need help with notching

[campcreekman]

I have been trying my hand at a little knapping the last few evenings and finally got a little comforable swinging a soft hammerstone and made this last night. I want to finish it up later with some more shaping and some corner notches but i dont know if i can do it all with pressure flaking. It is about 3/8" thick at the fattest part of the bottom. I hinged it a little on one face of the bottom as seen in my picture and not sure how much more i can thin it there. Should i try some inderect percussion or try taking off some flakes with a hammerstone in the direction I want the notches to go? Btw just have a couple evenings knapping and I am totally hooked so don't be surprised if I try to drive you guys crazy with questions lol.

[Ron Kelley]

That looks like hornstone and you have done a good job on your preform. Good luck and you are off to a good start.

[campcreekman]

Thank you Ron Kelley

[Hoss]

Nice work on that biface. Sorry I cannot advise you as to how to notch. I used to use an antler. I never was that good ant notching. It is much easier to make straight stemmed points and triangles in my opinion. .

[JoshinMO]

Great start! I know You wan't to pressure flake those notches in so area need's to be thin enough. I'd accidentally snap stuff like that but sneaky/Tim mentioned i wasn't supporting The bottom or center majority of it. All I got.

[Ron Kelley]

You need a pressure flaker. You can use an antler tine which you would want to file down to a small tip. You could buy a pressure flaker with an adjustable copper tip. Or you could buy 20 penny copper nails and make your own pressure flaker. There are bone flakers that are also used.

When you have determined where you want the notch: Take a tiny flake on the left side of the notch area and a tiny flake on the right side of the notch area and then take a big pressure flake from the center of the notch area. Flip the point over and do the same thing from the other side. Continue this process until the notch is as long as you want. Be careful to remove small burrs from the sides ot the notch so as not to break off the ear.

[campcreekman]

Thanks for your help Ron Kelley. Do most hardware store's sell the copper nails? I build houses for a living and have never seen a copper nail before lol. Is it for electrical application originally? Sorry I'm full of questions right now.

[Ron Kelley]

Copper nails have many uses. Riveting in wooden boat construction and tile roofing are two common uses. A lot of them are used for flintknapping.

[Hoss]

Nice looking tools Ron. You can buy solid core copper wire at Home Depot and Lowes by the foot and make your own falkers too. 4 awg solid should be sufficient to make a nice flaker. You will just have to grind the tip to the desired thickness. Insert into an old hardwood broom handle and you are on your way.

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Matt, The homemade Ishi stick in the picture has two set screws to adjust the length of the copper. With the set screws the copper can be replaced easily.

[Hoss]

Thanks Ron did you make that one?

[Ron Kelley]

yes it's simple.

[Ron Kelley]

Copper nail are sold many places. Here is one:

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=1925

[campcreekman]

Thank you everyone. I have been having fun tonight working on my tools! Purchased some copper wire from the hardware store and made a pressure flaker. A friend give me some copper caps yesterday. A 5/8" and 7/8" and I domed them out and melted some lead in them. Thinking some smaller copper boppers will be usefull. Just got to make my handles and attach them. Made a small deer horn billet too but didn't like it because it's crooked and my accuracy is not real good with it. Anyway just wanted to share a little and say thanks for your help in putting me in the right direction.