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Showing results for tags 'tools'.
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Can anyone confirm if it is fine to use the hammer end of my Estwing Geological pick for striking a small cold chisel when fossil hunting - or is it just for striking rocks/ It actually stipulates that the pick end is for prying only (which is fine) but the that hammer end is only for wooden stakes! Is this an overkill by Estwing to manage their H&S liability or is it common knowledge that you canuse the hammer on cold chisels? Any advice gratefully appreciated! Cheers - Rick
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Where do you guys buy your prep supplies? I've looked on line and have mixed feelings about some of the places that do offer this kind of stuff. I'm sure people here have their favorite sellers who won't rip a rookie like me off. Thanks!!!!
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Ive always enjoyed fossil hunting in local areas however I've never done any prep. work at all to specimes I've brought home. I've two practice pieces singled out to experiment with. (If it goes horribly wrong nothing lost) One a random chunk of lias clay with some bivalves and the other one a little ammonite just peaking out of another lump of jurassic lias clay. The matrix isn't particularly soft or hard with either. I have no appropriate tools in my possession however I'm willing to buy some basic things which are necessary. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Hey just a quick question so I've been hunting around and it seems like an air scribe is the way to go I found a brand new Chicago 9361 used and picked it up it has lots of carbide chisels and engraving tips but it has nothing with a really sharp tip. Where do you find tips for these? That are more geared for fossil prep? I typically dont grab a tool before I know how to use it but it was 75$ from somone clearing out a shop and it had never been used. Also I'm in Canada if that makes much of a difference for retailers?
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Here are a couple things that I received from my wife and son for Christmas. A couple nice heavy duty packs- one from 5.11 and the other one from Milwaukee brand. A pair of Blackhawk knee pads. And a few nice new Estwing tools.
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What should I bring for optimal fossil-hunting? I'd love to find a pocket with some shark teeth, and I'm hoping for (though not expecting) a concretion with something fun inside. I'd like to do a little sifting as well, I think. I'm going to have 2 brothers with me who I suspect would just like to dig for interesting things. I have some of those gold panning sifters, which I plan to bring. I'm also going to bring a couple of trowels, a bucket to put tempting chunks of matrix in for later, and a hammer and small chisel. Add in my tiny crowbar (it's about a foot long, but sturdy), and some fishhook cases and pill bottles for small items, and that sounds like a good setup. Is there any point in bringing a large-mesh fish net to kind of trawl in the water itself, see if I can dredge out some things that have been washed down into it, or am I better off just digging on land?
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Hi All. I am looking for suggestions on trimming matrix (hard shale, limestone) from specimens. I have used a tile saw in the past. I am wondering if small hand saws with diamond blades would also be effective. I appreciate the help.
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I need some tips & advice on tools for first fossil hunt in Eben Emael (Maastrichtian of Belgium)
ziggycardon posted a topic in Collecting Gear
Hi everyone! After the recommendations of @Manticocerasman, @gigantoraptor & @Joeri_R I joined the BVP (Belgian Association for Paleontology). Today I got my confirmation mail of the membership. I have long been wanting to go out on fossil hunts especially in my own region which consist of cretaceous limestone from the Maastrichtian. Luckily for me the next fossil excursion planned by the BVP is a trip to the Romontbos quarry in Eben-Emael which is only a 20 - 25 minute drive for me. So I did sign up for said excursion but since it's my first ever fossil hunt I want to go prepared and I was wondering if any of you have any tips on what tools and stuff to take with me to the quarry and what tools are best for excavating said limestone. I already know that a safety helmet, safety gloves and a fluorescent jacket are required and that safety glasses and steeltipped working shoes are recommended. I was also planning on taking enough water to stay hydrated, a backpack and a good strong bag to transport excavated fossils and perhaps some matrix to examine later. And I was planning on purchasing this kit from my regular fossil shop. Are there any other tools or items that I should bring? Or does anyone have some tips for an inexperienced beginner? Or is anyone is familiar with the location feel free to share. Thank you in advance and I look forward to my first hunt!
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Finally got the well needed upgrade from the original rock pick my dad picked up at an antique store: We had to jam a washer between the shaft and the head of the antique one because it kept shifting up when we would hit harder rocks haha! The new one does seem somewhat short though, not sure if the original is just very long or.... -Em
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Howdy all! I'm super excited about this and I'm looking for expertise and knowledge from all of you! I'm working in Chapel Hill, NC next week and I've paved out a day to FINALLY visit GMR!!! I'm a total noob to this area and what to expect. I've been doing research but I would humbly ask you all about your experiences, local knowledge, where to park (safely), points of entry, tools to bring (i have an good idea), areas to avoid, concerns, etc... I'm doing this alone unfortunately but that also adds to the adventure! I still haven't found my meg yet and it will be sometime before I'm able to get back out to Brownies Beach or Calvert any time soon... SO! I'm really eager to make this visit a great work out and to find some awesome treasures to share with my little boys! I wish they were old enough to come with me!
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Hello fossil people of the world! I'm desperately looking for an old Paleotools microjack. It doesn't have to be in working condition, but if it is that's a bonus! Anyone out there have an old secondhand one or one they are no longer using? I'm ideally trying to find a 3, but any size will do. I have borrowed a 3 but need to return really soon. So hoping someone out there has a secondhand one to sell! Or any ideas of where a used one can be purchased? I do very fine work on ribs and finger bones like on the picture I've attached, so the larger scribes are a bit too hardcore!
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Ive been slowly getting ready for my next fossil hunting trip. Takes me about 3 weeks to get ready. Going to meet my texas buddy Kris and his sons and freinds and also my 3 sons and some other buddy's and dig for fish. Took me some phone calls but found a quarry that wants all the bottom cap of the 18 inch layer removed but even may have a chance at some 18 inch. Most folks do not like the bottom cap stuff cause it takes a heck of alot of time for prep, and some serious equipment too, But the rock is hard and the preservtion of the fish bones can be quite nice to say the least! I got tired of the split fish stuff many years ago even though some of that can be quite nice. I wont be doing much digging but I will be the camp cook. Bringing all the kitchen stuff and all the food for me and 3 sons and one of there buddy's. I make a mean breakfast too! It will be a lot of cooking for 5 of us but it will give me something to do. and of course I will be watching everyone finding lots of fossil fish and when I can and when the time is right I will be causing trouble. "Get out of my spot, thats my fish". "Move over, your in my spot". "Thanks for lifting all that heavy rock, now get out of the way so I can get this fish you just exsposed". "youve got a nice stack of fish there, im going to take my half now. Thanks". "Thanks for saving my spot, now get out, and thanks for revieling a nice fish for me". These guys are gunna be hatin me by the end of the trip. Ha!!
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I'm thinking of investing in a quality work light to serve dual purpose identifying/prepping fossils and also in my woodworking adventures. Do ya'll use combo light/magnifying lamps? What works, what doesn't work? What spectrum works best for you? Any suggestions for best bang for the buck? Thanks
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Hey everyone, what are the standard tools for fossil hunting? I'm guessing a hammer and chisel. Are there any preferred brands? How about videos for teaching newbies how to use this stuff? Best, Chris
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How do i free Ammonites or fossils from the rock? Tool advice.
Fossilywend posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
Help please. Complete beginner, first time hunting for fossils in Yorkshire, England (kettleness) I have no tools, just my hands and eyes at the minute Ive found a few ammonites which I would like to free. Thus far Ive watched youtube videos and googled only; they make it look so easy with just a hammer. My first attempt I broke the end off my ammonite and now afraid to try again. Please advise for tools and extraction methods? Also, how do I care for them once they are freed? many thanks!
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Hi all! I am new to the forum and relatively new to fossil collecting. I would like to try my hand at preparation, but am not sure where to start. It seems like purchasing mosasaur teeth still embedded in matrix and slowly working to get them out might be a good way to practice with cheap and easily obtainable fossils, but I do not know how to go about this. In my head I imagine purchasing a few 20-30 dollar teeth with matrix, chisels, and scribers to be a great and (relatively) cheap way to begin practicing various techniques that I intend use for the rest of my life, is there anything else I need to be aware of, or perhaps other recommended forms of practicing preparation and removal of fossils from rock for beginners with a plethora of patience/time? Hopefully this makes sense!
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Hey, I'm just starting out and I wanted to know, what preparation tools and tactics will work best for removing limestone without damaging the specimen? (Preferably low budget) I also don't have a lot of workspace since I'm just taking a crack at this legitamate, fine-detail stuff for the first time; and after some research on air scribes, abrasives, and erasers, I realize they are much too costly and the whole air system and workbox takes up a lot of room I don't have. So is there anything you all could recommend for me?
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I went fossil hunting in Lyme Regis for the first time in my life. I cracked open a nodule and found this ammonite "fossil". When I tried to brush the fossil area with a plastic brush is seemed to scratch away the fossil as well. The detail has disappeared. Is this just a poorly preserved fossil? If it is a proper fossil... what can I use as hand tools to release it? I don't want to invest in a dremel tool, and don't mind hard graft with hand tools if it's an option. The rock is super soft and easy to remove. I looked online and saw something about freezing and then running it under hot water as an option. Thanks in advance for any help! -Justin-
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Spent 12 hours yesterday helping out to downsize a widow's house as she prepares to move. Her partner passed away in December, and he was a bit of a hoarder (an organized one, I should add: everything was meticulously labeled). He was a novelty sign maker and assembled novelty clocks, in addition to being a competent woodworker and a car aficionado. It took a team of us to fill up one of those enormous rental dumpster bins to the top, a few trailers, and there is still a few more loads to go. All of this stuff was being consigned to the dump, with some better items being put to the side by a family member who runs an auction business - proceeds going to the widow to assist in her move. It would be a shame to see so many tools - a mark of this man's legacy - simply go off to the dump. A lot of this stuff is not for fossil prep at all, but one would be surprised how useful some tools and accessories can really come in handy to supplement one's designated fossil prep stuff. First up, storage solutions for smaller fossils. The double-faced case meant for storing nuts, bolts, nails, etc., has adjustable compartments. The classic nails, screws unit is also ideal for storing small fossils.
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My wife has been asking me what I would like for my upcoming 51st Birthday. I told her today that I would like the book "Trilobites of New York". She actually got this book for me as a birthday gift years ago. Like an idiot I put it up for auction when I started my Sharktooth faze. I guess at the time I was so engrossed with finding sharkteeth that I felt that i didn't need this truly wonderful book anymore. What a nimrod I was! Anyways she said she would get the book. Shortly after we were in Home Depot because they are the only place I know that sells a few Estwing products. So I picked out a 4lb crackhammer and a brickhammer. She said she would get those for me as well. Score! My wife is the best!
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I’m sure some of you have seen the EarthViewer app, but I never have and stumbled across it this AM by accident while looking for a different app. I’ve been playing with it for a bit. I’m not sure how helpful it really is, but it definitely provided some education to me. The main feature is a globe or flat map of the earth. You can switch between the two views. On the left is a geologic scale in brief. You can turn on a feature (white bar) which allows you to scroll up and down the scale and see ocean water levels around the globe at points in the chart. One annoying problem I found was the map location didn’t stay put as you scrolled. Maybe that was intentional to demonstrate continental drift, but I think it’s more than that. It also affected the zoom in. If I zoomed in on the southern US it zoomed out as I scrolled through geologic time. You can turn on cities feature and it shows a few select cities. Dallas, Houston or Mexico City aren’t included. These are huge cities. Houston is the 4th largest city in the US. One odd thing is their location relative to each other didn’t seem to remain stagnant as you scroll through time. In other words cities moved. I.e. Taranto and NYC. You can turn on Impact feature and see significant impact crator locations and get specs on it. You can turn on a Fossils feature and it shows where important significant discoveries were made. You click on one and it pops up a window like this. This one had a video link in it with an 18 min, well done educational video. I’m still playing with it and learning. I thought it was kind of cool and fun to play with. So I thought I’d share it. I’ve been wanting something that shows me geography and ocean levels in my specific area. I’m still looking for that, but haven’t been very intentional in my search.
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36/m/ny seeking used air scribe for long walks on beach
DevonianDigger posted a topic in Fossil Preparation
Hi everyone. Wondering if anyone out there is selling a used air scribe. I don't have a ton of cash available at the moment, but I could always include some trades in the deal. Doesn't have to be an Aro or a CP per se, just something I can use while I squirrel away enough to get the micro jack I'm after. My current tools work great on PD material, but won't work on the harder Moroccan material I've been getting in lately. Thanks in advance! -Jay -
Hello Everyone! My name is Nathan and I am getting newly acquainted with the fossil community. I work for a company that manufactures sandblasters which is how I came to find this forum while on my journey into the fossil world. I have always been an avid museum goer and especially like Trilobites and other microfossils out there. I have special insight into micro-abrasive sandblasting and dust collection systems used in a variety of preparation environments and would be happy to help anyone who has questions regarding that. Other that than I hope I can supply some interesting techniques and preparation "hacks" that are helpful. Nice to meet you all! -Nathan Frey
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Hey guys ! What are some of The tools and equipment you guys take when you go fossil hunting for the weekend? Favorite containers to store you're finds in the field ? Rucksacks ? Shovels ? Picks?
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Probably a stupid question, but, what are some good tips and and rules of thumb in hunting fossils in suburban areas, such as rivers, forests, ect..
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