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Post by paleo on Apr 26, 2024 10:06:00 GMT -5
What do you use to heat the stone? The local chert that I use is a pretty high quality stone and it can be worked (knapped) just the way it's dug out of the ground. Heating the rock to 400-450 degrees, and holding it at that temp for 72 hrs, makes the stone more glass like (easier to knapp). The chert also changes color, a little, when cooked. The chert is naturally off white to gray. When cooked, it takes on a pinkish hue, caused by the iron oxide in the stone. Many Indian artifacts found locally have this pick coloring, indicating that the native americans heat treated their stone. I use a turkey roaster. The stone is packed in silica sand, in the turkey roaster, and dried. Drying is heating the rocks to below 212 degrees for 24 hrs. This is to get moisture out of the stone, otherwise the stone can break(explode). Once the rock is dried the temp is slowly increased to the cooking temp. Some other types of rock require higher cooking temps, up to 800 degrees. I've not done that.
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Post by paleo on Apr 26, 2024 9:06:23 GMT -5
Why do you cook rocks? (asking for Todd.) The local chert that I use is a pretty high quality stone and it can be worked (knapped) just the way it's dug out of the ground. Heating the rock to 400-450 degrees, and holding it at that temp for 72 hrs, makes the stone more glass like (easier to knapp). The chert also changes color, a little, when cooked. The chert is naturally off white to gray. When cooked, it takes on a pinkish hue, caused by the iron oxide in the stone. Many Indian artifacts found locally have this pick coloring, indicating that the native americans heat treated their stone.
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Post by paleo on Apr 26, 2024 8:30:44 GMT -5
I was up and moving early today, I've been to, and I'm home from, Wallmart in Cedar Rapids.
My rock cooker has died and I picked up one at Wallmart that should work, it goes to 450 degrees, which is enough for local chert.
I even sprung for the 2 year extended warranty, I plan to cook a lot of rock.
Rain coming down, which we need.
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Post by paleo on Apr 25, 2024 11:23:43 GMT -5
Good morning, I'm back home from Vinton. Took the truck in, I lost both low beam lights last week. Burnt out bulb and burned socket, it fixed now.
While the truck was being repaired, I walked downtown and had coffee and a breakfast biscuit at Brickside.
Gassed up the truck, spent $160.00 dollars at Fareway, stocking up on stuff for the cabin. We plan to open the cabin this Saturday.
I believe my rock cooking turkey roaster has died, it was cold this morning, should have been at 425 degrees. I'll check the rocks later.
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Post by paleo on Apr 24, 2024 9:53:49 GMT -5
Home from my annual wellness checkup and breakfast at Oscar's. All is well.
The wind had died down, the sun is shining, I'll be mowing lawn this afternoon.
My lifetime Iowa fishing license with trout stamp, arrived in the mail yesterday, now I need to go fishing
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Post by paleo on Apr 23, 2024 9:17:43 GMT -5
I don't think this thread is to blame, but: this happened to me yesterday.
Driving on I 380, suddenly the cars ahead of me were swerving towards the right shoulder of the road, and I could see farther up the road a vehicle sitting on the right shoulder. What??
I soon saw what everyone was avoiding, a long metal bar on the road, in my lane. I veered to the right and avoided it.
What was sitting on the side of the road was a pickup and trailer. An older, rusty pickup, with about 2 ft of lift, and big tires.
When I returned home later, the truck was still sitting there. I could see underneath the truck and it had one traction bar, a long bar that runs from bottom side of the rear axel, forward to the frame. It's meant to control or prevent axel/spring twist under high torque situations. Mainly it prevents wheel hop. Normally two traction bars, right and left.
The truck sitting there had one traction bar, it's second traction bar was what I saw laying on the interstate.
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Post by paleo on Apr 22, 2024 11:10:14 GMT -5
Back home from Cedar Rapids and getting the Prius serviced.
If you want a new Prius, you can expect to wait 6 - 9 months.
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Post by paleo on Apr 21, 2024 9:52:07 GMT -5
I cool, sunny morning, getting a lot of indoor chores done.
I'll be outside this afternoon picking stinging nettles that I will have for dinner tonight, along with fresh asparagus and grilled brats.
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Post by paleo on Apr 20, 2024 17:49:11 GMT -5
I dreary, chilly day, guess I'll go to Cedar Rapids this afternoon and make some music at the West Music jam. Say hi to Virginia. Todd, per your directions, I told Virginia that you asked me to tell her hi. I think she would like to play with you sometime. There was another "Virginia type" person there today too.
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Post by paleo on Apr 20, 2024 10:23:40 GMT -5
I dreary, chilly day, guess I'll go to Cedar Rapids this afternoon and make some music at the West Music jam.
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Post by paleo on Apr 19, 2024 8:24:08 GMT -5
Sunny here today.
The military strike on Isfahan, Iran yesterday brought back a lot of memories for me.
46 years ago, April 1978 I was staying at a small, French Colonial hotel on the Zayandeh River, in Isfahan. It was a beautiful spot with lots of trees and parks along the river.
I was working at the, then new, Khatami air base, home of Iran's Grumman F-14s. I was working on the F-14s. At that time the Air Base was 10 miles out in the desert.
Memories of times left behind
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Post by paleo on Apr 18, 2024 8:10:40 GMT -5
Had dinner last night with a friend who now resides in San Diego, we worked together for many years so there were a lot of stories to retell.
On my way home last night I noticed the beautiful, red, western sky, and thought to myself that tomorrow would be a beautiful day.
Well it's Tomorrow, it was raining when I got up, supposed to rain all day. I guess when you're in a drought situation, rain is a beautiful day.
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Post by paleo on Apr 17, 2024 11:30:57 GMT -5
An inside day. We finally got a significant rain yesterday 1.6 inches.
There was a radar indicated tornado about 3-5 miles north and west of my house. Apparently it didn't touch down.
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Post by paleo on Apr 17, 2024 7:57:42 GMT -5
“Up periscope ‘“ Colonoscopy this morning. Then off for a He-man breakfast. Are you having the conscious sedation so you can watch the procedure?
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Post by paleo on Apr 16, 2024 17:25:31 GMT -5
Sloppy joe meat, potato salad and baked beans, with some steamed asparagus.
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Post by paleo on Apr 16, 2024 7:49:29 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes.
It was a beautiful day and I spent much of it outside. I took my first bike ride of the season, only 12 miles, but the wild plums are blooming and the smell was intoxicating.
I also mowed my lawn for the first time of the season AND I picked my first asparagus of the season which became part of my dinner.
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Post by paleo on Apr 15, 2024 12:31:53 GMT -5
"Today is also the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912."
We had a family friend who grew up in London during WWII, who lost an uncle on the Titanic (a bit before she was born, I imagine).
Next time you're in Belfast, make sure the Titanic museum is on your "to do" list. It's very interesting.
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Post by paleo on Apr 12, 2024 7:30:51 GMT -5
I've got a lot of obsidian, but I don't like knapping it. There is a significant adjustment going from hard stone to obsidian. I may try to sell or trade some of my obsidian. Saw a video on knapping obsidian, black, red and rainbow which in this case was green. The edge gets insanely sharp, sharper than most metal edges. I think "insanely sharp" is a good description. I've never had any rainbow obsidian, but it is really beautiful.
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Post by paleo on Apr 11, 2024 12:23:22 GMT -5
It a windy morning here, might rain or it might'nt. Got my taxes back yesterday, good news from the state, bad news from federal. Yesterday I cleaned and tested my rock cooking oven, as I prepare to do some serious flint knapping this summer. The oven seems functional so now I need to round up some rocks to put in it and really give it a test. I've got 2 knap-ins lined up this summer, hopefully I can buy some good, high quality chert/flint there. I'd like some Flint Ridge flint or some Pedernales. No obsidian? I've got a lot of obsidian, but I don't like knapping it. There is a significant adjustment going from hard stone to obsidian. I may try to sell or trade some of my obsidian.
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Post by paleo on Apr 11, 2024 10:00:24 GMT -5
It a windy morning here, might rain or it might'nt.
Got my taxes back yesterday, good news from the state, bad news from federal.
Yesterday I cleaned and tested my rock cooking oven, as I prepare to do some serious flint knapping this summer. The oven seems functional so now I need to round up some rocks to put in it and really give it a test.
I've got 2 knap-ins lined up this summer, hopefully I can buy some good, high quality chert/flint there. I'd like some Flint Ridge flint or some Pedernales.
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