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Trilobites...as I Get Them Clean

fossiladdict

By fossiladdict
in Fossil Hunting Trips

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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O.k. instead of continuing to post new topics, maybe I should just continue to post under one continuous post :).

I've been working on cleaning a few this week; here are the ones I've gotten cleaned up so far. I'm pretty sure I officially have the BUG FEVER!

I will continue to post under this topic as I get them cleaned in the future.

post-4072-0-27304900-1340504143_thumb.jpg post-4072-0-76699700-1340504119_thumb.jpg post-4072-0-56347800-1340504122_thumb.jpg

post-4072-0-47791500-1340504126_thumb.jpg post-4072-0-13804000-1340504130_thumb.jpg post-4072-0-33717200-1340504133_thumb.jpg

post-4072-0-09566900-1340504136_thumb.jpg post-4072-0-54971000-1340504139_thumb.jpg

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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Ramo Regular Member

Ramo

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Looking good. Do you have any before photos so we can see how much you had to do.

(I have a few from Black Cat that look similar to yours, but they need cleaned up)

Ramo

For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun.
-Aldo Leopold
 

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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Haha....well I sent this picture to my dad the last time I went, which is where these trilobites came from. This is my table, which as you can see is covered. I take each rock, and broke it down to smaller rocks, and then I clean them.

post-4072-0-58468800-1340506945_thumb.jpg

I do a bit at a time and then move on to some more.

Edited by fossiladdict

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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Malcolmt Regular Member

Malcolmt

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That is a monster haul of rock containing a bonanza of trilobites, you'll be prepping for a while........

Sure wish we could find them like that up here.

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mommabetts Regular Member

mommabetts

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You have done a beautiful job prepping them out, thank you so much for sharing them with us.

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MarleysGh0st Regular Member

MarleysGh0st

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Haha....well I sent this picture to my dad the last time I went, which is where these trilobites came from. This is my table, which as you can see is covered. I take each rock and break it down to smaller rocks and then clean them.

post-4072-0-58468800-1340506945_thumb.jpg

I do a bit at a time and then move on to some more.

Now that's a nicely set table! :D

I just got my Prep Lab training at the Museum of the Earth, last month, and I've been practicing on specimens from my own collection. I've found that enrolled trilobites are good choices to start with, since they're more likely to come out of the matrix in one piece.

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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I am not perfect at cleaning the trilobites and I figure by the time I actually get decent equipment, it will be a piece of cake to go thru and detail all of these a little better.

This is a little bit more of my process. After knocking most of the rock around the trilobite off, post-4072-0-62839500-1340545052_thumb.jpg, I grab a bowl and place some bugs in the bowl and get to cleaning using primarily these tools post-4072-0-63422600-1340545315_thumb.jpg. As you can tell by the picture, some of the rolled ones do not have a lot of matrix around it, hence the reason why some are cleaned the way they are (without matrix).

There are a few of the bigger rocks that I have set aside for me to view later because they are pretty much hash plates and I need to figure out what I want to do with them.post-4072-0-20120200-1340545117_thumb.jpg

Trilobites such as this head, will require a little more attention from me as I will have to set the bottom (because it's upside down) in plaster or something and then work my way down to the head. Such a big head though...no whole ones this big have been found at Black Cat so I will take just the head. post-4072-0-28335400-1340545093_thumb.jpg

I consider it my quite time when the conditions around here for fossil hunting are not the greatest (too hot, no rain). Plus look at the results....nice trilobites for the collection :).

Edited by fossiladdict

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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DeloiVarden Regular Member

DeloiVarden

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Thanks for sharing your finds and how you prep them. Maybe i will know what to do with a trilobite if I ever find one.

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Raistlin Regular Member

Raistlin

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In the one photo with the bowl and tools I see some side cutter/wire cutter type tools from the looks of it. What do you use tools like this for?

You are doing an awsome job BTW. I wish we could get trilos like that here in Missouri.

Robert
Southeast, MO

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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In the one photo with the bowl and tools I see some side cutter/wire cutter type tools from the looks of it. What do you use tools like this for?

You are doing an awsome job BTW. I wish we could get trilos like that here in Missouri.

I use the cutters to cut off the bigger chunks of rock. When I get closer to the bug I personally have found that I need more control over what I'm cutting off and I risk with a hammer of cutting too much off so the pliers give me a little more control of cutting a specific area off.

You could say it's the " red neck" way lol. Of course, to make the rock flat on one side I rub it on my sidewalk till it's flat and I'm pretty sure that's a little red neck too ;) .

But hey, if it works, it works!

Edited by fossiladdict

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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Shamalama Regular Member

Shamalama

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There are a few of the bigger rocks that I have set aside for me to view later because they are pretty much hash plates and I need to figure out what I want to do with them.

You want to send them to meeeeeeeeee!!!!! :P

Very nice finds and prep job. Are most of those trilobites Paciphacops?

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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You want to send them to meeeeeeeeee!!!!! :P

Very nice finds and prep job. Are most of those trilobites Paciphacops?

Yes, a lot of them are, but I have other ones...posted some in my previous posts- two that I recently did are also shown below.

post-4072-0-70002000-1340573391_thumb.jpgpost-4072-0-11633600-1340573401_thumb.jpg

I figured I would get to those hash plates when I get something that cleans them a little faster lol.

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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drhemlock Member

drhemlock

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I loves the bugs and hope to get some when i finally map out the areas where i will prospect i live in indiana and looking for friends to go with around here. i have met a few people on here that have helped narrow the field a bit so i can make my route more productive. i hope that i can do as well on what i find as you have with these great bugs.

doc

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Raistlin Regular Member

Raistlin

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I use the cutters to cut off the bigger chunks of rock. When I get closer to the bug I personally have found that I need more control over what I'm cutting off and I risk with a hammer of cutting too much off so the pliers give me a little more control of cutting a specific area off.

You could say it's the " red neck" way lol. Of course, to make the rock flat on one side I rub it on my sidewalk till it's flat and I'm pretty sure that's a little red neck too ;) .

But hey, if it works, it works!

Interesting idea, never thought about that. I assume you are doing this when they are wet/soaked so that the stone is a bit softer or are you doing it while it is dry?

Robert
Southeast, MO

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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Interesting idea, never thought about that. I assume you are doing this when they are wet/soaked so that the stone is a bit softer or are you doing it while it is dry?

Both (wet and dry). With the cutters, they are sturdy and hard, so it makes clipping off portions of the rock a lot easier. When I get close to the bug I like to soak it in water to perhaps 1) get water inbetween the matrix and the bug making it easier to break off, 2) hope it makes the matrix softer, which is not always the case, and 3) it helps me see what I'm doing when I get things to muddy.

If you can make it to Oklahoma, which is just a few hours from MO- I would suggest you try to make arrangements to hunt for trilobites at Black Cat Mtn.

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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Raistlin Regular Member

Raistlin

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I will certainly have to try and work that into a weekend thing. I would love to get some OK trilos. I have seen some photos of very nice finds from there.

Robert
Southeast, MO

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bjornw New Member

bjornw

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Such great finds! I'm on business trips in NC from time to time, but Oklahoma is a bit far away, even for a weekend off. But I'd really love to go there...

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Ludwigia Regular Member

Ludwigia

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This is my table, which as you can see is covered.

Now you don't have any room left for doing your homework ;)

Thanks for sharing your trade secrets with us and for showing us all of your wonderful finds. Keep up the good work!

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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fossiladdict Regular Member

fossiladdict

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Now you don't have any room left for doing your homework ;)

Thanks for sharing your trade secrets with us and for showing us all of your wonderful finds. Keep up the good work!

HAHAHA, I have my master's degree and decided after that no more homework! Besides, it's cleaned off already. Each time I go, that' what I end up with and then I have to clean them. It's been a good hole filler (the left over rocks).

Fossils are simply one of the coolest things on earth--discovering them is just marvelous! Makes you all giddy inside!

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Lloyd Regular Member

Lloyd

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I'm - almost - speechless. Great bugs. Thanks for giving a rundown on your prepping process. I never thought of using pliers for control.

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MikeD Regular Member

MikeD

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Very nice! I got to get back out there. I'm taking the slow approach with a few and seeing what the weather will do to them.

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