Does Anyone Know Of A Good Restoration Clay?

[fossilized6s]

Im looking to restore a few of my very delicate Mazon Creek fossils and im looking for something that can be sculpted but will harden over time without baking. I'm trying to fill small cracks, tiny voids and sculpt very detailed missing parts.

I'll post some pics a bit later of what pieces im talking about, so you can get some insight of what im trying to do.

Thanks, Charlie

[fossilselachian]

Check out Magic Sculpt.This is commonly used in fossil restoration. Easy to find on the internet and some stores.

[fossilized6s]

Check out Magic Sculpt.This is commonly used in fossil restoration. Easy to find on the internet and some stores.

Thank you. I'll check it out.

Here's one piece i would like to restore. The fern's details are preserved on a very thin layer (about 1mm) coating the mineralized form. It reminds me of an M&M. And being that thin, im wondering if the clay would adhere safely and not flake off when drying.

Edited December 4, 2014 by fossilized6s

[Troodon]

I also would recommend Magic Sculpt. Another similar product by Paleobond is PaleoSculpt.

[Harry Pristis]

Magic Sculpt comes in beige, brown, or black. It is a two-part epoxy putty. It mixes by hand-kneading to a pliable putty that is easy to tool. It hardens without shrinkage over a period of hours. It binds well to clean surfaces. It does not slump. If necessary, it can be trimmed with your rotary grinder after it hardens.

I think I would use the brown putty for your Mazon Creek nodules. I would support the nodule in a sand box (covered with a length of SaranWrap), and apply tiny strings and dabs of putty with dental tools, gently forcing the putty into the cracks and crevices. Scrape away any excess putty, and smooth the putty with a wet fingertip or other tool. Texture the uncured putty with an old tooth brush.

I use rubbing alcohol, followed by soap and water, to remove the putty from my fingers when finished.

[MgTattooer86]

Paleosculpt from Paleobond came highly recommended by another member a while ago. it's something like 20 bucks for a pound, and they have several colors available. I need to order some myself.

Mike

[fossilized6s]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it! Magic sculpt, here i come!

[fossilized6s]

Thanks Harry for the play by play process. Im sure it will help a lot.

[Harry Pristis]

Thanks Harry for the play by play process. Im sure it will help a lot.

You're welcome. Please show us the before and after images of your nodules.

[fossilized6s]

I will. It should be a nice little project.

Im still up in the air about whether i should leave the natural color of the clay/epoxy to show the restoration or to color match paint it.....

[Harry Pristis]

I think museum standards for vertebrates might require some recognizable color difference between a patch and the native material. I don't like a stark difference in my preparations, especially where the repair is not part of a diagnostic feature. The collector standard favors a color match. There may be differences in the standards between vertebrate and invertebrate fossils. I am uncertain as to what those differences are, beyond no repairs are best.

When I recommended brown Magic Sculpt in my earlier post, that was to provide a small color difference in the repair -- a gesture toward the museum standard. But, that's my vertebrate bias. (Besides, it's not easy to get a perfect color match!)

If you asked me now, having thought about it some more, I might recommend the black Magic Sculpt for a better match to the nodule. You can scuff the cured putty with sandpaper to give it a charcoal-gray appearance close to the matrix color.

[jpc]

Harry's description is very good. The one thing I would dis that be sure to clean your hands with a scrub brush. I know people who have developed allergies to epoxy from using too much of this stuff. I also vote for leaving the fix a slightly different color, but as Harry said, that may also be my vertebrate bias.

[Ludwigia]

If you asked me now, having thought about it some more, I might recommend the black Magic Sculpt for a better match to the nodule. You can scuff the cured putty with sandpaper to give it a charcoal-gray appearance close to the matrix color.

You could also mix a bit of white color into it to give it a better match.

Edited December 5, 2014 by Ludwigia

[Stocksdale]

By the way... do you have an ID on that one. Just curious what it is.

[fossilized6s]

By the way... do you have an ID on that one. Just curious what it is.

I believe it to be a Alethopteris sullivanti.

[Stocksdale]

I believe it to be a Alethopteris sullivanti.

Thanks. Very nice. I haven't come across one of those yet.

[sseth]

We would love to see the finished product.

[grampa dino]

I have used two part epoxy putty from the hardware store

It works great for me, it's paintable and cheap

[Ptychodus04]

I have to recommend Magic Sculpt as well. I use it on vert and invert fossils alike with great success. One other note, you can wet your fingers and smooth it just like natural clay. This works VERY well when patching small cracks. I also use it as a backing to support delicate specimens on thin slabs of matrix. It paints easily. I use a close color match. This allows for better casual viewing but still allowing a closer inspection to reveal the restoration.

[fossilized6s]

Thanks guys for all of the helpful input and hints. I'll post some pics when i start it. This color match thing will be very interesting considering im color blind.....ahhhh! I'll use someone else's eyes.

WANTED: Colourblind artist seeking eye donor. I can pay with fossils and gray scale realistic drawings. Lol

[fossilized6s]

Well i just ordered some grey Magic Sculpt. So hopefully I'll start this little project sometime early "next year". I'll keep you guys up to date with photos. Thanks again for all of your help.

[fossilized6s]

Just an update for this thread. I finished it. See here http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/51517-i-finished-my-first-restoration-job-i-need-to-dull-my-painthow/