Ludwigia Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Every once in a while I've been showing here step-by-step preparations of blocks with ammonites and bivalves which I've been bringing home from the Wutach Valley. I was wondering by my last topic if it wasn't getting a little repititious, but enough of you guys said you'd still like to see more that I've decided to do another one. This is the last of the batch from my latest hunting trip, so it's been lying on the workbench for a good couple of weeks. I've been picking up the pieces every day for scrutiny and have now decided more or less how I'm going to go about this. I figured I'd go into more detail this time, so I've taken some photos of what I've got to work with beforehand and have marked them all to give you an overview. Blocks 1 and 2 came out originally together as one larger block, but I had to give it a whack at the site in order to see what I had there since there wasn't much visible. Block 1 has three potentially good ammonites in it which I've circled, although you never know until you start exploring with the air pen. Block 2 has two partials which I plan to release from captivity and glue back onto the partials on block 1. I've marked them with connecting arrows, as I've also done with the small piece and the partial in number 3, which shall also hopefully come out clean and get glued back to the partials on block 1. I had to chisel those out of the in-situ blocks in behind which weren't weathered enough to be removed. The plan is to first work on block 1 to free up the 3 potentials and get down closer to the partials. This could be tricky in part, since some of the ammos are imbedded at different planes quite close to each other. I'll update as soon as I've reached the next stage. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 Please, don't stop! "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 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 I'm with auspex, can't wait to see how this turns out! "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 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 One step at a time, guys . This is as far as I've gotten today. Been working as planned on the large block and it's turned out, as I was already suspecting, that two of the "potentially good ammonites" on the left and right (red) were just little bits. Even the one in the middle isn't complete, but I'll keep it there for the time being at least. Tomorrow I'll start digging down to the two partials (yellow). There are about 5cm. to scrape off, so that could take a few 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 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Today I even managed to get a bit farther on than I'd figured. It took some fine chiseling with the point and some agressive work at high pressure with the abrader since the stone was so tough, but I was able to get the partials out of the smaller blocks and transfer them into position on block 1. After closer scrutiny of the smaller one, I decided to dispose of it since it was missing too much. I've crossed it out in the photo. I've also exposed the one at the top right and most of the larger ammo which as you can see is unfortunately also not complete. That's the luck of the game sometimes . At this point I would probably have called it a day normally, since none of the ammos are particularly well-preserved, 2 are not complete and there a lot of holes and cracks on the others in need of filling, but I figured that since I've already gone public with this, I might as well carry on and try to make the best of it. The next step shall be to whittle down the matrix and try to make something presentable out of it. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Glad your sticking with it. While you can look at it and say it's not one of the best and you'd otherwise discard it; for me, and I'm sure quite a few others, collecting ammonites and preparing them is quite a different and unique aspect of fossil collecting. As I have no first hand experience in this sort of thing I love reading your progress reports, admiring your patience and skill and drooling over the final product! Keep it up Chris "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 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Thanks for the encouragement, Chris. On my honor I promise to do my best...I was a boy scout once. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Looking forward to the rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Looking forward to the rest! I did manage to find a couple of hours today and have continued on by trimming off some of the excess matrix and doing a bit more abrading. The photo has the block in the position I think is best for presentation. Tomorrow I'll get down to details like giving it all a proper form, smoothing down the matrix and, if there's still time, filling in the gaps with stone meal. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Thanks for posting, Roger. I for one look forward to these before, during and after sequences, and often come back as I'm working on my own stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Thanks for posting, Roger. I for one look forward to these before, during and after sequences, and often come back as I'm working on my own stuff Not to mention your son who's patiently plugging away at it. How's he coming along? Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Hey Roger, this is really good stuff. I'm learning alot and I'm really spoiled right now with lots of creek collecting that doesnt need much prep at all but I have some echy and shell pieces that maybe someday with some tools I'll get around to tackling. Thanks for taking the time to put this together for us. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Glad you appreciate this, Chris. 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 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Well, I didn't have to work today, so I've been able to make the time to complete the action. First of all I proceeded as already mentioned above smoothing down the matrix and giving the block some form. I cheated a bit by rounding off the matrix around the two partials in approximately the form they would have if they were complete. Then it was a matter of giving it all a good once-over with the air abrader and filling in the gaps with a mixture of stonemeal and clear laquer. Then I topped off the fossils with Rember beeswax finish. All ammonites are Ancolioceras opalinoides and there's a little Entolium demissum bivalve on the left. There we are. Done! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Awesome! What a nice piece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Glad you like it, John. Like I said before, I probably wouldn't have finished this one off normally, but I think it turned out ok in the end. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Wow that's wonderful!!! Great job!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Thanks, Lissa Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Indeed it looks 100% better than where you were going stop a few photos back Thanks once more for sharing and sticking it out, love the sutures on that one on the right! Do you ever prep them all the way out of the matrix? Or is that just too much effort? "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...
Ptychodus04 Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Very nice! You did a great job taking some mediocre ammonites and making them look great. 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...
Ludwigia Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 Very nice! You did a great job taking some mediocre ammonites and making them look great. Thanks. It did take a bit of imagination. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Where do you buy your magic prepping dust? "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 Where do you buy your magic prepping dust? Aw schucks ...practice, practice, practice Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Hey Ludwigia, always nice to see prepwork in action. You do nice work fella. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 Hey Ludwigia, always nice to see prepwork in action. You do nice work fella. RB That's a nice compliment coming from an old prepper like you! Thanks! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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