Help! Fossil prep!

[Keichhorn]

So I have this crinoid I wanted to prep with my new vaniman, but I am not skilled enough for this prep. I've done a couple crinoid calyx's and some with the arms, but this one has some fine detail showing through and I am worried I will destroy it.

If there is anyone on here that I could turn to for help on this or any suggestions as to who to take it to would be phenomenal. 

 

The whole column wraps around the matrix. There are a few spots where the pinnules are showing.

I have a terrible camera so I can only show a photo of the largest section showing. I'm not sure what species it is. 

Found on Partridge Point in Alpena. I believe the Thunder Bay Formation. Middle or Late Devonian. 

 

 

[Fossildude19]

@Ptychodus04

[Ptychodus04]

Do you have a small pneumatic scribe and a microscope? If so, I would remove most of the matrix with a scribe before using abrasive.

 

What abrasive media are you using? The truck with abrasives is to start out with as low a pressure as your unit will push (with the Vaniman systems, that’s around 10 psi), then slowly increase your pressure until it starts to remove matrix. Don’t hold the pen on the same spot, rather you want to move it in a circular motion. This will help keep you from burning your specimen.

[Keichhorn]

11 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Do you have a small pneumatic scribe and a microscope? If so, I would remove most of the matrix with a scribe before using abrasive.

 

What abrasive media are you using? The truck with abrasives is to start out with as low a pressure as your unit will push (with the Vaniman systems, that’s around 10 psi), then slowly increase your pressure until it starts to remove matrix. Don’t hold the pen on the same spot, rather you want to move it in a circular motion. This will help keep you from burning your specimen.

@Ptychodus04 I have a small scribe but no microscope. Im worried any work with the scribe will break off unseen sections of the pinnules. It looks like there may be more than 1 calyx in the matrix and they're all in diferent layers around each other. The front specimens pinuelles are showing in the upper layer near the center with the photo I put in the post.. others are showing near the background further up the matrix. I only have a couple hand lens'. I have sodium bicarbonate and dolomite for media. I havent started yet just in case anyone has a better idea on how to go about it. I'm not very experienced as I only started this type of prep work about 2 weeks ago. 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Keichhorn
Added/ updated information

[Ptychodus04]

You need a microscope for abrasive work. Anyone who says different is damaging their fossils when they prep without one. 

 

I wouldn’t start this until you have a microscope, blast cabinet, and a dust collection system. What’s your current setup?

[Keichhorn]

4 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

You need a microscope for abrasive work. Anyone who says different is damaging their fossils when they prep without one. 

 

I wouldn’t start this until you have a microscope, blast cabinet, and a dust collection system. What’s your current setup?

@Ptychodus04 I am very lucky to get to do my work at an open maker's space called factory 2 in flint michigan. I just started working there with my air scribe. If things go well I will either have a vaniman sandstorm expert dual blaster by next week(bidding on it now). Or I will be building a blast cabinet for my old mobile. I recently moved and could no longer use my dad's equipment.  Currently I have just the abrasive unit and media. The place I get to work in has a dust collection system and awesome air compressor and filtration system I can hook my equipment up to. I plan on being up and running within 2 weeks and was hoping to get a couple fossils prepped by the end of next month. any microscopes in particular I should be looking into? 

[Ptychodus04]

2 hours ago, Keichhorn said:

any microscopes in particular I should be looking into? 

You can get an intro level microscope for cheap from Anscope. Their optics are a bit hit or miss, but for the price, they are hard to beat. I’d go for one with a boom stand and the longest working distance possible in order to give the most flexibility. 

[crabfossilsteve]

It might pay to have someone with all the tools and know-how to do this one or put it aside till you have all the tools and have experimented on lesser grade specimens.  Sorry just a suggestion.

[Keichhorn]

On 1/23/2022 at 11:50 AM, crabfossilsteve said:

It might pay to have someone with all the tools and know-how to do this one or put it aside till you have all the tools and have experimented on lesser grade specimens.  Sorry just a suggestion.

That was actually the origional reason I made this post lol. I was going someone would point me to a reputable prepper. I have almost everything I need to do it myself (or so I thought) but am not comfortable doing it. So it sits 

[crabfossilsteve]

Yeah, even when you have all of the necessary equipment, the knowledge and experience is a critical factor to get a great result.  I know, I have number of specimens that would been sooooooo much better had I waited.  Good luck.  Practice on crumby specimens.

[Ptychodus04]

On 2/17/2022 at 11:00 PM, Keichhorn said:

That was actually the origional reason I made this post lol. I was going someone would point me to a reputable prepper. I have almost everything I need to do it myself (or so I thought) but am not comfortable doing it. So it sits 

I totally missed that.  Send me a PM and we can chat about the prep. I have quite a queue at the moment but I can work you in if you have the patience. 

[fossilhunter21]

If you want to have this prepped extremely well, then having it prepped by, Kris @Ptychodus04 is the way to go. I have done business with, Kris and can definitely recommend him. I have never had him prep any of my fossils, but have heard many very good things about him and his prep-work. If I was ever going to pay to have a fossil prepped professionally, I would not hesitate to have it done by him.

 

-@fossilhunter21

[Randyw]

I’ll second that! I’ve seen some of the miracles he’s worked with even broken up pieces that came out beautifully!

[Keichhorn]

Thank you everyone. 

[Ptychodus04]

On 2/20/2022 at 12:31 PM, fossilhunter21 said:

If you want to have this prepped extremely well, then having it prepped by, Kris @Ptychodus04 is the way to go. I have done business with, Kris and can definitely recommend him. I have never had him prep any of my fossils, but have heard many very good things about him and his prep-work. If I was ever going to pay to have a fossil prepped professionally, I would not hesitate to have it done by him.

 

-@fossilhunter21

 

On 2/20/2022 at 1:00 PM, Randyw said:

I’ll second that! I’ve seen some of the miracles he’s worked with even broken up pieces that came out beautifully!

 

Thanks guys.