LabRatKing Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 This is a specimen from the strata near the top of Fossil Mountain/ Ibex in Millard County, Utah, USA. ( Ordovician- Lehman Formation) This is as-found 17JUL19 , no prep was done as I thought the weathering was beautiful just the way it is! Lots of interesting stuff in there, bits of various trilos, bivalves, ostrocoda,and lots of those coiled and partially coiled critters I have yet to identify. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 I agree, looks great. The snails look like Maclurites, or at least family Macluritidae, to me. 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Nice! I agree, "prepping" would most likely wreck the aesthetic appeal of this slab. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 I do not think prepping would enhance it at all, in fact it may detract from its current appeal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Lovely hash plate!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 I have a beautiful but small Ordovician starfish that was on a small chip of limestone that had a yellowish-orange surface (almost the same color as in the low spots on the hash plate). The blue-grey starfish plates contrasted very nicely with the rock, so the starfish really stood out. I made the mistake of "prepping" the starfish by scrubbing the surrounding matrix with a toothbrush and a baking soda paste. Although this did expose a tiny bit more of the starfish, it removed all of the weathered yellow-orange surface of the matrix and destroyed the beautiful contrast. Now I have a well preserved blue-grey starfish on a blue-grey matrix. Still a good specimen, but the aesthetic appeal is much reduced. I think the same thing would happen with the plate in the OP. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRatKing Posted September 29, 2020 Author Share Posted September 29, 2020 Yeah, I have a few other smaller slabs from the same member, one including the "famous" jet black ostracods, and a few like this one. I used one to experiment with, I tried .02M HCL, 4M Acetic acid, and some PVA both brush and mist, the sealer did deepen the colors as expected, but then it just wasn't "right" any more. The acids stipped it all down to a uniform gray. The good news is, while it looks soft, this stuff is DENSE and durable. In fact I had real trouble in the scree at that altitude as it is like walking on unglazed tiles. I tried some experimental fractures with the scree, and had no problem blunting tools! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GemCityHippie Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 I'm in agreement with the others here. That's such a beautiful slab with the natural weathering as it already is. Doesn't really need anything done to it aside from maybe making a display stand for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 That's a wonderful fossil plate, how big is it? “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRatKing Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 6 hours ago, Top Trilo said: That's a wonderful fossil plate, how big is it? About 10x12cm and 1.5cm thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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