Guest N.AL.hunter Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Well I have not been able to get out as much as I had liked, so last Sunday (8th Feb) my wife and I head down to Limestone Creek in Hale County, Alabama to try and find a few more Ptychodus teeth. We have been to this spot numerous times and always have some success, but this time the creek was completely flooded. So I decide to head over into Mississippi to do a little digging at an old spot to see if anything can be found by going at the spot from a different angle. The answer is no. That was 600+ miles in one day with very little to show for it! So this weekend we head on down to Florida to see my brother in Tallahassee. After a quick visit, I decide to head on over to Ten Mile creek to see if I can access the Chipola formation for some more shells. Well my old spot is now gated with "No Trespassing", but we did manage to access a tight little spot where some of the bank had fallen in and provided me with a small area to stand on the swollen creek's edge (It rained on us all the way down to Florida, and all day long Saturday and into Sunday). I've included some pictures from that spot. All we had time for was blocking some of the matrix. I'll pick/clean through it this week at home. More pictures to follow. So After Ten Mile Creek, we head over to Andalusia for Point-A Dam. More rain. More rain that night. River is flooded, so no collecting there either. The fossil gods must need me to sacrifice something to them. For anyone interested in mollusca, the Chipola Formation is loaded with pristine specimens and many microfossils (well smaller than 1 cm). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 One more of some of the blocks of matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Well, what you did get is certainly fossiliferous, and I know how much you like those fragile little shells (as do I, but I prefer to enjoy looking at the fruits of your labors), so congrats for that at least. "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...
Guest bmorefossil Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 yea del with the tin foil at Ten mile creek, at least you came out with something, rain for you was a very evil fossil hunter for me, check out the trip report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Delos hunts hard; "empty-handed" is not an acceptable 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...
CreekCrawler Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Very cool ....I like the shots where you can see the creek! Can anyone say Sasquatch!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 thanks for the pictures. sometimes it seems i like looking at matrix more than i like looking at fossils. i googled the chipola formation - it sounds interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Well since yall are already tired of the rain why dont you send some to NE Texas we need some desperately. Anyway, I like your finds and I hope you have better luck next time. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Here is a picture of two hours work on the Chipola matrix. While all the shark teeth lovers wouldn't like the Chipola Formation, Mollusca lovers would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Those are sweet! You did a good job of cleaning them up. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Nice matrix pieces. How do you keep it from cracking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I have not applied the hardner yet, but I use Future liquid floor wax. It hardens the sand matrix and keeps the block together. I also give a very thin coat of Future on the fossils themselves. I have some specimens that are around 21 years old now with Future on them and they are doing great. I apply the Future with an eye dropper onto the matrix latting it sink in, then apply some more latter before the first application dries. I do this usually three times. For the actual specimens, I lightly brush on the Future with a fine hair artist brush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Looking good there Del . It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I have not applied the hardner yet, but I use Future liquid floor wax. It hardens the sand matrix and keeps the block together. I also give a very thin coat of Future on the fossils themselves. I have some specimens that are around 21 years old now with Future on them and they are doing great. I apply the Future with an eye dropper onto the matrix latting it sink in, then apply some more latter before the first application dries. I do this usually three times. For the actual specimens, I lightly brush on the Future with a fine hair artist brush. I'm assuming the sandy clay is moist when you dig them out. Doesn't the matrix want to shrink and crack? Or does the floor wax go on before it starts to dry? I had some matrix pieces from calvert cliffs that cracked as they dried. I was told to put them in the fridge in a plastic bag and try to dry them out slowly. Just wondering how to have nice pieces like those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I'm assuming the sandy clay is moist when you dig them out. Doesn't the matrix want to shrink and crack? Or does the floor wax go on before it starts to dry? I had some matrix pieces from calvert cliffs that cracked as they dried. I was told to put them in the fridge in a plastic bag and try to dry them out slowly. Just wondering how to have nice pieces like those. I also used Future on my Calvert Cliffs shells in Matrix. I try not to let it dry out completely before adding the Future. I did experience one problem with two Calvert specimens.. the Future turned milky looking on the specimens right when I placed it on them, but I noticed this and was able to gently rub the surfaces with my fingers which took away the milky color but left a protective coat on the specimen. I have never tried the fridge thing. Just keeping them in a baggie should do it. I have prepped very old, dried out specimens with no problems too. Just have to start with one coat of Future first to hold things together a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dsurcouf Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 How do you access limestone creek in hale county, I am currently on vacation in Tuscaloosa and I would love to visit this site while I am here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 (edited) You might try to make a separate post for this since it was started so long ago and the original poster may not be a member anymore. For the administrators: when I click on member and the OP, Guest N.AL.hunter, nothing comes up. When I search for posts by Guest N.AL.hunter, nothing comes up. Is this a glitch? Has he been dropped as a member and/or is no longer searchable? Never seen this happen before. PS. Same thing happened for member, Guest bmorefossil. Guest bmorefossil Guest bmorefossil Guest N.AL.hunter Guest N.AL.hunter Edited May 29, 2022 by DPS Ammonite My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 1 hour ago, DPS Ammonite said: For the administrators: when I click on member and the OP, Guest N.AL.hunter, nothing comes up. When I search for posts by Guest N.AL.hunter, nothing comes up. Is this a glitch? Has he been dropped as a member and/or is no longer searchable? Never seen this happen before. PS. Same thing happened for member, Guest bmorefossil. Both are no longer members and not accessible. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 56 minutes ago, JohnJ said: Both are no longer members and not accessible. Thanks. If you really need to find a post by one of these former members, their posts are still on the Forum. You still can find them using a search engine such as Google. I was just trying to find out when one of them last posted to gage the chances of a reply to a recently posted question. That inquiry is now moot. My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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