Mammoth Tusk Prep

[Ptychodus04]

Wow! That one's nasty! I would start by consolidating the tusk in place regardless of what it will do to the ease of preparation later, one can always employ acetone to soften the PVA/Butvar/Paraloid in the matrix for removal. The most important thing is getting it to the lab as intact as possible.

 

I hope you were able to stabilize the exposed bits and reinter the poor guy with a quality grave marker for future excavation.

[DE&i]

Hi @Ptychodus04

 

It's in line with a very old, wise looking Oak tree as a marker. Which has a resident pair of owls living in the tree. The site is prone to frequent flooding, so may not be exposed anymore.

 

At the time I did contemplate excavating it there and then. But if my calculations were correct and judging by the measurements I took. This could potentially be a huge task indeed and probably took many hours to retrieve. So due to the possible time scale I thought this would not be fair on the owls.

 

I'll go back for another look for a photo opportunity though.

[Ptychodus04]

It definitely looks like quite the project. The owls should keep a good watch for anyone coming in the night to harass the tusk!

[Ptychodus04]

I spent an hour on the mammoth tooth this afternoon and was making great progress until... my air compressor seized up and blew the breaker. LRA on the drive motor. 

 

I believe I bought the extended warranty so all should be as it should be tomorrow afternoon when I go pick up a new compressor.

 

I don't want to think about doing this prep by hand!!

[StevenJD]

Prep by hand would be pretty tough on that tooth, I'd imagine! 

[Ptychodus04]

So, I'll not bore you with the list of excuses for why I'm so far behind on my prep work. Ron, your crab stands are next in line... I promise.

 

I wrapped up the prep on the mammoth tooth for @StevenJDennis . We decided to leave some of the gravel and the large shell on for character. The tooth was extremely brittle under the concrete hard conglomerate. In fact, I think you could add concrete to this stuff to soften it up! That meant slow work with the CP9361 and lots of consolidation as bits were exposed. The occlusal surface required a pause for consolidation for every square centimeter exposed! Thankfully, it fared well and after 14 hours, here it is...

 

[StevenJD]

picked it up today.  kris did an awesome job, as usual!

[ynot]

Very nice!! (find and prep.)

 

Tony

[Uncle Siphuncle]

A stately balance of quality, character, workmanship, and specimen integrity.  There is no expediting a job like this.  Well worth the wait for photos.  Please keep posting your projects.  I may post a few of mine near year's end......(mua ha ha!)  

[Ptychodus04]

10 minutes ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

A stately balance of quality, character, workmanship, and specimen integrity.  There is no expediting a job like this.  Well worth the wait for photos.  Please keep posting your projects.  I may post a few of mine near year's end......(mua ha ha!)  

 

Can't wait to see 'em.

[Wulvzwerx]

This is my first time on the forum, Amazing treasure trove of information! Glad I found you.

I've done about a dozen mammoth tusks but none were in the shape you have here, I wouldn't go there, well maybe now that I know a bit more but still, amazing project!

 

Here's a couple I just got in the studio tonite along with a steppe bison skull. The owners had the right idea of wrapping the tusks in clamps. they've been sitting in a basement for 10 years. I will carve tips on them as well. The skull is the reason I found this forum, I want to do this one right, it is a great specimen.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Wulvzwerx

[Uncle Siphuncle]

8 hours ago, Wulvzwerx said:

This is my first time on the forum, Amazing treasure trove of information! Glad I found you.

I've done about a dozen mammoth tusks but none were in the shape you have here, I wouldn't go there, well maybe now that I know a bit more but still, amazing project!

 

Here's a couple I just got in the studio tonite along with a steppe bison skull. The owners had the right idea of wrapping the tusks in clamps. they've been sitting in a basement for 10 years. I will carve tips on them as well. The skull is the reason I found this forum, I want to do this one right, it is a great specimen.

Welcome, W.  Nice specimens you have pictured.  To each his own, but be advised that you might devalue the tusks if you attempt subtractive prep on them.  Personally, I would leave the tips alone, but once the specimens are stabilized, if you can't stand the broken tips, you may be best served to do additive prep rather than subtractive, using epoxy putty like Paleo Sculp, Magic Sculpt, or anything suggested by Kris.  These are wonderful, museum grade specimens as is, and beyond stabilizing them, any attempted restoration of the tips could look unnatural and perhaps detract from overall presentation unless done by an experienced prepper.

 

I know nothing about steppe bison, but the skull is quite interesting in that it appears that the keratin horn sheaths are intact.  I have never heard of these being preserved intact on any of the various Texas bison, but if yours came from permafrost, that would explain the better preservation. 

[Ptychodus04]

Very cool specimens. It is good that the owners had the forethought to wrap the tusks. This probably saved them from the inevitable de-lamination that they look like they were attempting upon drying. I would suggest stabilizing with the clamps in place. Once the tusks are stable, remove them and you can address the surface.

 

I agree with Dan, you will greatly devalue the tusks as paleontological specimens if you carve tips onto them. They are best preserved as they are. I would not attempt any major restoration either. If it were me, I would prepare and stabilize all of them and construct some cool mounts for display.

[Wulvzwerx]

6 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

Welcome, W.  Nice specimens you have pictured.  To each his own, but be advised that you might devalue the tusks if you attempt subtractive prep on them.  Personally, I would leave the tips alone, but once the specimens are stabilized, if you can't stand the broken tips, you may be best served to do additive prep rather than subtractive, using epoxy putty like Paleo Sculp, Magic Sculpt, or anything suggested by Kris.  These are wonderful, museum grade specimens as is, and beyond stabilizing them, any attempted restoration of the tips could look unnatural and perhaps detract from overall presentation unless done by an experienced prepper.

 

I know nothing about steppe bison, but the skull is quite interesting in that it appears that the keratin horn sheaths are intact.  I have never heard of these being preserved intact on any of the various Texas bison, but if yours came from permafrost, that would explain the better preservation. 

For tusks I usually use a cold cure epoxy to fill voids in the center of the tusk then I would use butvar or something similar on the external tusk. the skull is amazing, I have never seen one this well preserved, yes it came out of the permafrost.

So with the tusks, if I do Not carve tips, I estimate at least two feet of tusk is missing, can paleo-sculpt do that kind of volume and look ok when done? here's one I just finished that had the tip re-carved.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Wulvzwerx

[Ptychodus04]

I use Apoxie Sculpt for my restorations. I find it to be easier to use. You can restore 2' of tush with it. The trick is to do it a little bit at a time and to build a frame of some kind to help support the material. I like to use chicken wire.

[JustPlainPetrified]

On ‎2016‎-‎12‎-‎06 at 8:48 AM, Uncle Siphuncle said:

Welcome, W.  Nice specimens you have pictured.  To each his own, but be advised that you might devalue the tusks if you attempt subtractive prep on them.  Personally, I would leave the tips alone, but once the specimens are stabilized, if you can't stand the broken tips, you may be best served to do additive prep rather than subtractive, using epoxy putty like Paleo Sculp, Magic Sculpt, or anything suggested by Kris.  These are wonderful, museum grade specimens as is, and beyond stabilizing them, any attempted restoration of the tips could look unnatural and perhaps detract from overall presentation unless done by an experienced prepper.

 

I know nothing about steppe bison, but the skull is quite interesting in that it appears that the keratin horn sheaths are intact.  I have never heard of these being preserved intact on any of the various Texas bison, but if yours came from permafrost, that would explain the better preservation. 

There was a fellow in Dawson City who showed me the steppe bison skull and horns he pulled out of the permasfrost at his claim. Amazing size. The one horn I have is similar but no skull attached.

[caldigger]

On 12/6/2016 at 4:12 PM, Ptychodus04 said:

I use Apoxie Sculpt for my restorations. I find it to be easier to use. You can restore 2' of tush with it. The trick is to do it a little bit at a time and to build a frame of some kind to help support the material. I like to use chicken wire.

 

Wow, 2' of tush...must be a Kardashian fossil. Lol

[Ptychodus04]

40 minutes ago, caldigger said:

 

Wow, 2' of tush...must be a Kardashian fossil. Lol

 

Autocorrect strikes again... and still funny

[sseth]

I had a tusk like that once.  Took a lot of time ti piece back together.  Fun project though.

[Ludwigia]

Man, are you guys good!!

[Ptychodus04]

That's a beauty @sseth. Well done.

[Bobby Rico]

Some amazing prep work though out this thread.