Making flints

[buckleymarka56]

Ok fellow fainter.
As I an not a knapper, but a pressure flaked. I cut my slabs for points on a saw, than pressure flake them.

I had a thought, yea I know, stop that.
Why can't I cut my own flints?
I have a wet saw.
Cut the thickness , length and width.
From flint rocks I find.
The Costco parking g lots here, in north Texas, use bull gravel, but it's flint.

Any ideas? Thoughts?

Mark

 

[deerstalkert]

it is a matter of what you want. there will be some that will be assembling a stake with staves for to burn you at the stake party.
I knap all of my flints but as that old guy with the scythe approaches i am thinking of sawing some.
the only problem i can foresee is having fissures in a blank and having it break in a unusable way.
heck if you saw the blanks right and pressure flake the sized flints i would bet you could pass them off as knapped.
go for it ! would love to see pictures of the process.

 

[buckleymarka56]

it is a matter of what you want. there will be some that will be assembling a stake with staves for to burn you at the stake party.
I knap all of my flints but as that old guy with the scythe approaches i am thinking of sawing some.
the only problem i can foresee is having fissures in a blank and having it break in a unusable way.
heck if you saw the blanks right and pressure flake the sized flints i would bet you could pass them off as knapped.
go for it ! would love to see pictures of the process.

I will try it in a few days. Give me an excuse to go play in the garage if it's not too hot.

I will let you know. But it was an idea.
Mark

 

[TDM]

I’ve used my wet tile saw with a diamond blade to finish knapped pieces into serviceable flints. Not saying the sawing won’t work as I’ve never tried it. But the Chert/Flint wants to split a certain way. If you have any problems with them holding together you could try knapping a piece to a smaller size and then shaping with the tile saw. Safety glasses highly recommended.

 

[64Springer]

Post up those gravel flint pics.

 

[deerstalkert]

only time i have used a saw is when the flint i am knapping has a turtle back that stubbornly refuses to chip off.
think i will give sawing some a go though. am getting low on 3/4 x 5/8 flints.

 

[TDM]

only time i have used a saw is when the flint i am knapping has a turtle back that stubbornly refuses to chip off.
think i will give sawing some a go though. am getting low on 3/4 x 5/8 flints.

That’s the main thing I use the tile saw for, removing humpbacks. Works good for that.

 

[buckleymarka56]

That’s the main thing I use the tile saw for, removing humpbacks. Works good for that.

 

[TDM]

There you go, looks suspiciously like my pile of pieces after smashing a perfectly good hunk of chert. If you take one of those with a nice edge that are 2”-4” wide, try sawing those. If it works, I’ll try it too.

 

[deerstalkert]

i would feel as if i had died and gone to heaven if i could find flint like that!
that amber flint makes my mouth water!

 

[buckleymarka56]

i would feel as if i had died and gone to heaven if i could find flint like that!
that amber flint makes my mouth water!

Costco parking lot , it's bull gravel , I busted into large flakes.
Just don't pick up to much

 

[buckleymarka56]

i would feel as if i had died and gone to heaven if i could find flint like that!
that amber flint makes my mouth water!

Costco parking lot. It's from bull gravel

 

[deerstalkert]

my closest costco is 110 miles away! and they paved their parking lot. doubt they would let me dig it up for the gravel.
i just buy nodes on line when i can find someone with them for sale. mostly use Georgetown chert.

 

[buckleymarka56]

I know curtis smith on FB
Curtis cherts.
I get my flint and obsidian from.
He sells chips to knap for guns

 

[John May]

I did a flint knapping course last year and the overwhelming mantra was ‘start with a lot, end up with a little’

How true!

 

[John May]

I know curtis smith on FB
Curtis cherts.
I get my flint and obsidian from.
He sells chips to knap for guns

On our course we used the genuine article Brandon flint nodules. A car trailer load was bought for next to nothing from a quarry in Norfolk. Definitely didn't make the knapping any easier!!

 

[bldtrailer]

I don't use a saw I knap get some Burlington or Georgetown chert

 

[deerstalkert]

last burlington chert nodule i spalled while sitting with it in my lap. second spall opened a cavity that was full of water. wife was sure i had wet myself! she started calling old folks homes.

 

[Bnewberry]

I predict that you will be able to do it!