Ludwigia Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 ...as was the case with the preparation of this multiblock which I'm about to present. I hope I'm not starting to bore you all with yet again another one with the same fauna from the Jurassic Aalenian layers in the Wutach Valley, but that's about the only productive site at the moment in my area. This was a pretty tricky preparation which probably took over 20 hours, although I didn't have my stopwatch running. A couple of weeks ago I lugged a large block and 2 other smaller pieces which belonged to the puzzle back up the hill to the car. The next day I had a closer look at it in the workshop and it looked very promising. Particularly on the right hand side there are a good number of ammonites waiting to be freed from captivity. There are also some in the smaller blocks above left and right which need to be glued back together as can be seen in the lateral views below. For a size reference, the tiles measure 34cm. across. Even the back view showed signs of promise. I was starting to get excited, but at the same time was wondering where and how to start, since the fossils appeared to be partially layered on top of each other. Which side to work from? Front or back? Both at the same time? Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 (edited) I decided that the first thing to do was to get the ammonite bits out of the smaller stones and see if they were worth saving. I'd keep thinking about the rest in the meantime. I managed to get them out and to my satisfaction. The photo shows them in position but not yet glued on, since I had decided to start on the big block and didn't want to disturb them with the rough work coming up. By the way, the main work is being done with a fine pointed and a rough flat chisel in the air pens. I figured the best approach to start with on the big block was at the top, where the edges of the ammonites could be clearly seen. Here's how it looked after a while of chiseling away. Another one turned up unexpectedly on the left as well, but I stabbed it in the side before I realized it was there. Up to that point, everything was looking just dandy, but after another hour's work came the let-down....all of the large ammos I'd been working at turned out to be duds. All partials not worth keeping . Edited September 13, 2014 by Ludwigia Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 (edited) What now? Time for plan B. Dig down deeper in the hopes of finding something. After a couple of hours of careful excavating however, I had to accept the fact that there really wasn't much more there, so I started working on the remaining ones at the top in the hopes that at least they were ok. Thank goodness that turned out to be the case. I'd started using the abrader more often now in order to locate the shells without injuring them. It was starting to look like I'd be able to make something good out of this now, but the block with nothing at the bottom was much too large, so I cut off about 2 thirds of it with my diamond blade, cleaned up the rest of the ammos some more and finally glued on the ones at the top left and right. Now was the time to work mostly with the abrader getting the details out. Even the back side was starting to look ok and a few intact bivalves were starting to show up there. Edited September 13, 2014 by Ludwigia Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 (edited) Now it was just about done. I gave both sides another onceover with the abrader, this time with a bit more power over the matrix and exposed a few more bivalves. Then I filled in the gaps with stone meal and gave the fossils all a coat of beeswax Rember. Here's the final product. Not quite the way I'd figured at the outset, but still good enough to find a place on the display shelf . All ammonites are variations of Ancolioceras opalinoides and the bivalves are mostly Myophorella formosa. The block measures 27x14x5cm. Edited December 25, 2014 by Ludwigia Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Look at the keels on those things! Very good outcome "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 I love these prep progress reports, from start to finish... Wow!! Thanks for sharing "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 Thanks! Glad to hear that I'm not boring you Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Amazing prep, like opening a present, very nice -----Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Beautiful prep job! Way to see it through! ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Amazing prep, like opening a present, very nice -----Tom That's a good way of describing the process. Thanks! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Beautiful prep job! Way to see it through! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Yes, thank you for the series of photos. For us people who don't do prep to this degree, it seems amazing that these rocks contain so much and it just needs to be released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I would be proud to display that. You can "bore" us with preps like this anytime. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Yes, thank you for the series of photos. For us people who don't do prep to this degree, it seems amazing that these rocks contain so much and it just needs to be released. Thanks. I still think back sometimes to the days before I got my equipment and was doing everything by hand. I couldn't prep even the half of what I'm able to do now and a lot of things got damaged beyond repair or weren't even noticed. A whole new world opened up with the air pressure. I would be proud to display that. You can "bore" us with preps like this anytime. Thanks! Thanks very much. Ok then, I'll keep'em coming. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 We're totally bored. Please send all future unprepped specimens directly to me!!! HA! Very nice! Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Wonderful prep job, Roger. Excellent find and story behind it. Thanks for posting it. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 We're totally bored. Please send all future unprepped specimens directly to me!!! HA! Very nice! Nice to get an honest comment here finally I'm afraid if I send them to you, you might end up disturbing the neighbors before and after bank hours. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Wonderful prep job, Roger. Excellent find and story behind it. Thanks for posting it. Regards, Thanks and you're welcome Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 You're probably right... Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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