hadrosauridae Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 I love the process of discovery, removal and cleaning of fossils. I enjoy just looking through my picture of them as they see daylight for the first time. So, in that thought (and since I'm stuck at work and cant be in my prep lab) I thought I would share the piece I have been working on lately. This is a rib head of Edmontosaurus as uncovered and before removal. Hell Creek fm, Butte Co, South Dakota. Below on the right you can see a main rib section just started to be uncovered. The main section was actually found first, and then the rib head was found as I began removing the covering matrix. The the rib head as best as could clean by manual methods. You can see it has large glued-matrix cracks, and the surface has a "dull" appearance caused by micro matrix and glue filling the details. You can also see the extensive pre-deposition erosion with lots of cancellous tissue exposed. This is after air-abrasion with bicarb. I had to use an air-scribe to remove tough bits of CA and matrix. The back side (not shown) had a large area (almost all of it) covered with CA. I had to use acetone on Q-tips and a dental scraper to clean most of it off. Although it seemed that after treatment, even if a layer remained, it was fairly easy to blast off with the bicarb. Although a lot more natural detail is now present, so is the extent of erosion and cracking. Before the last step, I applied a good amount of PVA consolidate to help solidify the structure. I also worked down matrix that was glued inside the large cracks. I didnt remove it, just cleaned it down so there was room for the putty. The CA-matrix mix is a good stabilizer so I didnt see the need to remove it completely, especially since I probably would have split the fossil on accident. Then I began filling the cracks and holes with PaleoSculp. Lastly I put a layer of putty inside the "overhang" that was so badly damaged. I know there is a lot of artistry in applying epoxy putty, texturing, etc. I just happy to get a solid layer without breaking off a section of that thin crown. If you compare the first 2 images with last 2, you'll see a "finger" of bone sticking off right end, to the side. Thats a bit of that "crown" ridge. I removed it and I'm cleaning and separating to bits so they can be glued back in place correctly. A tiny detail, but since I have it, I felt I should keep it intact. I gave a lot of thought to recreating the missing tubercle (a bump off the top of the curve), but they change size and shape with different rib placement. I also wanted to recreate the missing tip of the head. But in the end I opted for "less is more" and decided to leave it as found. The next prep will be the rib main section. It doesnt have the exposed inner bone, but its highly fractured so I will have to separate lots of pieces, clean the matrix out before gluing back together. I'm really worried about its structural integrity, so I will probably blast the surface clean then consolidate before I begin working the cracks. 7 "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hey man, glad you uses bicarb to do the clean up on the 'skin' of this bone. Not sure that I would have used 2 part epoxy? Still a nice specimen though. Looks like it was a fun project. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Nice work. I think we already discussed my disdain for using cyanoacrylate in the field. It takes a long time to remove it. On the other hand, if you have CA in the cracks, there is no need to replace it with epoxy putty. CA will hold. And this is my personal opinion, but where the rib is crushed and you have filled that hollow with putty, I would back off. The crushing is part of the tale of the rib. One of my lab rules (at home and at work) is not to allow any putty on actual bone surface. Putty is there to strengthen, not hide. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadrosauridae Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 20 minutes ago, jpc said: Nice work. I think we already discussed my disdain for using cyanoacrylate in the field. It takes a long time to remove it. On the other hand, if you have CA in the cracks, there is no need to replace it with epoxy putty. CA will hold. And this is my personal opinion, but where the rib is crushed and you have filled that hollow with putty, I would back off. The crushing is part of the tale of the rib. One of my lab rules (at home and at work) is not to allow any putty on actual bone surface. Putty is there to strengthen, not hide. Yep, live and learn with CA! I plan on taking a Butvar B-76 consolidate with me this year and only using CA on major breaks when I'm ready to remove. "strengthen not hide", sounds like a good rule. "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadrosauridae Posted February 19, 2020 Author Share Posted February 19, 2020 OK, today I got one bit of the main rib cleaned, consolidated and filled. Below are pics of the section (both sides, prepped and filled) along side its connecting section of rib for comparison. 1 "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadrosauridae Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Today I performed my first fossil surgery. After cleaning away the matrix, you can see just how badly dislocated the pieces were. The pics dont show the side view where it was angled the worst. I was hoping it just had a superficial layer of matrix in the crack, but I glued this really well before recovery. I asked my mentor his opinion, and he said this is one he would separate, clean and replace. My fear was that in trying to "break" it, it would break somewhere beyond the crack. I used acetone with Q-tips to keep the inner glue joint wet for about 10 minutes, then used dental pics to start scraping out the softened glue and re-applying more acetone. Eventually it began to move a tiny bit and finally it separated cleanly. Then it was just a matter of cleaning off the glue and matrix from the inner surface. Once it was clean, I re-consolidated the ends then joined with epoxy putty. Now the section of bone is straight and strong again. On to the last section of this rib! 1 "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 That’s a good looking repair there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadrosauridae Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 34 minutes ago, Randyw said: That’s a good looking repair there! thank you sir! "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 On 16/02/2020 at 8:06 AM, jpc said: Nice work. I think we already discussed my disdain for using cyanoacrylate in the field. It takes a long time to remove it. On the other hand, if you have CA in the cracks, there is no need to replace it with epoxy putty. CA will hold. And this is my personal opinion, but where the rib is crushed and you have filled that hollow with putty, I would back off. The crushing is part of the tale of the rib. One of my lab rules (at home and at work) is not to allow any putty on actual bone surface. Putty is there to strengthen, not hide. I’m opposing on the CA in the field - but that’s only relevant to where we collect Agreed on the putty not being used to hide things, but we don’t use it at all. Gaps and cracks are unavoidable and we don’t believe in making something it’s not. Your mileage may vary, like always 1 "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadrosauridae Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 8 hours ago, Ash said: I’m opposing on the CA in the field - but that’s only relevant to where we collect Agreed on the putty not being used to hide things, but we don’t use it at all. Gaps and cracks are unavoidable and we don’t believe in making something it’s not. Your mileage may vary, like always My purpose was always to strengthen. The material loss left the fossil weakened and quite fragile. Most of the gaps only had a thin layer of matrix held in place with glue, giving a false impression of strength. I'm more of the "touchy feely" kind of fossil person. If this were from something rare or unique I wouldnt do this. In fact it would be sitting at a university or museum for study. But for a common fossil, I want to be able to handle and let others touch and handle without fear of it crumbling. Every dino display has repaired, reconstructed, and fabricated portions. I'm just following in the foot steps in front of me. The only part I have second thought about is the layer under the "wing", but again that had so much pre-depositional erosion that I worried it would break just from cleaning. I know my work was quite amateurish, but we all start somewhere. Please dont take this as meaning I took offense at your post, I appreciate it. All opinions are valid and constructive criticism is always welcome! 2 "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 4 hours ago, hadrosauridae said: My purpose was always to strengthen. The material loss left the fossil weakened and quite fragile. Most of the gaps only had a thin layer of matrix held in place with glue, giving a false impression of strength. I'm more of the "touchy feely" kind of fossil person. If this were from something rare or unique I wouldnt do this. In fact it would be sitting at a university or museum for study. But for a common fossil, I want to be able to handle and let others touch and handle without fear of it crumbling. Every dino display has repaired, reconstructed, and fabricated portions. I'm just following in the foot steps in front of me. The only part I have second thought about is the layer under the "wing", but again that had so much pre-depositional erosion that I worried it would break just from cleaning. I know my work was quite amateurish, but we all start somewhere. Please dont take this as meaning I took offense at your post, I appreciate it. All opinions are valid and constructive criticism is always welcome! Offensive? I’m country Australian, good luck offending me In the end it’s your specimen to do as you please with. We often leave matrix in places and put glue into it to provide a strengthening point, or when there’s a crack that’s filled with matrix and we know we’re not going to try and close said gap for whatever reason we’ll leave the matrix in and just glue. I think you did fine, personally, just each to their own. I know a lot of my work looks and is amateurish, but guess what? I am just an amateur so Where abouts in Oklahoma are you? I think the missus and I are hoping to get back in the next 2 years, should go grab a bite and meet up somewhere some time "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadrosauridae Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 On 2/29/2020 at 3:29 PM, Ash said: Where abouts in Oklahoma are you? I think the missus and I are hoping to get back in the next 2 years, should go grab a bite and meet up somewhere some time I think it would be great to meet if possible! I'm up in the NW area (Enid), roughly 2 hours from OKC or Tulsa. Pretty much the worst area for fossil hunting, but I'm prospecting and I'll find some spots! "There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 On 2/29/2020 at 3:29 PM, Ash said: I think the missus and I are hoping to get back in the next 2 years Stop off in Dallas while you're in the neighborhood! plenty of fossil sites close by. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 5 hours ago, hadrosauridae said: I think it would be great to meet if possible! I'm up in the NW area (Enid), roughly 2 hours from OKC or Tulsa. Pretty much the worst area for fossil hunting, but I'm prospecting and I'll find some spots! We stay in Enid. From the sounds of things that ain’t too far from where you are. 2 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said: Stop off in Dallas while you're in the neighborhood! plenty of fossil sites close by. Meet up? Sounds good. Hopefully we can make it happen at some point 1 "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe" - Saint Augustine"Those who can not see past their own nose deserve our pity more than anything else." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 12 minutes ago, Ash said: Meet up? Sounds good. Hopefully we can make it happen at some point Definitely. I'll show you around to my favorite spots. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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