Cleaning Elrathia Trilobites

[Bguild]

Question for the prep people out there. I have a handful of unprepped, but we’ll exposed Elrathia trilobites I’m hoping to clean up, but I don’t have any scribes or wire brushes. Are there any simple alternatives I can use to polish these guys? 

 

Cheers!

[Tidgy's Dad]

I just used board pins for mine.

Before : 

Popped with pin :

After : 

 

[fossilus]

21 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I just used board pins for mine

 

Amazing. How many hours?

[grandpa]

@Tidgy's Dad, Brilliant my friend.  But then, why should I be surprised?

[FossilDAWG]

44 minutes ago, Bguild said:

Question for the prep people out there. I have a handful of unprepped, but we’ll exposed Elrathia trilobites I’m hoping to clean up, but I don’t have any scribes or wire brushes. Are there any simple alternatives I can use to polish these guys? 

 

Cheers!

Avoid the wire brushes!  They do a lot of damage to the fine detail on these trilobites.

Don

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, fossilus said:

Amazing. How many hours?

Errr.

Lots. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, grandpa said:

@Tidgy's Dad, Brilliant my friend.  But then, why should I be surprised?

Thank you! 

[ParkerPaleo]

If you want something a little more advanced than a wall tack, get a pin vice and some needles.  Will probably give you a little better control.  Hand prep is still the best prep in my opinion, but it is much slower than mechanical or pneumatic methods.

[FossilDAWG]

After you get most of the matrix off, a vigorous brushing with a stiff toothbrush and a paste of baking soda can help to clean off the last residue of matrix without doing damage to fine tubercles and other surface features.

 

Don

[Ruger9a]

21 hours ago, Bguild said:

Question for the prep people out there. I have a handful of unprepped, but we’ll exposed Elrathia trilobites I’m hoping to clean up, but I don’t have any scribes or wire brushes. Are there any simple alternatives I can use to polish these guys? 

 

Cheers!

I use an Exacto knife for most of my prep work.  You have to work carefully and slowly though.

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, Ruger9a said:

I use an Exacto knife for most of my prep work.  You have to work carefully and slowly though.

I do enough damage to myself with my pins. 

[FossilDAWG]

48 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I do enough damage to myself with my pins. 

I guess an Inexacto knife is right out then.

Don

[Ruger9a]

11 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I do enough damage to myself with my pins. 

LOL, I would have a hard time using those tiny things as well, I need something will a bigger handle.  I find the Exacto to be the easiest and most accurate on softer matrix, once I got used to it.  Also, they are cheap and you can get many different shaped blades to reach some of the tougher spots.  I use it on the majority of my Oreodont fossils as well, especially the teeth.

[Bguild]

Thanks all! I have plenty of dental picks so I'll start there then move onto brushing the final bits off.