Back to tutorial Identification guide
Be sure to read the chapter on safety precautions before you try this for the first time. It is a good idea to wear a leather glove on both hands while percussion flaking. Wear long jeans that cover the openings of your shoes to protect your legs and feet from being cut.
Tabular root beer flint, with a test flake struck off. 9 inches
long, 2 inches thick.
CREATING AN EDGE:
Some tablets of flint have squared edges without natural platforms, and need to be started differently to create a platform. Others are rounded or angled, and have natural platforms on them. We will start with these. I prefer to sit in a lawn chair or a picnic table bench while percussion flaking. Lightly tap all around the tablet with your billet. This is so that if there are any natural fractures in the flint, it will break now and protect you from injury while striking it at full force.
Look over the tablet for natural platforms that you can drive flakes from. If the tablet has squared edges all the way around, click here for instructions on starting these.
If you are right-handed, place the flint on your left leg, holding it with your left hand. Hold the large copper billet in your right hand and strike the platform in a swift motion. Follow through, and don’t try to stop the billet when it strikes the flint.
Turn the tablet over and use the exposed flint as a platform to drive
off flakes from the other side. You may need to first trim the platforms
with the billet and you will need to dull them with the grindstone. Turn
the tablet over, and strike the side of the last flake scar. Repeat this
process until you have created an edge all around the tablet. This edge
is easier to manipulate because it is harder than the cortex, which tends
to cushion the blows with the billet and causes problems. Try to make these
flakes run along the edge. The farther they go down the edge, the fewer
flakes you will need to remove to make the edge. Do not try at this point
to make the flakes reach past the center of the tablet, If they do, it
is good. If they don’t it really doesn’t matter now. Just focus on making
a flint edge all around it.
Your blank should now look similar to the example below:
REMOVING THE CORTEX:
Create platforms by striking the edge in a downward motion with the
large copper billet. Be sure to dull the platforms heavily.
Turn the blank over and strike the dulled platforms with the large
copper billet. Be sure to follow through, and direct the energy towards
the center of the blank. After doing this all the way around, most of the
cortex should be removed from that side. If there is still cortex, do the
other side, and then do this side again until it is all gone. If you have
problems with hinge or step fractures, refer to the pages on preventing
and dealing with hinge fractures.
Now, create platforms where needed, and dull all edges thoroughly.
Turn the blank over and remove the cortex from the other side, using
the large copper billet. You will probably have to make additional passes
with the billet before the cortex is actually gone. Be sure to build and
grind platforms and alternate from one side to the other while removing
the cortex.
Your preform should now look similar to the example below. This preform
is ready for the first heat treatment (lower temp
than second heating done later), which will make the thinning process much
easier.
THINNING:
Put the flattest side up, create platforms and dull them.
Turn the preform over and thin the flatter side with the large copper
billet. These flakes must reach past the center for you to gain progress
in thinning it. It is less risky to thin the tip and base before thinning
the center.
Create platforms, and dull them with the grindstone.
Turn the preform over and thin the other side with the large copper
billet. If it is getting real thin you will want to use the small copper
billet, and be extra careful.
FINAL THINNING:
A lot of people heat treat the preform again (at the maximum temperature
for the type of flint) before the final thinning. Look over the preform
for thick areas that can be thinned more, and create the appropriate platforms.
You can thin the point as much as you think you are able, if you break
it, you can learn from the experience. After all, it’s just a rock.
Remove the thinning flakes with the small copper billet. When you
are satisfied with how thin it is, you are done.
THE FINISHED PREFORM:
Retouch the edges by pressure flaking to make them sharper and neater.
Your preform should now look similar to the example below:
This preform is 7 inches long, and ideal for making into a
Pedernales point. To continue, see notching.