Recommended Air Scribes For Beginners?

[Megalodoodle]

What air scribe is the best for a beginner? Preferably one that isn’t too expensive. Please help I have no idea what i’m doing...

[Kane]

This topic comes up very often here. Do read through this subforum as there is a great deal of information that will help answer your questions. 

 

A lot depends on the type of material you will be working with in terms of the right scribe, your set-up for dust collection, air compressor, etc. 

[Bob Saunders]

I too have read up on this. Not seen new ones under around $350 U S D. + replacement tips etc. Air compressor and regulator and inline filter/water trap. Chicago Pneumatic from Harbor Freight is one. Plus dust collection and more. Chances of finding used in fine condition sound slim. Some use the Dremmel electric engravers, but have a short life span. 

[Ptychodus04]

As @Kane mentioned, discussions are numerous on this question and the real problem is "not too expensive". Dedicated fossil prep equipment is in and of itself on the expensive side. The cheaper you go, the less functional and more problematic the equipment becomes and you just wind up spending extra monies to get decent equipment after buying substandard stuff. In order to set up a minimalist prep station, the minimum I would anticipate spending is around $900 USD.

 

$500 - Paleo Tools scribe

$150 - Harbor Freight Compressor

$70 - water trap/filter, air lines, fittings

$40 - respirator

$60 - light/magnification combo

$100 - workbench/chair

 

This does not account for any dust collection. Dust is a real problem when you are pulverizing rock matrix.

 

 

[jpc]

I agree with ptychodus.  

One way to make your airscribing less dusty and much quieter is to do it all in a box with a glass top and an attached dust collector hose.  

 

This is what I use for dust collector.

https://jumboindustrial.com/products/woodtek-961360-dust-collection-dust-collectors-1-hp-dust-collector?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI266avNSp5gIVl8VkCh32ogf1EAQYBSABEgJytvD_BwE

 

Others here have built their own, or used a shop vac.  Shop vac is OK too, especially if you don't plan to run it too long.  They are not built to run for hours at a time.  And they are LOUD.

[Fossildude19]

23 hours ago, Bob Saunders said:

I too have read up on this. Not seen new ones under around $350 U S D. + replacement tips etc. Air compressor and regulator and inline filter/water trap. Chicago Pneumatic from Harbor Freight is one. Plus dust collection and more. Chances of finding used in fine condition sound slim. Some use the Dremmel electric engravers, but have a short life span. 

I think this one used to go for around $100.00

 

 

You'd have to call the company for the price. 

 

Also if you search our favorite auction site for "Pneumatic Air scribe"  there are some available for much cheaper there. 

[Ptychodus04]

I started with a cheap Aro clone like this and quickly found it to be less than desirable. They work well for modest to light removal of material that isn’t too hard. The stylus is rather blunt to start and goes downhill from there. There’s also typically a lot of slop in the side to side variances which lends to less accuracy as you scribe. This gets worse as the tool begins to wear.

I’m not knocking these tools. I’m just saying that the higher end tools are definitely easier to use and are ultimately where the preparator winds up. If one is testing the waters of prep, there has to be an understanding the double purchases will occur as upgrades are required.

[Fossildude19]

Good points, Kris.

You definitely get what you pay for.   

 

But for someone just starting out, a huge expenditure may be premature, when one doesn't know if they have a knack for prepping, or a love for it. 

I don't prep a lot, (mostly with my air eraser), but, I do have one of the cheaper scribes to work with. I haven't used it much, but it does remove matrix.   

I think it may be better to get a feel for what prepping involves before diving into hundreds of dollars of equipment.  Just my 2 cents.

[grandpa]

1 minute ago, Fossildude19 said:

for someone just starting out, a huge expenditure may be premature, when one doesn't know if they have a knack for prepping, or a love for it. 

Tim, you speak my thoughts well.  Start out with a low-cost entry tool, decide if this preparing craft is for you, if it is consider tool #1 an investment and addition to your future tool kit and build from there.  Or you could sell the 1st tool to a new preparator for them to do the same. 

[mamlambo]

I was very much in the same boat, interested in prepping but didn't want to spend too much in case I didn't enjoy it.

I bought a cheap CP9361 clone (made in Taiwan I think) off Amazon. It was about $130, then added a 2" tungsten stylus which improved the performance 5x. This was $80.

For a compressor I have a small one I got for $50 on an auction, it is only 5 gallons so doesn't keep much air, but does the job.

Then you need some eye protection, respirator (get a good one) and some hearing protection. I probably paid about $350 for my starting setup.

 

Dust is a pain, I wear a respirator and making a work area with some kind of extractor fan is my next item on the list.

I made a time-lapse of my last crab I did: 

 

[Ptychodus04]

10 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Good points, Kris.

You definitely get what you pay for.   

 

But for someone just starting out, a huge expenditure may be premature, when one doesn't know if they have a knack for prepping, or a love for it. 

I don't prep a lot, (mostly with my air eraser), but, I do have one of the cheaper scribes to work with. I haven't used it much, but it does remove matrix.   

I think it may be better to get a feel for what prepping involves before diving into hundreds of dollars of equipment.  Just my 2 cents.

Well said.

[steelhead9]

18 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Good points, Kris.

You definitely get what you pay for.   

 

But for someone just starting out, a huge expenditure may be premature, when one doesn't know if they have a knack for prepping, or a love for it. 

I don't prep a lot, (mostly with my air eraser), but, I do have one of the cheaper scribes to work with. I haven't used it much, but it does remove matrix.   

I think it may be better to get a feel for what prepping involves before diving into hundreds of dollars of equipment.  Just my 2 cents.

I agree up to a point. Using really cheap tools in the beginning can potentially lead to frustration. I would look for a nearby fossil club and try to find members that have setups you can try out. As others have pointed out here, the cost of the actual scribe is only a small part of the cost to set up safe and productive prepping equipment.

[RJB]

  This can be an expensive hobbie for sure but you cant go wrong with Paleo Tools.   I try to look at it as a lifelong time of fun, excitement, and learning so in the long wrong,,,,, not expensive at all?   Good luck

 

RB

[Deizomando]

you can find some decent air scribes on amazon for 100 bucks, BUT the top 2 cheap air scribes are as so:
LINK 1  and  LINK 2  (meant for large scale fossil FISH prep)