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  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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!
  7. Hi all! Thought I would start documenting my trilobite preps. Here is #1, a Calymene breviceps from the Waldron shale, Indiana, and my first real prep. This is about 15 hours using hand tools primarily and a dremel for clearing some of the original matrix. My fingertips are sore, but lots of fun was had! Very exciting to see this feller reemerge after 400,000,000 years! Now to track down some other unprepared trilobites…. Trickier part of the operation…
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. Hi Fossils Preparation Fans, Last week I received 1900kg of unprepared dinosaur bones in plaster jackets. Now my neigborhood thinks I lost my mind and I received a lot of eye-rolling from my wife. However, my two sons (7y and 2.5y old dino fans) and myself think it was an excellent idea to acquire the material. The fossils have been collected in the upper layers of the Morisson Formation. Location: Moffat County, Colorado As always when buying unprepared dinosaur bones you do not really know what you get. However, it seems that most material is Apatosaurus (or some other Diplodicoidea) with some small pieces which are likely Allosaurus. I will know more after I started preparing the material. The bone quality and completeness of the bones is ranging from very good to poor according to the seller (what that means I will find out soon). Anyway, this will keep me busy for one or two years. If there is interest I will post a picture once in a while.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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!
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. Crusty_Crab

    Chemical Preparation

    I am writing a short manual on preparation methods for our club and I am including a short section on chemical preparation. This is most commonly done with acids on carbonate rocks. For many newbies, chemical preparation is attractive since all you need is a weak acid that everyone has in their kitchen (vinegar or lemon juice) and don't have to buy expensive equipment. I try to avoid it if at all possible since it works on a very narrow class of matrices, you have relatively little control over it, you may dissolve the fossil itself if it hasn't been silicified and its irreversible. Consequently, I don't have much experience with it. I have tried brushing Muriatic Acid (concentrated HCl) on limestones and immersing them in weak acids like household vinegar with mixed results. I have a few questions: does acid preparation only work on carbonates (limestone CaCO3, dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 or siderite FeCO3) or are there other fossiliferous matrices that can be prepared using acid? Are there other legitimate ways to prep using acids other than brushing it on or immersing a fossil in a weak solution? I am aware of using organic solvents to prepare tar pit fossils, but this is something outside of most amateurs. Are there other chemical preparation methods other than organic solvents on tar pits or acids?
  19. Hi, I am looking to buy a good MicroBlasting unit and need some expert advises. I know the prices of a good unit can go way over 5000$ and want some advises before spending that much. The main fossils I am working on are Trilobites and Echinoderms. Here is the 3 best units I have looked at so far: Crystal Mark: Swamblaster MV-2 Comco: Microblaster Comco: Accuflo Any Other Quality Micro Blasting Unit suggestion? Anyone out there using one of those unit and who can tell me how it goes? Thank you to all preparation experts for your time! Bobby
  20. I have several fossils that have crystallized shells. I would like any advice on preparing the fossil without having the crystallized structure disintegrated. See example photo and the crystals structures around the edges of the spiral. Thanks. .
  21. Hello, I have a bit of an odd piece, it's not a fossil, it's a scorpion! The scorpion was in its burrow in a dune when the dune collapsed, I would like to stabalize the sand, so that I can display it. This isn't a particularly important find, so I wouldn't mind if it broke in the process. Keep in mind, I have very limited materials.
  22. Hello, I am an amateur fossil hunter whos level of knowledge is pretty limited. I love going out and hunting but my ability to identify and prep what I find is quite limited. I found this cephalopod fossil near Cincinnati Ohio a couple of years ago and it is by far my best find ever. I'm typically fine picking at or grinding away with a Dremel trying to prep my finds as they are usually small bits. Nothing I'm worried about ruining. This is something different and I'm pretty apprehensive about working on it. I read there isn't much harm in gluing it back together and I attempter this. It looks ok but 2 pieces didn't take so it's still in 2 pieces. There are also many very thin pieces of shell that came off the back when I dug it out. There also appears to be a small trilobite in the underside of the rock. What I would like to know is more information on the species it is, as well as if there is a person or place I can send it to get prepped. For identification purposes here is what I know. The area it was found in Cincinnati Ohio in a bed known for Cambrian era fossils. Estimated age is 450-500 million years. I am not a rich man so I cannot afford to spend too much on prep but it is the best fossil I've found so far. I would be willing to spend as much as my budget allows on getting it cleaned up and put back together. I do not know what to expect price wise so if anyone has a guestimate please let me know. Thanks ahead of time to anyone that can help me out.
  23. Hello community, A friend of mine recently gifted me this keichousaurus. But as you can see the Preperation is not the cleanest/nicest. Can I as an amateur fix this by myself or make it look cleaner and nicer? I also had the Idea that I maybe could work from the other side with Acid layer by layer. Then I could also be able to see the upper side of the specimen rather than its belly. Or would that not work/ be to risky? Isbthe rock maybe to thin? Can i as an amateur who never worked on a fossil with acid before make that or is it generally not possible?
  24. I know that a trilobite in limestone is found by breaking the rock, seeing its cross section in the pieces, and noting where it is. Then it is prepared by gluing the rocks back together and using jacks and air abrasion tools to remove the rock. My question: What sort of glue is used when gluing the rock back together? What set time does it have?
  25. Hello everyone! I recently received this cool fossil from the Devonian in Scotland, it is a Palaeospondylus gunni: I have seen fossils of this enigmatic organism prepared in really wonderful ways to expose more of the animal and I was wondering: would this be possible to do here? I am not exactly sure of the process used on the others, possibly just really fine air abrasion? The fossil seems to be rather thin against the rock but it isn't completely flat, here are some pictures I took under the digital microscope, hopefully they might show it a bit better. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am happy to provide more pictures if necessary. Thank you for your time!
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