Those of us who have at one time or the other had the occasion to cast arrowheads or flints are aware of the disappointing lack of realism that plaster presents. Translucence is never present and too frequently the crisp retouch flake marks are lost under a coat of paint. More often, a successful reproduction is quickly ruined by careless handling.

After many trials that resulted in nothing more convincing than arrowpoints looking like painted plaster, the properties of various plastics were tested. Failure with liquid plastics led to experiments with powdered dental acrylic. This material, I found, had all of the properties required for faithful reproductions of stone flake work. The acrylic can be colored with pigments. It is strong, transparent, and can be molded to any desired shape with excellent detail without too much difficulty.