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Water on fossil fish?


IsaacTheFossilMan

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Simple question here: I've bought some fossil fish from the Eocene of the USA. Some of them are a bit dusty, and I wondered if I can use water to gently clean them.

 

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5 minutes ago, IsaacTheFossilMan said:

Simple question here: I've bought some fossil fish from the Eocene of the USA. Some of them are a bit dusty, and I wondered if I can use water to gently clean them.

 

On any fossil, water isn’t really a great idea, I think some people use some sort of alcohol, but I’d just carefully manually dust it 

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Just now, will stevenson said:

On any fossil, water isn’t really a great idea, I think some people use some sort of alcohol, but I’d just carefully manually dust it 

Alright. Thanks!

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

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Are the fish from the Green River Formation? As you know different formations and rock types would have different results.

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3 minutes ago, Top Trilo said:

Are the fish from the Green River Formation? As you know different formations and rock types would have different results.

I believe so.

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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Try a photography dust blower. You know, the rubber balls with a nozzle on them. This keeps the fossil dry, but allows you to blow off any surface dust. As already remarked, water is typically not a good idea in combination with fossils (unless freshly found and still unprepared - but even then care is warranted), as this can not only trigger weathering and chemical decay processes, but may also affect any previous restorations and repairs performed. Dry cleaning a by using pumped air (not your own breath, which contains water vapour) is often the best solution. Carefully brushing may also help...

 

If you could post photographs of the fossils in their current state more targeted advise on how to clean them can probably be given.

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On 10/30/2021 at 3:51 PM, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

Try a photography dust blower. You know, the rubber balls with a nozzle on them. This keeps the fossil dry, but allows you to blow off any surface dust. As already remarked, water is typically not a good idea in combination with fossils (unless freshly found and still unprepared - but even then care is warranted), as this can not only trigger weathering and chemical decay processes, but may also affect any previous restorations and repairs performed. Dry cleaning a by using pumped air (not your own breath, which contains water vapour) is often the best solution. Carefully brushing may also help...

 

If you could post photographs of the fossils in their current state more targeted advise on how to clean them can probably be given.

Thank you, that should suffice!

~ Isaac; www.isaactfm.com 

 

"Don't move! He can't see us if we don't move!" - Alan Grant

 

Come to the spring that is The Fossil Forum, where the stream of warmth and knowledge never runs dry.

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