How to prep an Achanarras Pterichthyodes?

[oilshale]

Preferably to the friends from UK: What is the best preparation method for a Pterichthyodes milleri from the Devonian of Achanarras? Carbide tipped graver, air scribe or abrasive blaster?

And if you can use an abrasive blaster, which abrasive is best?

The fish is still almost completely covered and lies in a devilishly hard and thick slab.

I want to prep the fish from the other side. What you see here should be the ventral side. What do you think?

@Terry Dactyll, @Kosmoceras, @James_R_V 

Edited March 17, 2021 by oilshale

[Kosmoceras]

That will turn out to be a fantastic specimen! I don’t have enough experience on Achanarras fish to make any recommendations on your specimen, but I remember seeing this field report a few years ago and the chap in Denmark who wrote it seems to have had great success preparing his finds, see this link:

http://www.vestjyskstenklub.dk/galleri/ALT 2013/folder/Tur til Skotland.html

I’d see if you can contact him to ask how he prepared his specimens.

[oilshale]

2 hours ago, Kosmoceras said:

That will turn out to be a fantastic specimen! I don’t have enough experience on Achanarras fish to make any recommendations on your specimen, but I remember seeing this field report a few years ago and the chap in Denmark who wrote it seems to have had great success preparing his finds, see this link:

http://www.vestjyskstenklub.dk/galleri/ALT 2013/folder/Tur til Skotland.html

I’d see if you can contact him to ask how he prepared his specimens.

Many thanks for the link. I have written to Henrik, I hope he will answer me.

Thomas

[RJB]

I wish I could help you Thomas but ive never ran into one of these.  I hope Henrik has the answer.

 

RB

[glu]

I might be late for this post. Anyway I prepared with success some Achanarras fishes from hard layer. You will need an air scribe with microscope (not really much separation), some are successful also with hand preparation just like you would prepare an Eichstatt fossil

[RJB]

Any word from Henrik @oilshale   I was and am very interested in seeing how this turns out.

 

RB

[oilshale]

5 hours ago, RJB said:

Any word from Henrik @oilshale   I was and am very interested in seeing how this turns out.

 

RB

Sorry Ron, I forgot to tell you that.

This is what Henrik replied:

"The flagstones are hard, but it is possible with a pneumatic needle. The fossils are preserved as cosmine, and when you get to the bones they have a thin soft brown layer. This soft layer I remove with a glasspen, very gently brushing in cirkels. I wash the fossil with water using a cotton swab. I remove 2-3 squarecentimeters with the pneumatic needel before I brush with the glasspen."

Apparently he doesn't use a sandblaster. But I have seen some Millerosteus where for sure a sandblaster was used.

Thomas

[RJB]

@oilshale  Sounds like a very fun project. 

 

RB

[Phevo]

20 hours ago, oilshale said:

Sorry Ron, I forgot to tell you that.

This is what Henrik replied:

"The flagstones are hard, but it is possible with a pneumatic needle. The fossils are preserved as cosmine, and when you get to the bones they have a thin soft brown layer. This soft layer I remove with a glasspen, very gently brushing in cirkels. I wash the fossil with water using a cotton swab. I remove 2-3 squarecentimeters with the pneumatic needel before I brush with the glasspen."

Apparently he doesn't use a sandblaster. But I have seen some Millerosteus where for sure a sandblaster was used.

Thomas

 

Henrik is one of the best fossil preppers I have met and his passion lies with fish