Battery-Powered Tools for my Return to Lake Texoma, OK

[Megalodoodle]

I’m planning my return trip to Lake Texoma and I was wondering if y’all had any suggestions for tools to bring. Preferably batter-powered (no generator) and powerful enough to excavate large ammonites from hard limestone. Explosives, battery acid, and hydrochloric acid are out of the question. I’d settle for gas-powered tools, but only as a last resort.

[DPS Ammonite]

You might want to contact the Corp of Engineers that control Lake Texoma to see if gas powered tools for collecting fossils are OK. Using a gas powered tool is going to bring much more attention than just picking up a loose fossil on the shore.

[Kane]

I somewhat doubt anyone here would recommend the use of explosives or acids for collecting, so no worries there.  
 

I am also thinking battery powered tools won’t be much help in large, hard limestone. I just came back from a site where I did not have a rock saw, and anything I could extract from a huge slab was a matter of reading the rock’s natural split patterns, brute force with a hammer and chisel, and a lot of luck. About 40% did not survive the effort. Be prepared to lug back home some pretty big pieces until you can cut them down.

[DPS Ammonite]

6 hours ago, Kane said:

I am also thinking battery powered tools won’t be much help in large, hard limestone. I just came back from a site where I did not have a rock saw, and anything I could extract from a huge slab was a matter of reading the rock’s natural split patterns, brute force with a hammer and chisel, and a lot of luck. 

I have seen at least a couple of areas in north Texas where probably fossils have been cut out of limestone. You’d be surprised what passes for limestone in north Texas. Most of it is very incompetent and won’t last long even in a wall. I remember lots of walls were built with local Cretaceous limestone along White Rock Creek in Frisco or Plano, Texas. Let’s just say that the mortar was much stronger than the rock.

Edited June 8, 2022 by DPS Ammonite

[Kane]

6 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

I have seen at least a couple of areas in north Texas where probably fossils have been cut out of limestone. You’d be surprised what passes for limestone in north Texas. Most of it is very incompetent and won’t last long even in a wall. I remember lots of walls were built with local Cretaceous limestone along White Rock Creek in Frisco or Plano, Texas. Let’s just say that the mortar was much stronger than the rock.

Good to know. I only know the dense limestones of Ontario and Quebec, which is not very yielding. Canadian collectors develop bigger arms for a reason.  

[DPS Ammonite]

10 minutes ago, Kane said:

Good to know. I only know the dense limestones of Ontario and Quebec, which is not very yielding. 

If the north Texas area wants solid rocks for walls, roadbeds or concrete, they usually get them from the Paleozoic formations to the west. Some rocks end up in the local rivers. That is why we identify so many Paleozoic fossils in the Dallas and North Sulphur River areas.

[DPS Ammonite]

19 minutes ago, Kane said:

Good to know. I only know the dense limestones of Ontario and Quebec, which is not very yielding. Canadian collectors develop bigger arms for a reason.  

In my case, it is genetics and not a lack of hard rocks to whack at in Arizona that caused my whimpy arm development.

[Kane]

I have arms like some people's legs, so I'll count myself genetically lucky, and useful in harder rock. They call me the human backhoe for a reason.  

[Sjfriend]

9 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

In my case, it is genetics and not a lack of hard rocks to whack at in Arizona that caused my whimpy arm development.

I would blame it on the fact you can only break rock for about 3 weeks in January before it gets too hot again (why in the world am I in Phoenix now!!!?)

[Sjfriend]

9 hours ago, Kane said:

Good to know. I only know the dense limestones of Ontario and Quebec, which is not very yielding. Canadian collectors develop bigger arms for a reason.  

I though it was from getting to move mountains of snow to find the rocks to begin with  

[Sjfriend]

I too am thinking about saws for some field work but knowing how hard my corded angle grinder works to trim some of it I doubt I could get too much run time out of a battery. 

[Kane]

6 minutes ago, Sjfriend said:

I though it was from getting to move mountains of snow to find the rocks to begin with  

Oh dear, no. It's not like I live in Alaska or something. 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Battery-powered circular saw with a diamond blade, make three or four cuts and hammer and chisel to get the piece out would be my approach.

[cngodles]

On 6/8/2022 at 10:25 AM, Sjfriend said:

I too am thinking about saws for some field work but knowing how hard my corded angle grinder works to trim some of it I doubt I could get too much run time out of a battery. 

 

I've used my Dewalt angle grinder with an 8 AH battery and it lasts through a few cuts. Usually I can deep cut 3-4 specimens on all four sides safely. It's just that the big batteries cost more than the grinders. Very convenient in the field, quieter than the corded ones, and not too big. But you can only get so deep with a 4-inch diamond wheel.

[Bill Hoddson]

I stopped at Lake Texoma this summer, hoping to bring some ammonites home to Michigan.  Most of the "limestone" I saw near the Denison Dam on Lake Texoma was very soft compared to what we have up here.  Hammer, chisels, and moderate picks are pretty much all you need

[erose]

From what I have heard the bigger issue is hauling it away. Chisels, pry bars and a crack hammer should be enough to get it loose.  But save enough energy for the trek back to your vehicle.  

 

I was just talking to someone about using an old style back pack frame that you could strap it to.  I have also seen were folks used kayaks to haul stuff back to the boat ramps.

 

Good Luck.

[fossilus]

40 minutes ago, erose said:

From what I have heard the bigger issue is hauling it away. Chisels, pry bars and a crack hammer should be enough to get it loose.  But save enough energy for the trek back to your vehicle.

My wife and I once found a 45 lb ammo at lake texoma (not close to our sub) Luckily it was in 2 pieces, otherwise between it and our gear, it would have been almost impossible to get out.