Anyone able/down to prep this prickly trilobite?

[ScottBlooded]

Found this guy today in the needmore formation near Winchester VA. It’s a very productive site but I’ve never found such a well preserved crazy spinous boy like this out there. I’m self taught on all of this and happy to hone my prep skills on standard fair like phacops  Eldredgeops rana  that I find out there all the time, but this guy is special and rare. At least for me. And delicate.

 

Anyone here do professional fossil prep,  and willing to give me a quote? PLEASE SEND ME A PM.

 

The third pic is the mold that the pygidium came from and contains (presumably) the rest of the bug.

 

[FranzBernhard]

Nice!!!

I don´t see any "shell", its a mold, so there is not very much to prep. But very, very nice as such, congrats!

@piranha, @Kane

Franz Bernhard

 

[Ludwigia]

I agree with Franz. Let's see what @Malcolmt thinks.

Edit: I'll have to revise my comment since I just noticed that part and counterpart are available. Anyway, let's see what the experts have to say about this.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Ludwigia

[Wrangellian]

In that 3rd pic I see a slight separation along the plane of the trilo, so it looks like you might be able to just pry it up to reveal the rest of the bug. If it were mine I'd stick a needle or razor blade in there along the side and pry carefully to see what happens. If it comes off in pieces you might be able to reassemble the parts with glue. IMO the results might be better than prepping it out with scribe/abrasive. But I too will defer to the real experts (Malcolm)....

[Fossildude19]

Any offers to prep should be made via PM. 

Thanks for your cooperation. 

[Malcolmt]

I have sent you a PM. One always needs to see a fossil in person and in my case look at it under a scope to give a truly defininative opinion. Do I think something could be done to improve this bug with a little preparation. Yes.... Is this going to be a stunning show piece grade A museum fossil. .... I don't think so. If it was mine I would do some prep but then again it only costs me my time.