fossilhunter21 Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Hey everyone! So recently I purchased some unprepared Moroccan trilobites. I am having a very hard time preparing them and am making a lot of mistakes. And I was just wondering if these maybe are not the best for practice for a beginner, or is it just me? Thanks, @fossilhunter21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Would you like to show off some of your specimens? Thanks! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Thank you for your response! I will try to get some pictures posted later today. -@fossilhunter21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Moroccan trilobites are among the most challenging in the world to prepare (well), and are not exactly suitable for those just starting out. Hopefully your unprepared ones are more along the lines of the common proetids and phacopids, which can be done fairly with beginner equipment (just do not expect miracles). Anything with spines takes several years of experience. In my opinion, Moroccan trilobites are not for beginners. 1 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Thank you for your response, @Kane! Here are some photos of the trilobites before I started prep: 1. Paralejurus sp. 2. Austerops sp. -@fossilhunter21 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Is the Austerops from Jorf? If so, that is pretty much encased in hard chert, which can be murder on one's tools. The Paralejurus is in a very hard matrix I've worked with before. Hopefully you have more than an entry level scribe, and an air abrader; you will be swapping between them quite often as the separation between shell and matrix is not favourable, and so at times it is a process of grain by grain removal. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Thank you very much for your response! The Austerops is from Issoumour, Morocco and the Paralejurus is from Atchana, Morocco. I am using the Zoic Chicago air scribe with the 2mm tip, and I am guessing that I need something a little more for precision and an air abrader to prepare them well? Thanks, @fossilhunter21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 I would wait until you have an abrader and a detail scribe. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Thank you for your response, @kane! Thank you so much for your help. I am very glad that I asked. -@fossilhunter21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 I have not done any work on Moroccan trilobites, but I have seen plenty of them and worked on all sorts of other fossils, and I agree 100% with Kane. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 Thank you very much for your response, @jpc. -@fossilhunter21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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