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My biggest Tumido crab yet!


Doctor Mud

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Well I started my next project tonight, and compared to the last one, this one is so much fun (so far :rolleyes:). The rock is softer and it also peels off the shell beautifully. 

 

Things are going to get a bit more complicated I can see already as there is a thick layer of powdery calcite around the edges. I originally thought it was shell and I’d stripped off the shell the whole time :DOH: But I checked with the scope and it’s calcite. 

 

Some before pictures.  The concretion is 24 cm (9.5 inches) wide.

 

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The claws were already exposed like this, I found it wedged in between 2 rocks facing me like this!  The big claw exposed section is 8 cm (3 inches) long, so the big claw will be at least 16 cm (6 inches long)!

 

 

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The moment I hit carapace. It gave me a heck of a fright as I wasn’t expecting it for about 5 mm. But fossils always suprised you! And I did minimal damage with the superjack scribe.

 

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Progress after a few hours. So much easier than the last one. Cm plus pieces of matrix happily peel away from the shell.

 

I didn’t want to stop!!

 

09EB1EC6-B803-4D71-A2F3-8B78E51E4215.thumb.jpeg.fdd94168e67e167a5ba47420ce09fc53.jpeg

 

Stay tuned!

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:popcorn:

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Close up of the calcite layer. For the most part it peels off the shell, but now it’s getting thicker and almost fibrous and traces are left behind.

 

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You gotta love cooperative crabs, especially big ones.:envy: Some day I'll get one of those tumidos for my collection. 

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16 minutes ago, Fossilis Willis said:

You gotta love cooperative crabs, especially big ones.:envy: Some day I'll get one of those tumidos for my collection. 

Yes! I could imagine the pain of prepping something this big if it was sticky as well! Ouch. Might finish it before I become a fossil myself :rolleyes:

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Wow -thats mad bro - I hadnt seen this thread but I just started a crab tonight - I thought would be nothing more than an "experience-learning" crab because its in super hard rock  but is separating nicely (so far).

 

LOL And I know that isnt the biggest crab you have :zzzzscratchchin:

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Hi Dr Mud.  To help put you in perspective, be very glad you dont have this much calcite!!!   The crab was a true nightmare!!! 

 

RB

CC001K.JPG

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On 21/08/2020 at 6:32 AM, Ptychodus04 said:

Looking good sir!

Thanks! I’m actually enjoying this one 

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17 hours ago, 6ix said:

Wow -thats mad bro - I hadnt seen this thread but I just started a crab tonight - I thought would be nothing more than an "experience-learning" crab because its in super hard rock  but is separating nicely (so far).

 

LOL And I know that isnt the biggest crab you have :zzzzscratchchin:

Great to hear! Loving the results you are getting with the new scribe! He he. Yes my biggest is in a 50 cm wide concretion. Still in NZ. Can’t wait to start that sucker. 

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14 hours ago, RJB said:

Hi Dr Mud.  To help put you in perspective, be very glad you dont have this much calcite!!!   The crab was a true nightmare!!! 

 

RB

CC001K.JPG

Oh boy, that sure does put it in perspective :default_faint:

 

Cool looking crab though. Amazing how they vary from concretion to concretion.

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41 minutes ago, Doctor Mud said:

 Yes my biggest is in a 50 cm wide concretion. Still in NZ. Can’t wait to start that sucker. 

Wait, I thought you were mailing that one to me? We had a verbal contract. :heartylaugh::P

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On 22/08/2020 at 12:43 PM, Ptychodus04 said:

Wait, I thought you were mailing that one to me? We had a verbal contract. :heartylaugh::P

:heartylaugh: Imagine the shipping costs :default_faint:

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Some progress!

 

First picture is where I was at last time I posted, second picture is where I am now.

As you can see progress is a bit faster on this one. I need to slow down a bit though as I made a few mistakes. Nothing major, but it’s annoying when you accidentally hit shell with the scribe. The rock is soft, with some fractures and it will come away in a big chunk all of a sudden and you have to be careful not to “follow through” with the scribe.

 

There was a really sticky patch on top of the carapace that I’ve almost finished removing with the microjack. The rock is actually quite soft and looks like a lot of the calcite has been leached out. There is a layer of calcite all over the crab that is several mm thick in places.

 

Most of the shell is robust and the calcite comes away with the matrix. I got brave enough to remove some matrix from the carapace with the superjack.

 

The legs on the left are the exception. Soft, covered in calcite and sticky.

 

 

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54 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I’m sure you can handle it. :heartylaugh:
 

It is looking great!

Be cheaper to ship myself........hang on there’s an idea. Package arrives from me, opens it suprise!

:raindance:

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