dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 7, 2015 3:32:01 GMT -5
Had a vacation last week and decided to head south and get a load of Flint Ridge for knapping at the Nether's Farm. I went on a Tuesday and was lucky enought to be the only one there and had the pits to myself. I spent about 8 hours spalling some great material and came home with about 200 lbs of future arrowheads and points. Here are some pictures I took. They opened up 2 new pits and I was able to get into some really colorful stuff without too much digging. A couple views of the pits and some colors... About 200lbs of spalls to knap... Thanks for looking! Dave
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Post by gingerkid on May 7, 2015 4:42:18 GMT -5
Enjoyed your trip report and that's quite a colorful haul! Will you heat-treat any of the flint, dtcmor?
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 7, 2015 4:55:55 GMT -5
Thanks gingerkid! Yes, I have heat treated some in the turkey roaster with great results. I will post some pics soon.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 7, 2015 5:18:13 GMT -5
That looks like fun. Is it usually crowded there?
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 7, 2015 5:50:05 GMT -5
On the weekends it gets crowded. I was there on a tuesday and was the only one all day. There are, I think, 8 pits now, and plenty of material just laying around. You can scavenge or get serious and dig hard rock style. It is $5 to go in and only .50cents a pound for what you take home. Great deal and really fun trip!
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Post by orrum on May 7, 2015 6:43:05 GMT -5
Great trip report and pics! You done good.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
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Post by Fossilman on May 7, 2015 9:52:26 GMT -5
Man your a lucky dog for scoring some of that flint!!!!!! Love that stuff,the colors are so brilliant!!!! SCORE!! Two thumbs up!!
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 11, 2015 7:35:59 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on May 11, 2015 9:20:44 GMT -5
Nice treated look isn't it? I cook mine in a Turkey roaster by layering in sand, you need about 3 inches of sand between the bottom and each layer. I heat it up to 300 degrees and let it cool to 200 several times to dry the water out of the rock. I also take the pan out of the roaster, it will get hotter this way. After several cycles to dry the sand and flint I heat it up to about 500, as hot as the roaster will get. I leave it at 500 for 4 or 5 days to let the heat penetrate the rock. I then cool it by 100 degrees per day. After it's all the way down I still wait a day or two. This is for rough, slabs only need 24 to 36 hours. But still dry them! Hi heat will fracture or explode stone containg water! I heat treat picture jasper and Biggs the same way. I tried tiger eye but I need to experiment more with it. I like to knapp the blue on picture jasper after heat treatment. It makes awesome knives. I made one for Tony/Catmandew because he gave me a bunch of slabs to experiment with in the Turkey roaster while in Quartzsite. So cab the scenes in the pic jasper and knapp those big blue and green areas!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
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Post by Fossilman on May 11, 2015 9:52:14 GMT -5
Holy Molly love the flint-one of my favorite rocks to work with-those colors just "POP"!!!!! I have a box coming to me from "Roy" claim in Ohio,can't wait... I received my wife's old cooker and want to treat my own rock-liking this recipe..
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
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Post by Fossilman on May 11, 2015 9:52:58 GMT -5
Nice treated look isn't it? I cook mine in a Turkey roaster by layering in sand, you need about 3 inches of sand between the bottom and each layer. I heat it up to 300 degrees and let it cool to 200 several times to dry the water out of the rock. I also take the pan out of the roaster, it will get hotter this way. After several cycles to dry the sand and flint I heat it up to about 500, as hot as the roaster will get. I leave it at 500 for 4 or 5 days to let the heat penetrate the rock. I then cool it by 100 degrees per day. After it's all the way down I still wait a day or two. This is for rough, slabs only need 24 to 36 hours. But still dry them! Hi heat will fracture or explode stone containg water! I heat treat picture jasper and Biggs the same way. I tried tiger eye but I need to experiment more with it. I like to knapp the blue on picture jasper after heat treatment. It makes awesome knives. I made one for Tony/Catmandew because he gave me a bunch of slabs to experiment with in the Turkey roaster while in Quartzsite. So cab the scenes in the pic jasper and knapp those big blue and green areas! Writing this recipe down and will be trying it...............
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Post by orrum on May 11, 2015 12:36:52 GMT -5
Hey Roy is the King of Flint Ridge Flint! He has a knapping every year that is aweSome. I gotta get there one year soon!
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Post by orrum on May 11, 2015 12:37:31 GMT -5
Oh yea is he back from wintering in the southlands?
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 11, 2015 18:18:47 GMT -5
I play around with it a bit. Every time I go to Flint Ridge it seems like the material is different. It takes me a couple of loads to figure it out. I have even put pieces back in to cook for longer if they dont get done. I have put about 60lbs of this stuff through already with good results.
I agree about Roy Miller. He is the king of Flint Rigde. Finding, cooking and knapping. He always has a lot better material than I could ever dig. Plus he uses a kiln to control the temps and gets it to perfection.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
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Post by Fossilman on May 11, 2015 19:32:39 GMT -5
You pay more for it too,from Roy....But its always great material...
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Post by orrum on May 11, 2015 20:56:20 GMT -5
Yep a kiln is the way to go. No worries that way.
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Post by Toad on May 11, 2015 21:14:50 GMT -5
During the week is definitely prime time. No one to worry about but the flies.
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on May 11, 2015 23:55:19 GMT -5
It was awesome to have the place to myself! Didnt step on anyones toes and I could take my time looking over the stone for all the good knappimg pieces. I had a friend tell me about the two new pits. Her daughter was there on the weekend before I went and she told me they were into some great colors. All I took was a small hand chisel and a hammer. If I would have had some bigger bars there were a bunch of huge chunks(more than 100lbs) I could have gotten out of the side walls. They had awesome patterns and colors. I am hoping to go back down in June. This time Im going to get serious and spend a couple days getting the really good stuff!
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lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on May 20, 2015 17:30:55 GMT -5
I'm going this weekend - tomorrow as a matter of fact. The Spring knappin is on! I'm selling rocks, making tee shirts, and knapping points...be busy. (and maybe picking up a couple buckets of lapidary flint)
Lee #1
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Post by orrum on May 20, 2015 18:41:57 GMT -5
You go Lee! Wish I was gonna make it, maybe one dsy.
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