Search the Community

As the title states, I'd love to see how TFF community displays or stores their micro/pretty small fossils. I'm trying to get ideas how to display mine, so I thought I'd start this thread- I'm sure I'm not the only one that will enjoy the fresh ideas. Happy posting

Hi all I thought I would do a “show us your handmade display of stands” . I think it would be beneficial to collate all the wonderful display stands in one thread. If you do contribute to this thread it would be really useful if you can give some top tips and some pictorial info of how you made it. Also please add some pictures of the beautiful fossil , mineral or any other object you display on them. If you have already made a post and perhaps you would prefer to add a link instead. So if you have got some handmade stands out of wood, drift wood, iron, wire, acrylic , stone or upcycled objects , please don’t hide one’s creativity under a bushel but proudly post here and maybe we can inspire others to be creative. Thank you all Bobby First up is a very simple but affective way off displaying small objects that you want to display rather than in keep in a draw or acrylic box. The acrylic boxes do keep your fossil clean but sometimes don’t look that great on a shelve in my opinion. All you need is a old or interesting tin, a Bobby-pin and cotton wool.

The first (and only- for now) Oreodont skull I prepped was in remarkably good condition and required virtually no reconstruction, just a thorough and careful cleaning + a little stabilizing. Afterwards I was looking for a good way to display this little skull in a manner where it wouldn't just be sitting on a flat surface. I'm not great at bending metal to create an elevated cradle so I came up with this: I laid a sheet of plastic wrap on the underside of the skull and gently pressed Apoxie sculpt on top of the plastic so it molded to the contours of the skull. I then pressed a metal rod bent in two 90 degree angles into the Apoxie making sure it was straight. After setting for a little while- still soft enough to pull it away from the skull without getting stuck, but firm enough to hold its shape- I pulled the mold out and allowed it to dry. Once fully hardened I lightly sanded to smooth out some of the rougher contours and reduce the overall size so it wouldn't be as visible with the skull resting on it. A bit of tweaking here and there and I got it so that the skull could gently 'clip' in and out of the mold. Attached are a couple shots of the original piece with matrix, and the finished fossil and stand. I am really happy with the end result and plan on using this in the future- I hope you find it interesting and useful as well!

I was wondering what kinds of stands you guys use for displaying mammoth teeth? But teeth belonging to juvenile mammoths ?

I think it is worthwhile to fashion or acquire stands to enhance the presentation of material for display. Why spend time and effort on a piece to have it rest unceremoniously on a shelf or be stuck in a drawer? Place it in view, if possible, for all to enjoy! Here are photos and comments on the cobbling of two very simple stands to support Mammoth material recently received. The smaller tusk fragment is full round. The larger fragment, a half-round, is split on its long axis. The large piece was the subject of minor prep discussed in the Forum's "mailbox finds" topic. As in previous posts about stand making, I have utilized exotic hardwoods for a weighty base. The wood for the larger piece is a blank that was intended for bowl making, via turning. The smaller stand is made from scrap that was used as filler in shipment from the exotic wood merchant. Here is the wood blank. It is Bubinga, an African hardwood. It had previously been finished with hand rubbed shellac. snolly's arcane scribbles of higher math may be seen in the photos, reflecting his effort to calculate points to drill. For the large specimen, armatures were custom bent from 3/32 brass stock. A scrap of stiff electrical wire was used as a mock up to approximate the needed shapes. To perform the bending snolly employed a simple jig. To establish the needed semicircular arc a piece of high-tech custom equipment was employed. For the smaller piece, a purchased armature was bent to specification. While this was easy, the price (with shipping) will dissuade snolly from this path in the future. Here are the finished projects, artfully posing in Palatial snolly Manor. Here are a couple more views as the fossils await their final display positions among their peers. It is hoped this provides a clear view of the simple designs. Make some stands it's fun and I think it will enhance your displays and enjoyment.

Hi after seeing a few posts on here for display stands @snolly50, I figured i would try my hand at it I went more steam punk industrial if thats a thing haha. Used a couple pieces of wood I found in the garage (spruce) stained it with a jacobean stain. Bought 1/4 round steel bar and bought a pipe bender of Amazon. For the bear paw I used a bit of metal wire aswell and furniture felt pads for the base :)....its not perfect but I'm happy with the result. I know the femur is off center im waiting for my wife's cricut machine to come it so I can make a label for it!

Special thanks to Ptychodus04 for making this custom stand for my Megaloceros giganteus antler. I love it!!!

Aside from our favorite auction site, can anyone please recommend a good site, or store for buying acrylic risers? I’m looking for longer ones around 12 inches in length. Height so they stack.

I know it’s been talked about on here for making displays for smaller specimens. But what about larger specimens? What do you do when you have a full length tail section or when you have a full skeleton? I look at the displays in stores and museums and I cannot figure it out. I can weld and all that. But what I cannot figure out is how they get the metal bands wrapped so tight around the bone. The bone obviously has to sit into the main frame before the bands get wrapped around certain areas. How do they do that without damaging the specimen? The only thing I could think of was the material may be stainless steel or aluminum, so it’s an easy metal to bend. But then after that, how is the display stand painted? I don’t think you can paint it before and then bend it. The paint would chip and flake off as soon as you bend it. So If anyone has any information how this process works, I would love your help

In April Forum member @Sagebrush Steve posted an account in the "Fossil Prep" section detailing construction of display stands for some of his collection. He employed a slightly different approach and interested readers would be well served to view that post as well as this one. I do believe that the use of attractive display techniques can enhance the "decorator" value of fossils as well as allowing them to be viewed in a manner far better than resting on a shelf. A short while ago I posted a prep series on a pair of Halisaurus jaw sections. That post concluded with discussion of the display stands employed. Rustic bases made from salvaged wild cherry wood were the support for brass rods bent to hold the pieces. Here is one of those pieces. That project led to the idea mounting other fossils in a similar style. To this end I acquired a box of assorted blanks from an exotic woods dealer. I believe those slabs were intended for turning on a lathe to produce small bowls. I chose them for use as stable, heavy bases. The natural beauty of the various wood was also a factor. Here are some of the blanks. the are partially dipped on wax to seal them for storage. They are: Bubinga, Purpleheart and Yellowheart. Here is an assortment of wood that has been subjected to an orbital sander in preparation for finishing. They are: Ambrosia Maple, Canarywood, Bocote and Jatoba Here is a block of African Mahogany, that will serve as a base for the first stand. Shellac, mixed from flakes and denatured alcohol is applied to the unstained wood. A cloth dauber is utilized for application. Holes for mounting the brass rods have been pre-drilled in designated spots. Here is the project prior to assembly. The blue strand of flexible, electrical wire was used to form the approximate desired shape needed for the brass rod configurations. In that manner a measure could be established for the placement of bends. A simple jig was used to make the bends. It is, however, more difficult than one would imagine. Well, at least is was for snolly. Visible are the fossil specimens to be mounted. Here are a couple views of the finished project. This was a fun experience and the other blanks will be utilized to mount other medium sized specimens. Triceratops sp partial chevrons Hell Creek Formation Powder River Co, Montana

Ok, been working on this for quite some time. Trying to find the right size stands for all your fossils can be quite difficult im finding out! So,, I took some pliers and started bending up a snargle smargle storm!!! Now Ive got most of my smaller fossil crabs in stands. Woooooop!!! Woooooop!!! Oh, and a picture of what it looked like without stands too. Top shelf only. RB

Hey guys, I have got some new Dinosaur fossils coming in soon and I have noticed these black metal display stands which looked really nice. I was thinking of using them as my stands but I just did not know where to get them from. Would you guys know anyone who sells those stands? Thanks for your help! Here is something similar to what I am looking for.

I went onto Ebay to try and find some 'moon stands'. For the life of me and cant remember what they are called but there is a kind of fossil stand that is shaped kinda like a moon shape where you can put in an ammonite and screw the bottom and top to hold it? Im not sure if im making any sence? Anyone know what the heck im talking about. Here is a picture that ive drawn to give you an idea. Not the best drawing, but I drew a little ammonite in the middle that is being held in this stand thingy. Thanks RB

The shop got an upgrade this week. Mount making just got easier with a new 2 burner propane forge. This will allow me to shape steel for mounts and stands much more efficiently than the old coal forge I was using. I can also modify/make specialty digging tools now! The options are limitless...

I had a fossil display at the Rochester Gem & Mineral Show this past weekend and I was asked "Where do you get all your display stands from?". When I worked for World of Science Inc. and Natural Wonders, I bought ALL my stands and bases from Jule-Art inc.. I spent $25,000-$30,000 a year on acrylic displays and any specimen I sold in our stores over $50 came with a free base or stand. They have a ton to choose from and they pack them extremely well and ship quickly. On some of the beveled bases I applied black or burgundy felt so the specimens wouldnt scratch the acrylic and it looked good. Go through your collection, use your imagination, and have fun displaying. Heres a tip - 3 prong stands, easels, and bases with rubber feet work the best for most fossils. mikey http://www.jule-art.com/