MrTrilobiteMan Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Almost all of my fossils have come from Wisconsin. A few from Utah, Florida, Maine and Illinois. I have never purchased any. These are all my personal finds. To me it is so amazing how life from sooo long ago has been preserved in such a way that we will be able to appreciate these finds forever! When I look through the gallery's here and see all the amazing dinosaur heads and other fantastic specimens I feel so jealous and awe-struck of the fantastic finds we all have. These are just a few cool finds. I don't have time to post them all. lol Enjoy! "Keep Looking Down" "Work is experience, experience is knowledge, knowledge is confidence, confidence is a job well done!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 What is the third object in the second row with the dot on one side and circle on the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshamilla Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Yeah dinosaurs are impressive, but usually you can't carry whole specimens home in your pocket or hand them to a friend to look at!. Besides, almost all the specimens you are showing in this post beat those dinosaurs in the age bracket by a mile. Nice collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshamilla Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Reversing Fossil Molds in the Field or at Home (Quick, Temporary Method) To quickly see a fossil in reverse (as a cast) such as your echinoderm base with the lower plates (above) or your trilobite mold (your other post, in the rounded rock) or most any other type of fossil mold, try the following sometime. The following method can be used on fossil molds that are not too deep or intricate, located in harder, consolidated (indurated) rock types such as limestone and dolomite or sometimes in fine sandstone, siltstone or shale (do not use on carbon based fossils or matrices, these may react adversely). I usually have one of those Silly Putty plastic eggs and a small can of clear spray paint with me for the field or for use at home. Inside is the egg is original Silly Putty but with India ink (black) worked into it. Basically, while wearing rubber or latex gloves, I add a drop of the ink at a time while kneading the putty until it is opaque black and very well incorporated (a bit of effort required). At this point, the ink will be worked thoroughly into the putty and will not come off onto your hands and is ready for use. The ink dulls the surface of the putty and also prevents small particles from discoloring it, making it quite easy to see features on the putty’s surface. Many times in a fossil mold (clean and dry), I can take a quick look at the reverse of the specimen by making a temporary peel or cast using the Silly Putty. This is sometimes very useful in quick identification of some specimens. To keep the putty from sticking in smaller pores, spaces, and cracks, I quickly spray the specimen in the area I want to cast with clear spray paint, let it dry, and then press the putty into that area. If you then peel the putty off, most times you can get an excellent cast (though sometimes distorted). This usually exposes details that are missed when viewing the specimen as a mold. When finished examining the cast just re-knead the putty and you’re ready to go again. I’ve had my “black” putty for over 20 years now and it is still pliable. If you decide to retain the specimen, the spray painted surface can later be dissolved with acetone or some other solvent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Silly Putty! What a neat tip "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...
MrTrilobiteMan Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) Thank you for the great comments. That is a very useful tip. I use to carry mold-able art clay but it never really worked very well and eventually hardens to where it's useless. I will have to go stock up on some silly putty. That's an awesome idea. That fossil (I believe it's a fossil of some type) you are asking about is a very strange piece that i get a lot of comments on. I always believed it must have been some kind of squid or tubular type item that has a fine point at one end and then opens the deeper it goes through the rock. I sure wish I could have found more of it as it is so unique. Thanks again for the input. Edited May 27, 2015 by MrTrilobiteMan "Keep Looking Down" "Work is experience, experience is knowledge, knowledge is confidence, confidence is a job well done!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshamilla Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Thank you for the great comments. That is a very useful tip. I use to carry mold-able art clay but it never really worked very well and eventually hardens to where it's useless. I will have to go stock up on some silly putty. That's an awesome idea. That fossil (I believe it's a fossil of some type) you are asking about is a very strange piece that i get a lot of comments on. I always believed it must have been some kind of squid or tubular type item that has a fine point at one end and then opens the deeper it goes through the rock. I sure wish I could have found more of it as it is so unique. Thanks again for the input. I'm confused as to which photo you are referring to when you say "some kind of squid or tubular type item". Is it the photo I've attached below? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanopus Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 It's the mold of crinoid's cup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Nice collection : ) thanks for sharing Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshamilla Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 This would be a good specimen to cast because of the following: Apparently, the mold is in dolostone. If from Wisconsin, there is a likelihood that it could be from the Racine Formation known for molds and cast of various Silurian fauna. A crinoid is a very reasonable assumption, but unless you can show a more accurate determination, there is a possibility that it may be a cystoid such as Holocystites scutellatus or Pustulocystis sp. A cast of this fossil may provide enough information to reveal its true affinities. Casting could disclose the nature of the ornamentation (currently seen as indentations). Note the star-like shapes of some. This might agree (maybe conclusively, once cast) with that of a cystoid type ornamentation. Maybe not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTrilobiteMan Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 This is the fossil that caldigger is asking about. I wish i could have found more of it as it is so unusual. It starts out as a small dot on one side and then a perfect circle on the other side. Who knows? But thank you for the other input on the crinoid's cup. Yes it is from WI actually right from the Racine area and it is in dolostone as most of my finds are from this area. My first thought was that of a Cystoid because of the large formation of the pointed nodules outside the main section. "Keep Looking Down" "Work is experience, experience is knowledge, knowledge is confidence, confidence is a job well done!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coelacanth Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Yep, crinoid calyx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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