Q: I can’t seem to make the
material thin enough. When I try to work a piece
of material that is thick on onside and flat on the other. I can’t get rid of the
material on the thick side. So I have one side flat and the other side humped
up.(J.D.- South Dakota)
A: Good Question J.D., You may
not be setting your platforms low enough. By this I mean removing material from
one side of the edge bringing the edge lower or closer to the side that you
wish to remove the flake from.
Q: Why do I get so many hinge fractures when I
am pressure flaking? (B.K.- New
A: Hinge fractures are the result of the flake snapping off rather than
feathering out completely. A number of things can cause this. 1- Holding the piece too tightly against a
hard pad will some time interrupt the flow of the flake. Try using a soft pad
it has resistance or when using a hard pad there should be a slot cut in it
into which the flake can fall. 2- Maybe your pressure angle is to steep. This
can cause the flake to dive in.
Q: When pressure flaking, I seem to be unable to
finish a thin point. I always break them in the middle.(Bob-
Kansas )
A: Try some of these tips. Make
sure you are using a sharp point on your flaker. It puts less stress on the
blade. Support the piece with less pressure in the center. If you use a slotted
pad the slot should not be to wide only wide enough to accommodate the flake
If it’s to
wide there is not enough support for the blade
Q: When I am percussion flaking
I can’t seem to thin the biface. It just keeps
getting narrower not thinner (Jack –
A: Try this, set your platform
lower. By this I mean, move the edge closer to the
face that you want to remove the flake from.