Preparation tips?

[A.C.]

I was able to find this guy over the weekend and am really interested in prepping him. From what I have read air scribes tend to be the best but from initially looking they are a bit more than I would like to spend, especially this new into the process. I was wondering if anyone thinks a Dremel or something would work decently? I have some other things like brachiopods that I can practice on and I plan on using a dental pick or needle once I get super close to the fossil.

 

Does anyone have experience with using Dremmels to get down close to the fossils?

 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

I'm unfortunately stuck with using Dremels for now (would prefer an air scribe, but need to do most of my prepping in our apartment), and for me they've been working pretty good under various circumstances. The way they work is very similar to the way air scribes work, only the tool is a lot cruder and less comfortable. However, with proper practice you should be able to get very decent results.

 

Take a look at below post for an example of what can be achieved by a novice and a discussion on some of the limitations of using a Dremel:

 

 

[Kane]

Some good advice above. 

If you do a search in this subforum, you'll find quite a lot of information on using a Dremel for fossil prep. It won't be as precise as air tools, and takes a bit longer, but the results can be pretty decent as stated above.

 

It bears reiterating that you should definitely take frequent breaks because the vibration can cause permanent nerve damage in your hand, resulting in a condition known as "white finger." 

 

If only you lived closer and/or shipping costs were not sky high these days, I would have been happy to prep this for you.  

[snolly50]

3 hours ago, A.C. said:

a Dremel or something

You probably already know this; but it is not always readily apparent when folks make an inquiry such as yours. The "Dremel" tool useful for fossil prep is not the ubiquitous rotary tool with its myriad of grinding/sanding/drilling/cut-off wheel attachments. The Dremel of use is the engraver, made by that company. Its mini-jackhammer action is akin to the movement of the pricey pneumatic rigs. The rotary devices have limited utility for gross grinding matrix removal and the smoothing of worked areas of matrix. They are far too imprecise to be of use in the fine prep of a trilobite, as pictured.  

[FossilDAWG]

I did not know that!!  All this time when someone talked about a Dremel I thought they meant the rotary kind.

 

Don

[Randyw]

I use a dremel engraver almost exclusively (along with picks and scribes etc) for my fossil preps. I’ve used it for everything from fish to shells to Oreodont skulls. Go slow, go careful, and you can get some really nice results. Take frequent breaks. And if you have any specific questions feel free to ask! We are here to help!

and read the pinned topic manual preparation: a novice guide by @FossilNerd it’s an excellent article with lots of good information.

[FossilNerd]

3 hours ago, Randyw said:

I use a dremel engraver almost exclusively (along with picks and scribes etc) for my fossil preps. I’ve used it for everything from fish to shells to Oreodont skulls. Go slow, go careful, and you can get some really nice results. Take frequent breaks. And if you have any specific questions feel free to ask! We are here to help!

and read the pinned topic manual preparation: a novice guide by @FossilNerd it’s an excellent article with lots of good information.

I second what @Randyw said!

[A.C.]

3 hours ago, Randyw said:

I use a dremel engraver almost exclusively (along with picks and scribes etc) for my fossil preps. I’ve used it for everything from fish to shells to Oreodont skulls. Go slow, go careful, and you can get some really nice results. Take frequent breaks. And if you have any specific questions feel free to ask! We are here to help!

and read the pinned topic manual preparation: a novice guide by @FossilNerd it’s an excellent article with lots of good information.

So my next question is then what are your thoughts on the good rating amazon generic brand rotary tools? Or do you think I really should just go ahead and spend the extra money on a Dremel rotary tool? I was looking at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FCRH3XG/ref=twister_B0828LW9N9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1. The main reason being it is just so much cheaper but also I am sure I will get the use out of whatever I buy.

[jpc]

I don't think this trilobite will survive a rotary tool.  I also didn't know there was  Dremel engaver.  The engraver is the way to go, or, better yet, a small hammer and chisel.  You can make a nice small chisel from a used dental pick.  Dentists can be talked out of old ones pretty easily.  And NOW you can use the Dremel rotary tool to sharpen it to a chisel point.  

[Randyw]

There are dremel engravers and a number of generics available. I actually use a generic engraver I get from a popular site that sounds like a South American River under $35. I finally burned up my first one a couple months ago after more then a years use and I’m not sure how many fossils. While I also have dremel rotary tools as others have said they have limited uses..

40 minutes ago, jpc said:

also didn't know there was  Dremel engaver.  The engraver is the way to go,

 

[RJB]

  If I may step in here and make a suggestion,,,,,,   Just from looking at the picture you posted I can see loose and flaky shell material along with a crack in the specimen.  By all means, this should be addressed before any prep of any kind is done.  Good luck

 

RB

[minnbuckeye]

A Dremel engraver (NOT a rotary dremel!!) is what you need for this trilobite and can be purchased at many hardware stores for UNDER $20. It is a great way to see if you like prepping fossils. Start there. If you do not like it, or like it alot and want to prep MANY fossils,THEN spend $$$$  professional equipment. I have been using my original Dremel engraver on hundreds of fossils and it keeps on ticking. 

 

Mike

[A.C.]

Thank you for all the tips, now @RJB what would you think I do then about the crack? In addition based on community guidelines should I not have posted that link relating to a specific site?

[Kane]

4 minutes ago, A.C. said:

Thank you for all the tips, now @RJB what would you think I do then about the crack? In addition based on community guidelines should I not have posted that link relating to a specific site?

Wick the crack with a thin cyanoacrylate (super glue), and remember that less is more. Let it cure for several hours to a day before doing any prep!

 

With this specimen, my one worry is that a Dremel engraver imparts a lot of vibration, which can risk shaking the shell off this bug.

[Fossildude19]

I have used tips like these with good success with the Dremel engraver. 

 

[jpc]

you might also want to practice on a scrappier fossil and get used to the tools before attacking your best trilobite.  

[A.C.]

2 minutes ago, jpc said:

you might also want to practice on a scrappier fossil and get used to the tools before attacking your best trilobite.  

That is the plan, I have loads of mucrospirifer to practice on. 

 

1 hour ago, Kane said:

Wick the crack with a thin cyanoacrylate (super glue), and remember that less is more. Let it cure for several hours to a day before doing any prep!

 

With this specimen, my one worry is that a Dremel engraver imparts a lot of vibration, which can risk shaking the shell off this bug.

Would you suggest just picking away with a dental pick then or just leaving as is? Ideally, I want to basically mount this and a few other trilobites I have in a shadow box to make for a neat wall ornament, obviously the more exposed the better but I can always just keep him covered too.

[Fossildude19]

50 minutes ago, A.C. said:

That is the plan, I have loads of mucrospirifer to practice on. 

 

Would you suggest just picking away with a dental pick then or just leaving as is? Ideally, I want to basically mount this and a few other trilobites I have in a shadow box to make for a neat wall ornament, obviously the more exposed the better but I can always just keep him covered too.

It kind of depends on the surrounding matrix. 

Prepping it out depends on its reaction to mechanical vibration, and the  way it can break. 

Some things are too fragile, or will break easily in the wrong direction. 

 

Personally, on this one, I would take a small chisel, and try to break the 1st crack, and remove the matrix over the top of the trilobite. 

 

 

I think it might just mostly come off with splitting it. 

Then, maybe remove the lower sections if necessary. 

The matrix may be cross-bedded, which could make this tricky. 

 

It might help to see different views of this - from front of trilobite looking directly at it, and from the other side of the rock. 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

8 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

It kind of depends on the surrounding matrix. 

Prepping it out depends on its reaction to mechanical vibration, and the  way it can break. 

Some things are too fragile, or will break easily in the wrong direction. 

 

Personally, on this one, I would take a small chisel, and try to break the 1st crack, and remove the matrix over the top of the trilobite.

 

I think it might just mostly come off with splitting it. 

Then, maybe remove the lower sections if necessary. 

The matrix may be cross-bedded, which could make this tricky. 

 

It might help to see different views of this - from front of trilobite looking directly at it, and from the other side of the rock. 

Splitting can be risky, but may also be a way to reduce the amount of effort invested prior to finding out whether a piece is worth the effort to start with. In this case, the specimen looks to be complete, so care and effort are warranted. However, it might indeed just split open to reveal the trilobite just like that, saving you a world of time. It's a risk you need to determine for whether you're willing to take it. I myself am not familiar with prepping trilobites at all, but know from ammonites that a will aimed split can save you a lot of work. However, you might also end up damaging the specimen...

 

In order to reduce mechanical vibrations - whether from an air scribe, engraver or hammer - place an old pillow underneath your fossil. This will reduce the amount of vibration within the specimen, as this originates from the reaction of the hammer or pen blow being propagated to and resonating on the surface the specimen is resting on. I.e. there's going to be a lot more reverberation from a table or plank (I'd advise to not prep directly on a table, unless you want to damage that! ) than there is from a pillow or box of sand.

[A.C.]

Thought I would share my buddies Trilo from the same day... he posted about it on another forum but is not a member of TFF.

[A.C.]

Here is the updated pictures of the matrix around my trilobite: there is damage around the snout, definitely am going to do some MagicSculpt or something similar to restore that. 

[A.C.]

Here is another view (trilobite can be seen poking out of the bottom left)

[A.C.]

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

On 9/8/2020 at 1:21 PM, A.C. said:

Thought I would share my buddies Trilo from the same day... he posted about it on another forum but is not a member of TFF.

    

Very nice specimen. I can see how you'd want yours to turn out the same

[Randyw]

1 hour ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

In order to reduce mechanical vibrations - whether from an air scribe, engraver or hammer - place an old pillow underneath your fossil.

+1! I actually use a couple layers of foam under my piece if I’m not Actually holding it in my hand.