Cutting Flint

[wjgonzalez]

Will a dremel saw cut flint? I tried knapping, but the pieces are too irregular.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Will a dremel saw cut flint? I tried knapping, but the pieces are too irregular.

Practice.

 

[Zonie]

Will a dremel saw cut flint? I tried knapping, but the pieces are too irregular.

Very unlikely.

The flint is as hard or harder than any common saw in a Dremel kit.

If you can find a diamond wheel that will mount in the Dremel's 1/8 inch collet it will cut flint but it will probably need water as a lubricant/coolant making its use most unpleasant.

 

[Old Creek]

I doubt it to, tried to sharpen flints with a grinding wheel in a 4.5 inch grinder and I don't think it even scratched it.

creek

 

[Billnpatti]

To do what you want, the only thing I can think that will do it is a water cooled lapidary wheel. I think you may be able to find a used hobby lapidary wheel on ebay.

This place may have what you need http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/products.php?catID=109

 

[smo]

Billnpatti has the answer :thumbsup:

 

[robinsroost]

To do what you want, the only thing I can think that will do it is a water cooled lapidary wheel.

Bill, If that will work, a tile saw will also work and should be easier to find. I have seen them in pawn shops........Robin :wink:

 

[ZUG]

You can buy 4" dia diamond saw blades from home depot starting at $10. They are steel core with diamond impregnated around the outer 1/2" (aprox) dia. Mounted on a shaft and driven by a drill press or motor (not hand held) it will square up a flint and put an edge on it but I have not found that edge to be very sharp. Your mileage may vary :v .

 

[daoliver924]

You can get diamond wheels for a dremel and they will cut flint, you will want to use a mask as flint dust is hazardous.

 

[daoliver924]

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-EZ545-...9891268&sr=8-2&keywords=Dremel+Diamond+Blades

 

[19 16 6]

I also am a manure knapper but get flints reasonably close.
I then do a final cut & trim with the green label cutting wheel made for stone. These wheels are available in all angle grinder sizes 100 & 125 included.
With my grinding/cutting of flints it is only back, sides, top & bottom to bring it to true size & make it a good fit in the cock jaws. I grind dry but need to take care not to overheat or judder as this causes fractures to run off through the piece. The grinder just jiggers up the leading edge & reduces sparking. That edge seems to need to be a knapped edge to cut properly on the frizzen.
O.

 

[Rifleman1776]

To do what you want, the only thing I can think that will do it is a water cooled lapidary wheel. I think you may be able to find a used hobby lapidary wheel on ebay.

This place may have what you need http://www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/products.php?catID=109

That may do it. But the time and expense involved may not be worth it. Easier just buying ready mades.

 

[M. De Land]

Lots of the ready mades need some grinding to begin with and all need edge knapping eventually.
I now much prefer my own flints made from the Koy-Kuk chert I purchased for making arrow points.
I can't envision ever buying another when they are so easy to make from left over point knapping flakes.

 

[Rifleman1776]

The OP asked about cutting flints. I have two diamond drums I use to remove the 'humpies' from many of the poorly knapped flints we get these days. I sharpen by knapping however.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Billnpatti has the answer :thumbsup:

No, actually I have the answer.

I also haven't ever been able to knap a flint to save my soul.

What you are proposing in expenditures for diamond cutting wheels and a water-cooled set-up is pricey enough that for the $2 or so for a Tom Fuller flint from TOTW, you could buy a lot of flints that could last for many years worth of shooting.

If you don't like flints with humps, a simple note as: "thinner flints with no humps" is well followed by the TOTW warehouse guys.

 

[M. De Land]

There are a couple of good videos on line to show how to cut flint by knapping and breaking them off between notches on a chisel anvil made from a worn out file set up in a block of wood.
The first thing is to find suitably large flakes thin enough to be notched from both sides with a pressure flaker than they are broken between the weak point of opposing notches.
The bevel can than be percussion formed, pressure flaked or ground on a green carbide wheel.
Do it out side or with water as you do not want to breath the dust.
I've made up several sample packs for friends to try out and compare the home made ones with their bought flints so I can determine if they are as good or not. So far I have not heard back from them but as for me I really like the Koy-kuk chert from Oklahoma, it seems to spark as well and last better than the English I have from TOTW.
They are the light colored ones in the pictures that are on the cardboard and in the cock of the hand gun.
The funny part was when I was talking to the fella on the phone about his chert spawls I was gong to buy,I asked if the chips could be made into gun flints and he said " Oh no, these are heat treated and you want raw chert for gun flints".
I thought that odd as all heat treating does is make them flake more predictably, it doesn't change the hardness and tried them anyway. I came to the conclusion that one of us has a loose screw! May still turn out to be me! :rotf:

 

[M. De Land]

I bet you ten bucks if you lived next door and came over for an evening you would leave with usable gun flints you made yourself!
I kid you not , it ain't Rocket science and they don't have to look perfect to work very well. :wink:

 

[Don Steele]

I didn't know about the "note option" when ordering flints from TOTW. :hmm:
That explains why the bag of flints I got from them were pretty much ALL HUMP-BACKS.
I'm sure they gotta send'em to somebody..!!
:shake: :shake: Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[bones92]

I think I have some diamond-edge Dremel cutting wheels... I'd like to try shaping some of the flints that IMA-USA sent me (their Nepal cache flints).

 

[Zonie]

I think I have some diamond-edge Dremel cutting wheels... I'd like to try shaping some of the flints that IMA-USA sent me (their Nepal cache flints).

If you do, be sure to wear a good, tight fitting face mask. That flint dust will ruin your lungs.