Novice attempt to clean using dremel

[Dimitris]

Here we see a middle Cretaceous ammonite I recently found. 

Before cleaning attempt 

And the other picture is after. 

I used a dremel and various bits. 

I wouldn't rate it 100% bad since it is my first attempt using power tools, however I would not recommend it. It lacks accuracy and sometimes the bit moves unpredictably, removing fossil material. 

 

Nevertheless, the sample was not something I intended to keep in my collection so I thought to give it a try and verify myself the advice so many people give. Use an airscribe! 

 

[Ludwigia]

Yes, you are correct. A dremel can't do much on material which is this hard. Air scribe and abrader are much better. Nevertheless, you did manage to uncover a bit more of the ammonite, despite the loss of a few parts.

[Dimitris]

Yeap it was totally experimental. 

Maybe dremel is good for solid fossils like a brachipod enclosed in soft matrix or an oyster you want to uncover some extra detail. 

 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

I think you managed quite decently for a first attempt. As with a real air scribe, learning how to use a Dremel takes time. Personally, I've used it on both hard and soft materials to much avail. But you need to learn how it reacts, how to properly get through harder stone, what depths settings to use for what type of preparation... And once you master that, there are companies out that that offer longer and shorter bits specifically for different types of fossil preparation work.

[Dimitris]

12 hours ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

I think you managed quite decently for a first attempt. As with a real air scribe, learning how to use a Dremel takes time. Personally, I've used it on both hard and soft materials to much avail. But you need to learn how it reacts, how to properly get through harder stone, what depths settings to use for what type of preparation... And once you master that, there are companies out that that offer longer and shorter bits specifically for different types of fossil preparation work.

Thanks! Honestly I will not devote more time for dremel. Although it is super cheap compared to proper tools, needs far less equipment, makes low noise, can be used without air suction, its results are limited. However, it may be very effective with fossils on sandstone and other soft matrix. I will try it again on a pliocene pecten. 

 

I want to find someone nearby me to use an air scribe so that I have a direct comparison, before I proceed to costly purchases. 

 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

47 minutes ago, Dimitris said:

Thanks! Honestly I will not devote more time for dremel. Although it is super cheap compared to proper tools, needs far less equipment, makes low noise, can be used without air suction, its results are limited. However, it may be very effective with fossils on sandstone and other soft matrix. I will try it again on a pliocene pecten. 

 

I want to find someone nearby me to use an air scribe so that I have a direct comparison, before I proceed to costly purchases. 

 

 

I mostly use my Dremel on Posidonia Shale material from Holzmaden, but have also used it on sandstones and hard shales from Isle of Wight, Wimereux, and various other locations, as well as extremely hard Triassic matrix. For soft sandstone I prefer using picks, as this gives much greater precision. But, yeah, it takes getting to know the tool - and the arguments you mentioned are exactly the same as why I'm stuck on a Dremel. Hard to use a full-blow air-scribe set-up in an apartment-building (as it is, I try to do most of my prepping during working hours on working days, assuming as few neighbours will be home as possible)

 

Having also worked with an air-scribe, however, I can tell from experience that an air-scribe is definitely a much better tool, has more power and precision, and reverberates less in your hand. With the Dremel, if you work for a long time (depending on the type of stone between two to four hours), you can feel the bones in your hand reverberate even after stopping the prep... Like said, though, there are extension bits/needles for the Dremel that promise improving use of the Dremel for fossil preparation - but I haven't been able to use it yet since the needle in my current Dremel seems to be stuck there for some reason. I need to get to my other one to see if I can actually change the bits and then see how that works. The bits themselves weren't too expensive, however. Just about € 25 for the both.

[Dimitris]

Yes, the "post workout" stress from vibration, I would also confirm. I have used heavier power tools, however they were less annoying compared to dremel. 

 

Couldn't agree more for the bits. It's like oil drilling. Loose shale with sand, wide and long teeth on the drilling bit. Thicker formation with more harness, you switch to dense bit with shorter teeth.

 

Lubrication with water and lower revolution was good for harder matrix. The bits were quite expensive. I got a pack with lots of bits (Chinese brand and inferior quality) for 10€ and two pieces of special bit (Dremel brand) for 15€. Cost was equivalent of quality. Cheap ones were changing colours due to heat, dremel ones are still like new. 

 

I have rented a basement parking. Ground floor does not have apartments or offices. I will discuss with the owner to make some tests for noise. My overall equipment budget would be around 1500€ and probably I will start after December. Looks like one way option. 

 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

29 minutes ago, Dimitris said:

I have rented a basement parking. Ground floor does not have apartments or offices. I will discuss with the owner to make some tests for noise. My overall equipment budget would be around 1500€ and probably I will start after December. Looks like one way option.

Although our apartment comes with two garage parking spots, neither of them is a "closed" parking spot. Not that I expect anything to be stolen from these areas, but not something you would like to store altogether too valuable things either. Even worse, though, is that the one garage where we don't park our car (simply because our car is too long and clumsy to easily manoeuvre in and out from there) is damp, ill-lit (light turns on with a huge delay), suffers from occasional flooding, and has no power outlets... But, yeah, renting additional space would probably be the way to go...