UK Supplier of Copper Nails for Pressure Flakers Wanted

This is something I have completely failed to find. UK suppliers only seem to have really short thin ones. I found a supplier advertising in pounds to other day, put some nice four inch nails in the shopping cart at a very reasonable price, went to pay and it turned out to be in the US and the price double for postage, so I didn't buy.

If anyone knows a UK supplier I'd be really grateful, I've only got one spare and my main flakers will need it in days.

Thanks

i think i have a few large copper nails in my flint knapping kit i can send you if you still need them ?

Yes thaks, I'm pretty desperate. Down to my last nail.

pm me your address and ill send some down if i can find them

I've just bought some copper nails from www.marinestore.co.uk. They seem to have quite a range, but being new at this, I don't know if they are what you are looking for.

Thanks, pressure flakers usually take 3-4" nails and pretty thick, so a pretty low guage. I buy a lot of my supplies from here, but the nails cost an arm and a leg. I found a cheaper supplier for nails alone a while back, I think a sailing shop, but still in the US.

http://flintknappingtools.com/

My local diy shop has copper nails, but they are tiny and of no use to flintknappers, they also sell copper wire, only it's 2mm diameter max,rubbish! then I notaced they sell copper rivets at about 5 to 7 mm diameter and in varying lengths,just cut off the head and hammer and file it into a point. Another alternative is order copper rod from model suppliers, they come in virtually any diameter.

I also used to go to scrap metal merchants,but health and safety now say nooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Hope these tips are of use:roll:

Are any of these links any use:

12x SOLID COPPER Tree Stump Killer: V.LARGE NAIL 65mm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12x-SOLID-COPPER-Tree-Stump-Killer-V-LARGE-NAIL-65mm-/120793206392?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c1fd60e78



COPPER ROUND ROD 3MM X 760MM

http://www.hindleys.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=7_58_117_134_1472&products_id=9669&oscsid=3d5a480d6ff4a96537958f4fccc78fb1

If not , then this video includes a method of converting copper wire into rod. Probably not something I could do but may be of help to others

making a copper pressure flaker part 1</SPAN>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xKCca0TNE8

<p>The whole thing may be of interest too but you need reasonable metal working tools.

Elines wrote:Are any of these links any use:

12x SOLID COPPER Tree Stump Killer: V.LARGE NAIL 65mm

Can't post the link, but it's the ebay one up there....

£3.99 for 12 or £4.99 for 30 in their ebay store but are they any good?

"... but are they any good?"



At this stage - as someone looking to begin knapping and not yet done any - my query is 'are they ok in principle to make a flaker?'

Somewhere I have seen references to the need for 4" (~10cm) nails and these are only 6.5cm (and proportionately thinner in diameter).



I don't even know why they have to be made out of copper and why normal steel or galvanised iron nails won't do

(I'm beginning to realise that I am probably the least experienced - for which read 'no experience' - person on this site so please be patient with me)

They don't look ok to to me, too thin., so will bend when you apply pressure.

Two reasons for copper. Authenticity, as copper was used for knapping by prehistoric people for sure and copper grips extremely well.

People may have used iron for knapping, the US Indians did after they made contact with Europeans, I would guess many more native people around the world did, such as the aboriginals. Also some archaeologists contend knapping continued in this country into the iron age, and finds on iron age sites are not simply stone age stuff getting mixed in, but iron age made. If true they may have used iron.

Iron is great for fine notching and horse nails made of soft iron generally best for the job.

Ok - thanks

A friend might be able to get me some copper rod 1/4" or 1/8" diameter.

If I have a choice which should I go for - I am assuming the !/4" as it will be stronger and can be reduced to 1/8" if necessary

Any advice??

I've used 1/4 and 3/16, both work fine, but I've never tried 1/8, I would suspect it a bit thin, but it's only a guess.

OK thanks - I will go with the 1/4"

Also, aluminium will work on glass and obsidian, not tried it out yet.
will report back soon on that one.
I did try brass tips on black flint and that didn't work at all! I got really crazy flakes that ruined the test piece...

I've got hold of some horseshoe nails, but haven't used them in anger yet.

I was thinking along the lines of using them for fine notching, so will file the edge down as this as possible. I'll give them a go this week sometime.

Have also got hold of an old tv, so will see how the the different tools react to the different knapping materials.

i find loads of copper nails and rods while metal detecting even some big boat nails on the beaches,

where did you pick up the TV?

A neighbour handed it in to us on Thursday. It works fine, and even has a built-in DVD player, but it isn't flat screen, so is unwanted.

Hey Lumpendoodle, were those nails from Marinestore any good?  I'm gonna make an Ishi stick, but if i buy a 3.99 pack (was going for the 6mm ones) i pay the same again in postage so i'd rather know these are worth th postage.

and dont call me stingey, i have scottish blood too

I've been in Cornwall over the weekend and popped into a so-called Chandlers in Padstow, asking if they had any copper nails for boat building.  All they had was stripey jerseys and silly caps.  meh.  No luck in St Ives either which is daft as despite their touristy-ness they both have harbours and plenty of fishing/boating going on.

The internet it is, i guess.

I will ask at our local builder as I did see they had copper nails last time I was in - they keep them behind the counter as they kept getting stole. I think they are expensive but sold by the bag so you would get a good amount.

cool - let me know!

I've got a couple of suppliers now, if you are interested.