What are some good fossils for practice with prep?

[fossilhunter21]

Hey everyone! So I keep buying fossils that are not good for someone who does not have a lot of experience with prep. And I was just wondering what are some good fossils (and locations) for someone who does not have much experience? I am thinking that I should have asked a while ago, but I did not think about it until now. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

-Micah

Edited March 25, 2022 by fossilhunter21

[Kane]

Penn Dixie Eldredgeops rana are a good introduction with a smooth learning curve, and fairly forgiving. They are also relatively common, so catastrophic mistakes are not going to also be major financial ones.

[fossilhunter21]

30 minutes ago, Kane said:

Penn Dixie Eldredgeops rana are a good introduction with a smooth learning curve, and fairly forgiving. They are also relatively common, so catastrophic mistakes are not going to also be major financial ones.

Thank you for your response! Now it is time for some research.

 

-Micah

Edited March 25, 2022 by fossilhunter21

[Randyw]

I learned prepping with trilobites, snails, clams, and grf fish. Each of them taught me something different that carried over into when i started doing more involved preps like Skulls, teeth, bones etc and i still do fish, snails, etc. etc…. I just love prepping about anything LOL!

[fossilhunter21]

18 minutes ago, Randyw said:

I learned prepping with trilobites, snails, clams, and grf fish. Each of them taught me something different that carried over into when i started doing more involved preps like Skulls, teeth, bones etc and i still do fish, snails, etc. etc…. I just love prepping about anything LOL!

Thank you very much for your response! I like prepping most things to, but I am most interested in mammal fossils. But mammal fossils are expensive, and hard to get ahold of. So I think I need to practice on cheaper fossils right now. And maybe I can start prepping mammal fossils after a while. I learned my lesson when I prepped an oreodont skull with almost no experience, and made a lot of marks on it. 

 

-Micah

Edited March 25, 2022 by fossilhunter21

[Ptychodus04]

I have to echo what @Kane and @Randyw posted above. Penn Dixie material is relatively easy to prep and Green River fish (from the 18" Layer) prep well for beginners. Avoid Green River material from the Sandwich Beds (AKA Split-fish Layer). These fish are very flaky and a nightmare to prep well.

 

Send me a PM. I'll take a look in my lab tonight and see if I have any small fish hiding in a corner (they're bound to be there). 

[fossilhunter21]

15 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Avoid Green River material from the Sandwich Beds (AKA Split-fish Layer). These fish are very flaky and a nightmare to prep well.

Thanks!  I will definitely stay away from those fish.

 

16 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Send me a PM. I'll take a look in my lab tonight and see if I have any small fish hiding in a corner (they're bound to be there). 

Thanks, Kris! I will think about it and hopefully let you know later today. 

 

-Micah

[Ludwigia]

Of course the best method is to get out there and dig them up yourself. What's available in your neighborhood?

[fossilhunter21]

58 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

Of course the best method is to get out there and dig them up yourself. What's available in your neighborhood?

Thank you for your response!  I have actually been collecting fossils near me lately. However I discovered that they are very hard to prep. 

 

-Micah

[jpc]

White River fossils are a good training tool.  You don't have to buy expensive complete skulls.  Bits and pieces should be available pretty cheaply.  

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Texas echinoids.  Most are in soft marl that can be worked with various wetted, stiff brushes and scraped close with a utility blade.  Some are common enough that well preserved, unprepped specimens can be had for 3-5 bucks each.

[fossilhunter21]

30 minutes ago, jpc said:

White River fossils are a good training tool.  You don't have to buy expensive complete skulls.  Bits and pieces should be available pretty cheaply.  

Thank you for your reply!  I actually am thinking about practicing on WRF fossils more because I really enjoy prepping them and you can get incomplete fosssils for cheap.

 

18 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

Texas echinoids.  Most are in soft marl that can be worked with various wetted, stiff brushes and scraped close with a utility blade.  Some are common enough that well preserved, unprepped specimens can be had for 3-5 bucks each.

Thank you very much for your response!  I will definitely do some research on Texas echinoids. 

 

Wow! I am getting a lot more responses than I thought I would! Thank you again everyone for your helpfull replies! 

[Ludwigia]

1 hour ago, fossilhunter21 said:

I have actually been collecting fossils near me lately.

 And what have you been finding if I may ask?

[fossilhunter21]

30 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

 And what have you been finding if I may ask?

Thank you for your reply! 

 

Recently I found a rock with lots of brachiopods in it and a crinoid stem in matrix. The rock surrounding the fossils are very hard and is not wanting to seperate from the fossils.

 

-Micah

Edited March 31, 2022 by fossilhunter21

[Ludwigia]

2 hours ago, fossilhunter21 said:

Recently I found a rock with lots of brachiopods in it and a crinoid stem in matrix. The rock surrounding the fossils are very hard and is not wanting to seperate from the fossils.

 

I would have thought that your ZOIC Chicago would do the job. What's the problem?

[fossilhunter21]

1 hour ago, Ludwigia said:

 

I would have thought that your ZOIC Chicago would do the job. What's the problem?

Thanks for your response! 

 

I am not really sure why I have trouble removing the matrix on those fossils. All I know is that I tried to remove the matrix, but just ended up destroying them because the rock does not want to seperate from the fossil very well. Maybe once I get more used to my Chicago and Micro Jack 4 I will be able to work on fossils found near me. 

 

-Micah

 

[fossilhunter21]

11 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I have to echo what @Kane and @Randyw posted above. Penn Dixie material is relatively easy to prep and Green River fish (from the 18" Layer) prep well for beginners. Avoid Green River material from the Sandwich Beds (AKA Split-fish Layer). These fish are very flaky and a nightmare to prep well.

 

Send me a PM. I'll take a look in my lab tonight and see if I have any small fish hiding in a corner (they're bound to be there). 

Thank you again, Kris for your offer!  But I think I have decided that I am going to practice on White River Formation fossils.

 

Thanks again,

 

-Micah  

[Randyw]

11 hours ago, jpc said:

Bits and pieces should be available pretty cheaply. 

Finding it is the hard part! LOL!

[Ptychodus04]

11 hours ago, fossilhunter21 said:

Thank you again, Kris for your offer!  But I think I have decided that I am going to practice on White River Formation fossils.

 

Thanks again,

 

-Micah  

That’s good stuff to work on. It tends to prep relatively easily, as opposed to the prep I’m currently working on. It’s a trilobite in “shale”. I say that bc the base matrix is technically shale but there’s so much shell hash in it that it’s almost calcarinite, and it’s REALY sticky. To top it off, the trilobite is covered in hairline cracks! 

[fossilhunter21]

21 hours ago, Randyw said:

Finding it is the hard part! LOL!

Thank you for your reply, @Randyw! Yeah it is!

 

12 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

That’s good stuff to work on. It tends to prep relatively easily, as opposed to the prep I’m currently working on. It’s a trilobite in “shale”. I say that bc the base matrix is technically shale but there’s so much shell hash in it that it’s almost calcarinite, and it’s REALY sticky. To top it off, the trilobite is covered in hairline cracks! 

Thank you very much for your reponse, Kris! Well good luck on the prep!  I am sure it will turn out amazing. 

 

-Micah