How to Make a Copper Flintknapping Billet
Flintknapping is the ancient art of making tools from stone, which some hobbyists still practice purely for pleasure. A billet is the small pounding hammer that is used to flake the edges off the stone. Traditional flintknappers, called abos (for aboriginal), use bone and antler for their billets; modern flintknappers, called copperheads, utilize a combination of copper and lead that is generally less expensive, more durable and less stressful to joints.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Copper cap
- Object with rounded edge, the size of desired billet head
- Hammer
- Outdoor stove or fire pit
- Lead, enough to fill copper head
- Metal pan
- Tongs
- Billet handle sized to fit into copper head, material of your choosing
- Rawhide twine
- Mask (optional)
- Goggles (optional)
- Leather gloves (optional)
-
-
1
Secure a copper cap onto the rounded-edge object, and pound the cap with a hammer until the cap achieves a domed shape.
-
2
Ignite the outdoor stove and allow it to heat up.
-
3
Place lead into the metal pan and, holding the pan with tongs, place the pan onto the stove to melt the lead. Depending on how hot the stove is, the lead should melt within 10 to 15 minutes.
-
4
Remove melted lead from the stove with the tongs.
-
5
Pour the melted lead into the domed copper cap and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
-
6
Place the billet handle into the liquid lead and secure the handle in an upright position by tying it temporarily with rawhide to two nearby items for support. Allow the lead to cool completely.
-
7
Tie the billet head to the handle with rawhide twine as a means to reinforce the billet head and to make the billet more aesthetically pleasing.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Copper caps can be purchased at most hardware stores.
If you plan to subject your billet to a lot of wear and tear, allow the lead to cool completely and then use an epoxy glue to secure the head to the handle.
Rawhide is best wrapped when it is wet.
The handle can be fashioned from a variety of materials--wood, bone, antler, metal or stone--but it is best to use a lightweight material.
Adorn the billet handle with materials, or carve it, to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Do not touch lead with bare hands because lead from hands is likely to enter the body via mouth or eye and make its way to the kidneys, liver and fatty tissues, where it is stored and slowly released into the bloodstream causing effects ranging from stomach discomfort to nervous system damage.
Lead emits noxious fumes when melting; never melt lead without proper ventilation. If you are not outdoors, it is vital that you wear a mask; inhalation of lead causes the same effects as lead ingestion.
Wear safety equipment, including goggles and gloves, when pounding the copper cap with the hammer.
