Crab replicas

[sdsnl]

Sometimes I find crab molts on the beach. They are beautiful but fragile, so I wanted to try making them into fossil replicas so I can keep and display them.

Molts fall apart very easily when being rinsed to get the salt out. I add the water very slowly and don't let it hit the molt, but just a little movement will break it apart. Next I can play the puzzle game and put the pieces back together, adding sand for stabilization and to make it more realistic as a fossil replica.

First just a claw for testing. I like to imagine there's a complete crab inside...

Then a whole crab missing just one leg. This one is a Charybdis hellerii. They eyes are fake, made with glue.

[sdsnl]

This one is a Grapsus albolineatus. I actually found it with the eye pockets intact, but they got damaged during the rinse, so I made fake eyes again.

Edited May 28, 2016 by sdsnl

[FossilDudeCO]

Those are kind of fun!

Great idea!

[PA Fossil Finder]

Very cool! I wonder if I would be able to do something similar with the shed crayfish exoskeletons I find in the local creeks.

[sdsnl]

Very cool! I wonder if I would be able to do something similar with the shed crayfish exoskeletons I find in the local creeks.

Please post if you do! I love crayfish

[MB]