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  1. Hello, I have a question regarding best preparation techniques for Eocene concretions from Sheppey. They look like this: I'm not doing the preparation myself - I'm asking to help the guy who is supposed to prepare them, as it's a new material for him and he doesn't want to ruin the fossils. I will appreciate your expert advice Kasia
  2. I'm prepping fossils in Oolitic limestone, which is new for me. This fossil is small and delicate, and appears to be a tooth. Should I use hand tools, or what I was thinking was cotton bud, vinegar and a lot of patience? I'm concerned the vinegar would attack the tooth. The white patches are where I scraped the matrix with hand tools, but I wasn't confident this was the best method.
  3. MrBones

    UAE Crab

    Hello. Do you guys think I can prep this crab from Al Ain (part of the United Arab Emirates)? It looks pretty beaten up, but I am hoping the ventral side might still be there. I have tried preparing urchins in this matrix with a very diluted water-vinegar solution. Do you think this could work for the crab as well?
  4. Fossil Fen

    Trilobite Prep Question

    Hello Forum, I've been working on some beginner Trilobites I've been able to buy from a local Rock Store. Most are not in a good state of preservation but are fun to work on and learn. The bug below has a waxy coating on it and I'm wondering if someone can tell me what that is, and also the best way to clean it off. I scribed down to the shell with an air tool, and now I'm just using a pin vise to scrap away as much as I can. Is this the best approach?
  5. Hi all, I am finally getting ready to proceed with stabilizing the specimens I found in this trip: They are basically big sandstone steinkerns, now fully dry. They were found in ferrous sandstone concretions surrounded by sand. The matrix is soft , pieces can be broken off with fingers. I was advised to brush ammos with a PVA solution, but then I thought what if I use Paraloid instead? So the questions are as follows: 0. Is it worth it? 1. If so, what solution should I use? 2%? 5% or more? 2. How much will be required? (the biggest ammo is about 40 cm in diameter and 15 cm thick, 20+kg) 3. How and how many times to apply? With a brush? Once a day for several days in a row (as with PVA) or otherwise? 4. Do I need to cover the surface with a stronger solution afterwards? Thanks in advance! The matrix:
  6. DarkTr

    Small Ichthyosaurus

    Hi to everyone. I'm preparing a new fossil which comes from Germany in the Cretaceous, these are the information that i have. Now, I have seen that it's quite difficult both to recognize the bones and to eliminate the matrix but the work is going. Have you some advice for this type of fossil? And, i don't want to be wrong, but i see two different bones: a black one and a brown one. Are them two different animal or not? For the type of preparation I'm doing is a mechanic type.
  7. Bill Hoddson

    Carbide/carbon steel needles

    After reading a few articles on removing matrix from fossils, I see most tool lists state a pin vise with carbide/carbon steel needles are standard equipment. I already have pin vises acquired from building models, but I seem to come up short on finding appropriate sized needles. What do you all use?
  8. Hi all, first post and newbie collector so appologies if this is posted in the wrong place. On a Recent trip to Dorset these were found and I’d love some input on the best way to prepare these. One is large and I as tempting as it was to just have at it with the hammer and chisel, I suspect more interesting things may be lurking in there. The others are much smaller and may need something like an air scribe?? Recommendations on that line appreciated also. thank you in advance for any help/tips/recommendations.
  9. Hello! I'm considering coating some of my delicate fossils in Paraloid (mixed with Acetone), to seal them and protect them for the future. How long would a typical, let's say, Green River fish take to decompose without such or similar techniques applied? I am very wary of doing irreversible acts to the rocks, so, how would one de-Paraloid a fossil, and would there be any damage? Just, any tips whatsoever would help, I'm feeling pretty inadequate about all this
  10. Thomas.Dodson

    DIY Dust Collection System

    I've received a couple requests for more information/instructions on how my DIY dust collection system works so I decided to write this guide. First, a crude diagram to help understand how it works. The idea is for water to act as a filter before dust even gets to the shop vac filter. It keeps the filter almost entirely clean and prevents dust from prematurely killing the motor. It's also a lot easier to clean up as you just dump the dirty water. The setup is simple and as long as the general process goes like this it is fine but I'll walk through how I built my current system. I use a two bucket system because the added height and volume allows for the operation of more powerful vacuums without sucking up the filter water. There are also similar systems available on sites like Youtube but the basic premise is the same. I remember seeing a clear one which was cool but I had the buckets I used for mine lying around already. You can build your own on the cheap with the following stuff. Required Materials 1x Bucket with sealing lid (Ideally a twist-lock lid) 1x Bucket without lid 1x PVC Elbow slip female to threaded male (1-1/4”) 1x PVC Pipe (1-1/4”) length varies but a 32" section gives you plenty. 1x Filter Pad (optional) Required Tools Drill with 1 1/4” hole drill bit Strong epoxy such as Gorilla Glue Step 1. Gather your 2 buckets. I like the rigid twist lock tops since it doesn't bend the pipe hole when you remove the lid like those other sealing lids on buckets do. I used an old chlorine tablet bucket I had around for the bucket with lid. Any ordinary 5 gallon bucket works for the top. Step 2. 2 holes are drilled into the bottom of the bucket without the lid. This will be the intake and outtake of the dust collection system. Step 3. Multiple holes are drilled into the lid of the bucket to accommodate air flow. One of these holes needs to line up with a hole on the bucket without the lid because the intake pipe will be threaded through them both. The multiple holes are under the filter pad (see Step 4.) Step 4 (optional). I like to silicone a disposable filter pad I cut into a circle over the other holes. This is just an added precaution against water leaving the dust collection system. The idea is air will flow through while a random splash of water will mostly be deflected or find it more difficult to make it to the top bucket. Step 5. Combine the buckets. Use a strong epoxy to combine the lidless bucket with the lid of the twist-lock bucket. I used gorilla glue epoxy. Mind the alignment of the intake pipe holes so you can thread the pipe in later. Allow the epoxy to properly cure and dry. The end result of this step is the lid of the bottom bucket and the top bucket as one piece. Step 6. Attach the elbow to one end of the PVC pipe length. PVC glue can be used but isn't really necessary. Cut the length of PVC pipe to the height of both buckets so the intake pipe rests an inch or two off the bottom of the bottom bucket and thread it through the holes. I like to allow this gap at the bottom so larger chunks of rock don't get stuck between the pipe and the bottom. Sometimes I vacuum chunks of matrix directly into the dust collector for disposal. I put a silicone ring around where the elbow sits on top but depending on suction power and how tightly fitting the pipe is this usually isn't necessary. It doesn't hurt though. The system is now complete. The vacuum hose has the regular attachment pushed firmly into the outtake hole. A separate hose connects the intake pipe elbow to the blast cabinet through a slip fit vacuum attachment. The top assembly comes off with the twist-lock and the dirty water is dumped at replaced when necessary. Here's a picture of dirty water after preparation. Operating notes: The working water level varies by vacuum power but you want the water level high enough to cover the bottom of the intake pipe by an inch or 2. If your water level is too high you'll find the vacuum will suck some water up until it gets to a stable water level. As long as the intake pipe is still below the water level this is fine. Hopefully this clears some things up. If anything is still unclear or there are any questions I'll do my best to respond.
  11. Psmith8547

    fossil or concretion

    I found this in eastern Montana in a wash bed. There were many concretion looks different, irregular surface on top and it is a continuous spiral from top to bottom. Almost looks like poop (coprolite) but it is heavy. How would you go about looking at its interior? Hammer? Scribe? I know people split some of them but I have neve done that.
  12. ParkerPaleo

    White River Prep - Rodent

    I've been in the lab this fall/winter but preparation has taken a back seat to the plastics/replicas operations. As things start to wind down with plastics around this time of year, I'm embarking on my next prep project. This specimen is from the same Wyoming locality as the Herpetotherium I posted about recently but was found many years ago(~15?). It appears to just be an upper skull of a small rodent but there is some hope for lowers. I pulled this piece out of its field packaging in April but just now starting preparation in earnest. So far, all I've done is rough prep around the boundary to remove the bulk matrix surrounding it. It was attached to a larger block but there is no evidence of any additional bone fragments in the other block. The bulk removal was done with my trusty ARO but all prep going forward will be done under magnification with a Paleotool's Microjack-3 or pin vices. Identification will take a while but we'll talk about the process as I get the specimen uncovered. If I had to guess at this point, I suspect it to be Paradjidaumo. Time will tell if I'm correct.
  13. Hello Forum! I've been doing some reading on the forum about microscopes and I'd like to say thanks for the information provided, I've learned a lot about stereo microscopes and some of the things to look for. There seems to be a lot of used labratory equipment on certain online auction sites but my question is this; has anyone purchased, sight unseen, a used microscope and how was the experience? Are there specific things I should be looking for to ensure it's in good working order, or are stereo microscopes the type of product that potentially has lots of issues and is not worth taking the chance? Also when it comes to boom stands, are there any you'd highly recommended, because most scopes either have no stand or a traditional one. At this point, I could purchase a brand new entry level scope, or a slightly older Nikon or Olympus. Any thoughts you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Cheers, Ryan
  14. kirkjeremiah23

    Hyracodon Skull

    Finally got around to prepping out and making a stand for the Hyracodon skull. It was in pretty rough shape and not complete, but I think it displays well. What are your guys thoughts?
  15. Hello TFF members - I'm in need so some advice on this one please. So this is my first post (happy to be corrected on any newbie errors) and although preparation is my favourite part of the fossil game, I am 'fairly' new to it - In other words, please go easy on me, I'm aware it's going to be all too tempting to say I've bitten off more than I can chew here... I recently purchased this Mosasaur skull from a well known European fossil auction site; you may have seen it yourself if you follow such things. It wasn't 'hugely' expensive, but that doesn't mean I'm not serious about making something good out of it and giving it a lot of attention (which clearly it will need...). It is from Morocco, was sold as a Platycarpus (from the teeth I would tend to agree, but please correct if you think otherwise) and originally was complete in a plaster jacket. The seller decided to prep it and remove from the jacket. Whilst this may have exposed more of it, some quite nicely, they have also turned it into the most insanely fragile fossil I have ever come into contact with! It was already in five large pieces when advertised for sale, and despite being very well packaged, has suffered further in transit. The matrix is not much more than hard (ish) sand and the bone only marginally more solid. Doesn't help that it's so crushed, so only matrix between each piece. Clearly leaving it in the matrix, perhaps replacing the jacket with something more aesthetically pleasing as part of a mount and prepping only the surface would have been the way to go, but it's beyond that now, so I would really love some thoughts and suggestions on the following: 1 - Immediate stabilisation and strengthening to prevent further breakages and reattach the broken sections (buckets of CA to solidify the sand matrix and reduce porosity to enable gluing?) 2 - Rebuilding/mounting (combining these two, as it will never be strong enough to hold in one piece and the mounting technique will likely need to be integral as it will need complete support across the entire back. It would never be my first choice, but I'm thinking a rebuilt matrix under the fossil to support and hold it together at the same time?) Ok, lots of text there for background and to give you more context, here are some pictures which will help... Original, in jacket: Advert pics: And another: Now it's home, in a slightly more confused state: And another: Last one, you get the idea: If anyone is interested in seeing more of it, please let me know, have lots of pics. It's an interesting item and despite being crushed to hell, looks to be fairly complete (the reverse tells it's own story too, more teeth there, etc.), but it's realistically only ever going to be an 'in matrix' display piece. Out of curiosity, I believe it's upside down, with the two maxilla visible on top and the upper jaw section being below, sure someone will easily be able to confirm? Anyway, enough from me, would love your thoughts and really appreciate anyone who has the time to consider and reply. If I haven't been clear or you need more info, please just let me know. Thank you, Dave
  16. NoahW24

    Ceraurus trilobite Prep

    Hi all! I’ve got this heavily weathered Ceraurus, and I’m trying to figure out if it’s best to leave the critter in the rugged natural state or if more of him might be buried: any pointers on determining this? Trying to think twice and dremel once to avoid mistakes… Thanks!
  17. Welsh Wizard

    Prepping a Trilobite

    Hi I don’t normally collect trilobites but we spent a few days in mid wales drinking coffee and reading books. We also got a chance to look for trilobites. Here is a partial on a block and whilst having a dig around, I found another one which I’m prepping out.
  18. Hi everyone, As a beginner i have picked up some pyrite nuggets which hopefully have fossils underneath (hopefully an ammonite). I am wondering which is the best way to uncover what lay beneath (if anything). Lots of mixed methods on the web so can anyone advise which is the best way to start please. Thank you
  19. I work for the County of Orange in Southern California. Pretty soon, we'll be issuing a request for proposals to prepare fossils and process archaeological materials. I would like to know if it is appropriate to post the RFP here, and if so, which subforum it belongs in. I'm also open to other suggestions of where to post the RFP when it becomes available.
  20. Bill Hoddson

    First Serious Prep

    This is going to be my first serious attempt at removing a fossil from a rock, and cleaning it for display. It's a solitary horn coral found in a parking lot in Traverse City, Michigan. Base rock is a rather coarse grained limestone, so it should be easier that a finer, densely grained matrix. The only tools I have currently are a Dremel with a flex attachment, carbide cutting disks and diamond burrs, as well as various dental tools and muriatic acid. My plan is to try to safely cut the specimen out of the main body of the rock, and then proceed with the finer details cleaning. Sorry if the photos aren't very clear. All I have is an older smart.
  21. Kane

    A few crinoids

    I preface this by saying I'm not a crinoid collector, nor someone who has the foggiest idea of how to prep them effectively. If I encounter one that looks relatively complete, I'll bring it home. I focus prep on trilobites mostly, and there is a thread where I park those. It's been a busy week at the bench, and I thought I'd close it out with one finished piece, and one that is halfway done. First up is the finished piece. I didn't take a before photo for some reason, but these appear as faint traces in this material. This one is an Ectenocrinus. It already had some damage in the field up at the arms.
  22. I was recently out vacationing in Wyoming and spent Saturday morning (7/24/21) hunting in the badlands. As I sat down to rest for a moment, I looked down and saw what I thought were a radius/ulna pair from a small mammal. Upon closer inspection, it was a pair of lower jaws freshly exposed on the edge of a nodule and on the backside, a small skull. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I spent a bit of time making sure the specimen was consolidated (Paleobond Penetrant, wish I had brought some 4417) and packed it up for the trip home. I was thinking it would make a great Vertebrate Fossil of the Month but as I am unsure of my identification and being a skilled preparator, I thought it would be more interesting to show the process. I do suspect the specimen to be the marsupial, Herpetotherium fugax. However, without seeing the teeth, this is mostly a guess. I do have another specimen with a similar endocast which is what I am using as my basis for an identification at the moment. Though I am quite unsure if the endocasts of the Insectivores have the same character. Pardon my anatomy if I get this wrong but there is a fold between the parietal lobes and the occipital lobe that you can see in the above photo and that is what I'm guessing my ID on. Once we get the teeth exposed, we will know for sure. Here are the pieces on my desk with some better lighting and measurements. A bit of cranium on the negative. The top of the skull. And the lower jaw that was seen exposed. The plan is as follows: 1. Clean the blocks of any mud/loose chips 2. Glue the blocks solidly back together 3. Bulk matrix removal with pneumatic tools (ARO/Paleotool Microjack-3) 4. Fine matrix removal under a scope/micro abrasion I'll write up each step as I progress. Enjoy! And @jpc I apologize for not visiting you, but it was a whirlwind trip. I'll catch you next time!
  23. Daniel Fischer

    My first fossil preparation

    Hello, two days ago I made my first fossil preparation and I figured I should share it here. I know I probably made a ton of mistakes but I am happy with the result. It took me around about 2 hours and I would love to hear from you everything I have done wrong. here are before and after pictures, I did not write on the pictures what is before and what is after but I think you can figure it out, I know it's my first try but how bad can it be.
  24. I have a few really nice fossils from the White River Formation of northeastern Colorado that I need to prep, and given I am a beginner at fossil prep I would really like to gain some advice and guidance from people with experience do I don’t accidentally damage the fossils. The first fossil is an Oreodont skull. The skull is mostly intact, and I was able to extract it from the field without using any glue or stabilizer or consolidant or anything like that, so this fossil is in its “natural state.” The zygomatic arch and upper tooth row are crumbling, but otherwise everything else that I can see is there appears to be stable. The other side of the skull appears to be still mostly encased in matrix, and is likely to be better preserved. What’s everyone’s opinion on whether or not I should apply penetrant stabilizer directly to the bone before prepping to help keep it intact? The second fossil is a jaw bone, tentatively identified by me as Subhyracodon but I will need to reveal the teeth to know for sure. There are several large cracks throughout the bone (as can be seen) but the entire bone is still in one piece due to application of PaleoBond penetrant stabilizer in the field. There is matrix in between the larger cracks, I imagine I will have to pull it apart one piece at a time, clean the pieces, and then glue them back together. I don’t have any specific questions at this point other than about the overall process. It would be great if those with experience could briefly go over how they would go about prepping these fossils would be great. Is there anything I should avoid, be careful of, or watch out for? Equipment I have includes an air scribe with compressor, dental picks/tools, and the full suite of PaleoBond glues and stabilizers, including the debonding solvent. Thanks in advance! *These fossils were collected legally on privately held land in Weld County, Colorado, with full landowner knowledge and permission.
  25. Hello everyone! I am interested in purchasing a microscope to try out fossil prep under one as well as just observing smaller fossils under it. I have begun doing some research and have come up with some good options but I wanted to ask here as well in case anyone had any suggestions. I am looking for a stereo microscope that would be pretty simple and fairly inexpensive, if anyone has suggestions for one like this I would love to hear them, Thank you, Misha
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