum bit and start shaping it out until it looks like a normal and perfect arrowhead blank.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4075.jpg)
Now, your bone piece is going to have a natural curve to it, as you can see from the end.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4076.jpg)
Don't fight it - work with it. If you mimic that curve on the convex side, you've begun to flute your arrowhead!
Make sure you've got everything all nice and symmetrical...sometimes a large part of that involves simply adjusting the angle of the bottom.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4077.jpg)
Then, draw out where you want the edge taper to begin.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4078.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4083.jpg)
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Just start ripping away with that dremel, making your angle tapers meet in a nice straight edge. When you've got that much roughed out, decide where you want your fluting to be. Then, draw a line across the arrowhead a little bit more towards the tip from where your fluting ends. From this line to the tip is where your taper will be (in terms of the thickness of the arrowhead).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4085.jpg)
Then, be sure to shiver a whole bunch because you're doing this outside in the cold.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4088.jpg)
Here's a profile of the taper.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4091.jpg)
It's tough to see the fluting in these pictures, but I've used the drum sanding bit and basically laid it down between my marks to make a channel, then moved it about to add some taper. I've also drawn on where I need to cut the corners so that the arrowhead is easier to pull out of a target, and the notches where sinew will be wrapped to secure the head to the shaft.
Back to the cutoff wheel, and a bit more of the sanding drum to smooth the bottom out, and voila!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4094.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4096.jpg)
Minus some final sharpening, you've got yourself an arrowhead!
Pretty neat, compared to that ugly chunk of bone we started with.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4095.jpg)
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Please, feel free to ask any questions, or better yet, before I complete any more of these arrowheads, point out anything I might've screwed up!
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/IMG_4075.jpg)
For a second I thought this was going to be safer than knapping. Now I can see that my leg is in just as much danger and probably my fingers too.
Thanks for sharing this Andrea. Justin
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Yeah, I dremelled (just invented that word) my fingers once or twice with the sanding drum...hurt like heck for a few good seconds. Luckily haven't gotten myself with a cutoff wheel, and I don't even want to think about it!! Yowch!
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You are wearing a Dust Mask...aren't you??? Bone Dust isn't a good thing to breath at all....besides the possibilities of Mad Cow Disease and other Diseases....the Dust particles are small enough that you Lungs have trouble expelling them....and Bone Dust is a possible Carcinogen too....so do Me a Favor and buy a cheap Dust Mask ...if you aren't using one now!!
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Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
Mike
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WOW those are great
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Great post lady... you are officially a Montana girl now... Bone points , Sinew makin wounds... You can naver go back now.. LOL ... keep your chin to the wind Hawk..a/ho
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cool!
How thick are they at the butt? 1/8th? I imagine they must be pretty thin?
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came out very nice. great dremel-a-long ;D
will you show us pictures of the finished arrow one day?
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The thickness at the fluting is 3/16", and the thickest parts of the arrowhead are consistently 1/4". The point is 2 1/4" long and 3/4" at the widest.
Yankee, remember, at the very beginning with supplies, I listed a particulate filter mask! Don't worry, I'm all about safety first, my dad brought me up right.
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My Bad......should have known....you were brought up in Yankeeland too!!! Good Girl....you always listen to your Dad!!!! Even when He starts to lose His Mind like Me!!!!!! 50 now.....so things get away on you a little!! :-[
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Very nice tutorial and points. Thank you.
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Andrea nice lookin point, you could always lay a piece of leather over your leg to protect it.Or if your in the dorm, your roomates coat would work [dont get caught doing it though] nice point I am going to try it this week
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wow great lookin points im sure you could kill something with those. ;)
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I wasn't resting my work on my leg at all, it's just hard to hold a dremel and an arrowhead and a camera all at the same time. I had no problem finding room for my fingers to grip a safe enough distance from what I was grinding on.
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hey are those sharp enough for hunting larger game etc...?
~Nate
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Nate I have taken several animals with bone points .... Looks like Andrea's points should do the trick and then some.. Hawk
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Here's an illustration to further clarify what happens when you turn an odd shape into a proper arrowhead.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/bambamthesheep/results.jpg)
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Wow Andrea, I'm very impressed. I just saw this and want to say thank you for such a good thread.Very nice points. I've been wanting to have one or two white points in my quiver and haven't found any good white chert around here but I know where to get bone ;D ;D Keenan
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Hi, Very nice heads and very well done too! Thanks for your time.
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Thanks for the comments, guys.
As soon as I get to it, I'll post some pictures of how I go about sharpening the points up a bit and hafting them. Bone arrowheads are pretty light, so I'll be foreshafting the cane arrows I'm making.
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Those are turning out nice Andrea! thanks for sharing how you've done it.
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those are very very nice points i like them alot.
keenan i was with my friend and she wanted me to shoot my bow but i dint have a target so i flight shot my bow and the beautiful white chert arrow head i had is all muddy now i need to clean it up.
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those are very very nice points i like them alot.
keenan i was with my friend and she wanted me to shoot my bow but i dint have a target so i flight shot my bow and the beautiful white chert arrow head i had is all muddy now i need to clean it up.
You got your Arrow Point Muddy....but you impressed the Girl.....way to go!!!!!! See there is still Hope for you!!!! ::)
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o ya she like it and then we wold race to the arrow but she always won becasue she could see it first i think i need glasses
then i had her shoot my bow but shes lefty and im righty so i t was wierd and i had to show her how to hold it and what to do. ::)
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o ya she like it and then we wold race to the arrow but she always won becasue she could see it first i think i need glasses
then i had her shoot my bow but shes lefty and im righty so i t was wierd and i had to show her how to hold it and what to do. ::)
One day you will have all the Time in the world to show Her how to hold and shoot that Bow....I guarantee it!!!
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o ya she like it and then we wold race to the arrow but she always won becasue she could see it first i think i need glasses
then i had her shoot my bow but shes lefty and im righty so i t was wierd and i had to show her how to hold it and what to do. ::)
One day you will have all the rime in the world to show Her how to hold and shoot that Bow....I guarantee it!!!
AWWWWWWW~ :D
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Sounds like an awesome keeper you got there David, My first date with my wife we met at the bow shop to look at some bows then went and had our first dinner together. I knew befor I got home she was the one created for me. Six years later and we are still on the honeymoon ;) Keenan
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David thats pretty cool, now have you offered to make her a bow yet ;)
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or better yet, help her make her own (that way you spend more time together >:D )?
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Oh yea pictures David, and when ya gonna introduce us all to yer young lady, yer not ashamed or embarassed by us are you >:D ;D
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Aww, and the pressure mounts, hehehe ;D.
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I like how this thread has turned into the archery love connection...., :P >:D
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Andrea, They usually always turn to food. A bit of love is a nice change but I'm sure it will get back to food sooner or later. BTW, nice bone arrow head. Looking forward to seeing the finished arrow. Pat
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yall are so funny i dont know what to say.
Dana she wants a bow with a hot pink and lime green stripe :P
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Well what the heck ya doing on here ya better get to it, its best to learn early on who
controls the relationship, give ya a hint, its not the guy :o If she's real good she will make
you believe yer in control but actually your just doing what she wants ya to ;) :)
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Can you get bone points sharp like stone points? It looks like its easer to make them than stone.I broke a few rocks before i got a stone point made.You did a find job showing us how to make one.
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I like how this thread has turned into the archery love connection...., :P >:D
We still Love Your Bone Points too......Andrea........it's just when you get a bunch of Guys Talking Bows and Arrows.....We just let Emotions run Rampant!!!!!!! ::) ::) But I am sure getting Hungry for a Big Elk Steak...with Sauteed Mushrooms and Sweet Onions....withTaters and a Salad on the Side....with Homemade Butter and Potato Bread....and lots of Gravy to Sop Up!!!! GAWD.....I Gotta Go!!!!!!! :o :o
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Ugh, don't do that to me, I just got done with
dinner slop at crappy crappy university food service...how I long for real food...
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Ugh, don't do that to me, I just got done with dinner slop at crappy crappy university food service...how I long for real food...
Thats OK....I only had a Freschetta Pizza myself!!!!!!!! But Tomorrow...I am off....and I will have it!! And I will even Post Pictures to make you sicker!!!! ;D
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i had really good italian for dinner tonite. i like having an italian mom they can cook! ;D
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i had really good italian for dinner tonite. i like having an italian mom they can cook! ;D
Yep....My Wife is half Italian and half Chippewa....and I am glad that She learned from the Italian Half on how to Cook!!!!
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Italian food is very good. i am also part english on my dads side and i am glad i dont have to eat blood pudding :P
this is sort of the wrong place but what did the Blackfoot Indian's bows look like?
Andrea your points are very very nice. i really like them :)
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Italian food is very good. i am also part English on my dads side and i am glad i don't have to eat blood pudding :P
David ...I grew up with an English...from the Old Country English Grand Mother and Grand Father....they are as bad as the Ojibwa....when it comes to not wasting anything from an Animal....Blood Pudding ....Blood Sausage....Liver and Onions...Kidney Pie....Head Cheese....Tongue( really good!!)....and everything that they cook they loaded with either Suet or Lard....hell they even ate the Tripe.....gag me !!!!
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tongue wouldnt be too bad its just a muscle but everything else :P
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Go to a really authentic mexican restaurant and they will probably have lengua tacos on the menu...cow tongue. It's really quite tasty!!
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Go to a really authentic mexican restaurant and they will probably have lengua tacos on the menu...cow tongue. It's really quite tasty!!
Yeah they are....actually Tongue is very tender....about the best cut of Meat to me...besides a Big Fat Marbled Rib Eye.....well Andrea ....you get the Picture!!! But....remember where that Tongue was a few days ago.........get the Picture??? If you grew up near Cattle you get my Drift!!!! >:D
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Blood sausage is quite good if made right, ya got to have fresh pig blood, new a Croatian guy back in the
70's that made good stuff. Tried store bought once was yucky.
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Hi, Blood pudding?? Is that the same as Black pudding? If it is it's made by using the best blood and is quiet good for you...... Yankee sounds like you grew up with my grandparnets in 1875..... >:D ;D Steak and kidney pie is OK,liver and onion not for me,if you've got it eat it, it would be a waste not to. Head cheese? But it sounds alot like the war ere thinking to me. But hey judge a country by two people..... ;)
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Hi, Blood pudding?? Is that the same as Black pudding? If it is it's made by using the best blood and is quiet good for you...... Yankee sounds like you grew up with my grandparnets in 1875..... >:D ;D Steak and kidney pie is OK,liver and onion not for me,if you've got it eat it, it would be a waste not to. Head cheese? But it sounds a lot like the war ere thinking to me. But hey judge a country by two people..... ;)
I probably did grow up with them!!!! They say I am as old as Dirt!!! No My Great Grand Parent on my Fathers Side came from Cornwall England....they were a poor people...and they wasted not...so they had some really weird recipes...and I grew up with them ....Dana...Blood Sausage is good....but to have it boiling all day on ones Stove in the House.....not for Me!!! Blood Pudding...is Black Pudding.....and I will pass on this too!!! Even though it is said to be really good for you......Not Me!!!
As for the head Cheese....this is how I remember it....My Great Grandmother....would have a Sheep slaughtered....they would make Blood Sausage from the Blood....process all of the Carcass....take the Head...saw it in pieces...put it in a Big Pot on a Fire Pit in the Back Yard....simmer it all day..all of the Colagen (Hide Glue!!) would boil out of the Brain and Bone....they would scrape all of the cooked meat from the Skull....dice it up into small pieces...mix it with diced potatoes and Onions ...garlic and other spices.... simmer it till the Veggies are cooked but firm....pour it into a Cake Pan and let it cool....then it is served like a Sausage or Sandwich Meat....it is really good...if you don't watch it being made!!!
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Yup folks used to eat everything but the mooo, squeel, or baaa.
My mom grew up on a farm she quit eating, tongue, brains, kidneys etc when she moved to town,
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Yup folks used to eat everything but the mooo, squeel, or baaa.
My mom grew up on a farm she quit eating, tongue, brains, kidneys etc when she moved to town,
You can boil da Brains fer da Glue...and da Kitneys are guud Fish Bait....but dat Tongue...now ders a Meal fer ya!!!!
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Pat Wrote; Andrea, They usually always turn to food. A bit of love is a nice change but I'm sure it will get back to food sooner or later. BTW, nice bone arrow head. Looking forward to seeing the finished arrow. Pat
Called that one right Pat. Seems love and food are always connected ;D Keenan
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Nice points Andrea. Did you get any funny looks while you were working from other students walking by? ;D That would definitely fall under the older post: " you know your obsessed with primitive archer if....". WEll DONE
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Oh yes, I got lots of funny looks. Mostly from the kids who don't live with me...they all know I'm ...ahhh....eccentric.
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lol just start knapping and then yo will get more wierd looks ;D
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Oh yes, I got lots of funny looks. Mostly from the kids who don't live with me...they all know I'm ...ahhh....eccentric.
Seem perfectly normal to me ;D
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Now you gotta start dressing in buckskins and making fire with a hand drill. ;D
I just saw this thread, very nice points. I've got some bone that I'm planing on using for an arrowhead, I guess I'll get working. ;D
Sean
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Very nice points.Great build along.I am going to try it with brown bear femur.We don't have many cows on our island,but we sure have the brown bears. Frank
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You have inspired me to make these points.Thank you Very Nice points maybe mine will turn out near as good as yours.
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Andrea If ya keep making those bones Please Boil the heck out of them,get the grease out and it will kill the Germs that cause illness also Silicosis is real hard to get rid of basically its the same thing as Asbestosis. I use 2 water filter buckets and a chamber filter that goes into a vacume to get most of the airboune stuff.Nice work dear.PK
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All this talk about food is making me hungry! Someone mentioned tripe earlier. I guess they have never tried Menudo. Served with chopped chile serrano, onions, fresh corn tortillas, and a squeeze of lime juice! It is great when you are hung over!
The information on the bone points is great, and so are the pictures. Thanks!
Sakimoto ;D
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VERY nice!
I was just thinking about that and came on to find this.
Question;
What's the weight on something like that?
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Here's a hint from a mechanic who uses dremel cut-off wheels...coat the wheel with a super glue, let dry. Adds to smell, but, keeps them from exploding too bad.
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GREAT.......THANKS ALOT.....now I have another project! I'm never gonna get my honey do's done!! Nice heads!!
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Do you have a recommended way to finish/preserve/protect it when finished? thx
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Cool build-along, Andrea! I would like to invest in a dremel tool myself. How much does one of them set you back?
CP
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they look cool can't wait to make my own
and just thought i would post this to bump it up a little
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Good Idea paganwannbe..Maybe one of the Mods will find it in their hearts to move it to the Archive Libary
Thanks Leroy
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I've found that they tend to snap pretty easily. Anyone else have experience with using them?
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IIII I I knowww its only rock an bone but I liike iiit
IIII I I knowww Its only rock an bone but I liiiike iiit
only rock n bone IIII know its only rock n bone but I liike iiit
I said I liiike iiit.....
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Thread Bump...
Sorry, gonna be making some of these and don't want this thread to fall off the time table...
:)
-gus
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Yeah....We haven't heard from Andrea in a year and a half...kinda miss Her...anyone know what has become of her??
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This should be in archives ;)
Leroy
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Was digging deep looking for a Sinew Backed bow build along and ran across this thread.
Sorry I don't know Andrea.
-gus
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making sure this is at the top again what got me started with my bone points.
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Cool thread and nice points.
Cipriano
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I wanted to bring this back from the dead too, as i am definitely going to be trying this. And i hope anyone else who has been wanting to try a simple way to add some heads to their arrows will give this a shot too.
Great post!
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jackcrafty did a video on this using a bandsaw and a belt sander, Bub
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How's bout a hacksaw?
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Bringing this thread back alive. There is a lot of new people and I think it could help. I want to try some of these soon as well. Patrick
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Great! I was planning on doing this sometime soon. :)
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good job on bone points i will be making some myself now thanks for the idea .I own cows so bones are available to me.
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allways use a respirator
apparently bones dust could do very nasty things to our lungs