Monthly Project – January 2013

[buroak]

Option 1. Collect one plant from your area that can be used to make cordage. Make some cordage from it. Describe how you made the cordage.

Option 2. Make an arrow or spear head. It can be made from any material of your choice. How it is made is also up to you. Examples: hammered copper, forged from iron or steel, knapped from flint/chert/glass, carved from wood, cut out of a shell, made from bone, etc. Be creative!

Option 3. Make both projects and use the cordage you made to attach the arrow/spear head to a shaft.

[MLarson]

Well done! I hope to get mine done this weekend or next weekend.

[cockeyedhunter]

I attempted to make a Kalahari San Bushman spear and use 2 ply twist nettle cordage with pine resin to bind the end of the shaft.

Used an old spike for matierial

Into the little ammocan forge with a couple other projects

Rough forged the head

Hot cut the shaft with a cold chisel

Spear head shaped with tapered tang ready to burn into end of hazel wood shaft

[cockeyedhunter]

Spear head is heated up and pushed into end of wood shaft which has a smaller hole drilled into the end as a guide.

Spear shaft is peeled and end shaped for binding.

Using a 2 ply wrap cordage made from dried nettle fiber gathered earlier in the year.

Melting pine resin and spread a thin layer onto the shaft.

Whipped the end of the wood shaft with the nettle cord.

[cockeyedhunter]

I spread resin over the cord.

Then put the spear end over the heat to melt the resin into the cord fibers.

This is what I ended up with.

Now I have a San Bushman axe, knife and spear. Just what I have always wanted.


Learned alot from this project, thanks for coming up with monthly project thread. Been wanting to try it for a while.

[MLarson]

Very cool! I'm not sure if I'm going to make it in time. If not I will update when I do.

[buroak]

Attachment 63143Attachment 63144Attachment 63145Attachment 63146Attachment 63147

I am pretty new to this knapping thing but it is a skill that I am working on, so tell me whatcha think.

Very good. These look great! You are doing very good work!

[buroak]

I spread resin over the cord.

Then put the spear end over the heat to melt the resin into the cord fibers.

This is what I ended up with.

Now I have a San Bushman axe, knife and spear. Just what I have always wanted.


Learned alot from this project, thanks for coming up with monthly project thread. Been wanting to try it for a while.

Good idea and very good work! Thanks