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Combo #84: Wood bow, modified iron nail drill bit,
and antler socket |
I just finished up a set of 216 bow drills for the
Nunatsiavut archaeologists to use in school programs in northern Labrador. Ok, maybe that's a bit of hyperbole, but the six bows, six spindles, and six sockets are all interchangeable, which means there are 216 possible combinations. Since the kit is going to be out of my hands I'm not going to be able to do my usual maintenance on the sets. The nephrite can be difficult to sharpen when it gets dull. A wet lapidary wheel, diamond file, or abrading stone is needed to touch up the nephrite bits when they get dull. Not every rock is going to work as an abrading stone, but finding one that works is part of the fun. We went with three nephrite bits and three modified nail bits. The iron bits are also traditional for the area and will be a little easier to keep sharp using conventional whetstones or metal files.
