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How to make a Pressure Flaker

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Post by grendel Sat May 26, 2012 8:32 am

This is a really simple way of making a pressure flaker.

How to make a Pressure Flaker Pressu10
Handles marked with 1 - 4 notches, 1 being the deepest and 4 the shallowest

As you can see in the picture I have four empty tool handles bought from a DIY shop. All have been drilled to a different depth, I discovered this by testing them with a long nail before I purchased them, This was a lucky find admittedly, if you can't find tool handles drilled to different lenghs, buying a single length and stuffing the holes with paper well as a way to reduced the depth of the hole and is quite removable if you ever need to adjust it by filling the hole with water till the paper goes soft, then scraping it out.


How to make a Pressure Flaker Pressu12

An alternative method is to buy a broom handle cutting and drilling it yourself, or for the patient, go to the woods, find a piece of fallen wood, saw it into four pieces and press a nail into the soft centre of the wood to four different depths, then let it dry in a warm room for a few months.



How to make a Pressure Flaker Pressu11

Now to knap I simply place a long nail into the flaker 1, when it wears down too short to use I remove it with the pliers and insert it into flaker 2. I continue to do this down to flaker number 4.
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Post by mr.hertzian cone Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:05 pm

Simple but effective,that's how we like it. Have recently found a large size nail with the head cut off and set in a file handle works rather well too,it's nice soft steel, cheap and shaped to a point already.
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Post by mr.hertzian cone Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:53 am

Here is an off the shelf steel tip tool that looks really useful for fine pressure flaking: http://www.abbeypowertools.co.uk/subprod/awls-and-marking-tools-0002063.aspx
scroll down till you get to the Abbey Silverline Point Square Bradawl 40mm.

They mention many materials it would be good for but miss out the flint!
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Post by grendel Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:25 pm

Wouldn't hardened steel be too tough to use on flint? Copper is soft, and so are horse shoe nails, but I've never had any luck with things like screwdrivers, they just slip off.
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Post by mr.hertzian cone Mon Feb 04, 2013 12:20 am

I'm thinking it may be good for tasks like starting off notches or putting denticulate "teeth" on a knife. More downward pressure than in.
I'll get one and I'll report back, they do look good though, I saw one in my local D.I.Y. store and didn't buy it, it was the last one they had, the next time I went in it had sold! That one was kinda pricey though, hence the hesitation, but at under £3 for the same sort of thing... Hmmm. I'm hoping that steel is cheap and soft Smile
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Post by mr.hertzian cone Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:10 am

It arrived today and was put through it's paces:
Rubbish!
It did work as a notcher though, and kept it's point after some abuse.
As a conclusion, do make your own pressure flakers as they will be much better than any "off the shelf" awl, and as a new spare file handle can be bought from most good diy shops for around £1 and a section of copper rod (or indeed an end of a large steel nail) can be fitted into it for little more, much better by far.
The awl now joins my growing heap of "pointy steel things with a file like handle" pile.
It may be useful one day. Smile
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