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Ive decided to start a crab prep thread instead of doing a post for every single crab I prep. If it works, great. If not, then I will go back to seperate posts for each. I will start with this one that I just started today. This is Pulalius vulgaris from the state of Washington and Eocene in age. This was 'Whacked' open by my youngest son. Turned out to be a purty good whack. This first picture is with the top piece of rock tossed away and the 2 pieces you see on the side are pieces from the bottom of the rock. You can easily see how the crab is not situated correctly in the rock. Not usually a good thing? There is almost always a reason for this. These next two pics are gluing the pieces back onto the bottom of the concretion. This way the concretion will look complete. I ALWAYS save all the pieces just in case! Now I have a complete bottom half of this concretion. There was a small crack and I very softly and carefully pried it off exposing quite a bit more of the crab but it also took a part of the arm off the crab. Had to glue it back on. Not a big deal, just a tad bit more time. And now after a few hours of scribe prep, its easy to start to see all the problems. Very tuff to get an A-Grade crab!!! There seems to be no left claw to speak of. Also looks to be only a 4 legger. There might be another one in there somewhere but its not looking good. But really, so far, it may be a purty good one clawed 4 legger crab? The preservation is really nice!

Hello hive mind, Seeking species and location information on this fossil crab I acquired. It’s from an old shop stock that is probably over a decade old at least. I don’t see any signs of painting or fabrication else for some glueing here and there. Thanks!

Hello guys I’d like to share with you some from my collection hope you enjoy. I only collect crabs .....

Out of the countless New Jersey cretaceous crab claws I've seen and found this has to be one of the strangest claw partials yet. Seems to be an ornamented shell as apposed to the smooth claw textures that are typically found. Definitely a very interesting piece, anyone have any ideas on a possible species or if any ornamental crabs have found in nj cretaceous, or any other new jersey cretaceous hunters ever come across one similar? Definitely a head scratcher

I had to rest up for 5 days after this trip. My health isn't what it used to be and this trip kicked my you know what! Had an absolute freakin good time though! Made some new freinds also, been a long time since that has happened. I did very little actual fossil hunting. I did end up in a ditch looking for crab concretions, found none and had to crawl out on my hands and knee's just to get out of the ditch and back onto the road. Before this stroke thing, I could have simply walked up and out of that ditch like it was nothing, but it was sooooooooo nice to be outdoors again! Dont you fellow fossil hunters ever take your health for granted!!! I did get some crab concs but I had to buy them. Luckily I have friends in Washington. I also met up with a guy that I found on the internet and had a really great time with him and bought and traded for some agatized Aturia and agatized clams. Some really beautiful stuff!!! And to top it all off, I came home with a trailer full of wood to use in my smoker. Luckily my middle son came with me and did most of the work. Made for a most wonderful trip. Oh, also, whilst at my buddy's house he gave me a broken open crab concretion that he didnt want. It does need some repair, but if it has legs, it will be a good crab. RB

Got some very bad news today. First very sad, then confused, then mad. Mixed myself a whiskey and cola at 7:20 this morning and went out to the garage and picked out 4 crab concretions. The very first one I read wrong! Fixed it and grabbed another. Read this 2 one right and also the 3rd and 4th. Done prepping for the day even thought its quite early but nice to have so many crabs ready to go. First and second picture is the same conc. Dug a hole, found ventral, turned it over and fixed it. 3rd photo is the second concretion. Found dorsal. Last photo is all 4 concs ready to go. RB

Arighty then. Received a big package yesterday in the mail from New Zealand. I thought for sure someone would know that I was getting fossil crabs in my other posts about 'Another Mystery Fossil'? But anyway, here they are. Ive got one huge rock, (11 inches across), that was split in half by mother nature and one small 4 inch rock that I started prepping today. I still have to figure out exactly what im gunna do with the 'split rock' and then go on the prep attack, but thats gunna take a few days. The really good thing is, this split rock crab just might be an eight legger with all tippy tips? Gunna be very interesting for me. But have one heck of a lot of rock to remove to find out!!! If it does work out, it could easily be my very best crab ever!!! This might take a couple of months or more? Oh, it may be hard to see in the photo's but there is most deffinetly a crab in the split rock. A little bit in both sides. Gunna be a job for sure!!! Im one nervous dude!!! RB