How to "flat-top" a Black English Flint ??

[roundball]

When I buy a bulk bag of black english flints, I sort / separate them into two bags...the preferred "flat-tops" for hunting, or special occasions, etc, and use the humpbacks for range use.

I remember a post last year about a technique that could be used to easily remove that high top on the humpback flints but didn't save it, can't find it, etc.

Does anyone have an easy way to do that...or is it more trouble than it's worth?

 

[Birddog6]

Bill, I have tried 49 dif way of sucessfully knocking that bad top off & have never mastered a consistant way without breaking bout 1/2 fo the flints.
The best way I have found is to throw them all in a lil spray can cap & one day when you are bored, go to the band saw & cut about 50 lil tiny wedges & put a drop of epoxy on them & glue the lil wedge to them & make them flat. Tht is what I use on the range & normally ya can't even see the wedge on it once ya get it in the jaw with a thick leather around the flint. and they work just as well if not better than a regular flint as these are really flattop & no where for movement.

Custom Flintlocks & Custom Skinning Knives

 

[musketman]

I just take them nasty old humps to the grinder, the humps are gone in a few RPM's

Wear heavy gloves though, flint will cut fingers quicker than DSL internet...

 

[roundball]

That's surprising...I have a strong sears 1/2 HP bench grinder with a new mediuum grit stone wheel and it barely takes any off at all...

 

[musketman]

I'm not taking off much, just leveling out the humps...

I also have Diamond Wheel Tool Grinder, that helps a tad.

 

[Chuck Deaton]

Expanding on Birddog6's thought, rather than cutting wedges, why not use JB Weld. Mix some JB Weld on the top of the flint then put the JB Welded flint between two peices of plastic till it sets. Then the flint will be flat on top. You might have to dress the JB Weld alittle.

An extra added bonus is that JB Weld is black.

 

[tg]

Sometime you can set the flint (held securly) on the side and useing a blunt nail strike down with a hammer on the nail and toward the ridge and knock half the ridge off and repeat the process on the other side...sometimes, I have just given way to using them all as best I can and consider it part of the experience...but I save the best ones for hunting season.

 

[connerm]

Use hot melt glue to attach the flat part of the flint to a board and run it slowly through a tile saw. JB Weld is for fixing old sears outboard motors and broken tractor parts and Zebco fishing reels.

Respectfully.

 

[roundball]

Interesting idea...makes me think of even a variation of that...think I'll just try a gob of hot glue by itself to square up the top of a flint just for range use...usually only need to get the back side slope filled/raised up...if that would work, it sure would be quick and easy.

 

[Chuck Deaton]

The only problem with "hot" melt glue is that is hot melt, you get it warm and it lets go.

Any two part expoxy gets hard and adhesive and stays that way.

 

[connerm]

I heard that if you heat two-part epoxy it will melt like Fer-L-Tite. For those who aren't familiar with it, Fer-L-Tite is a hot melt glue used to attach metal points to arrows and ferrels (sp) to fishing poles. You hold a flame under it and it gets melty.

 

[squirejohn]

For "humpedbacked" flints I glue (contact cement) on a piece of "soft" leather and use it in place of the regular cock piece leather. The glued on leather prevents the humpedback flint from "squirting" out.

 

[roundball]

Well, I tried the method of c-clamping a rail on a workbench, laying the flint alongside, and driving off the top ridge with hammer & punch:
Two flint's completely shattered / destroyed, so much for that approach.

I just finished gluing flint leathers to a dozen humpback flints with epoxy...will see how they do next chance I get to the range.

 

[tg]

It is an aquired skill method, I fiddled with obsidian for a couple of years untill it finally clicked and I could make arrow heads and small knives and spearpoints that were ringers for originals, knapping gun flints and spauls is the same, it does not generaly come to fruitation overnight. Most ancient Amerind sites show a lot of evidence of "mistakes" so we are in good company.

 

[musketman]

quote:Originally posted by tg:
It is an aquired skill method,I have knapped flint before, I have the scars on my fingers to prove it...

Funny thing 'bout those flints, they break sharper than the sharpest of knives...

A sailor's palm leather pad goes a long way in saving your hide...

 

[Flintshooter in Indiana]

I had a feller tell me to get a "Green Wheel" fer my grinder. I think he said it's used in machine shops. He said to grind 'em till they get warm, not hot, lay them down and do another. Then go back and redo using the same process until you get 'em flat enough. If'n ya get 'em too hot, they'll crack. He said don't use gloves so's you can tell the temp by feel, but watch yer fingers.

 

[Zonie]

"...He said don't use gloves..."

That warn't ole "Stubs" Johnson what tol ye that wer it?

 

Sounds like advice youd git from "two fingers" Tommy!!

 

[Flintshooter in Indiana]

He show'd me the flints he'd done and they looked good, and he does have all his fingers.