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Tortoise shell repair


IonRocks

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Well I finally started repairing the shell I got in Denver. Starting with the bigger parts, with obvious placement and working out.

Currently holding a part as the glue dries 

 

Im using a 5 minute epoxy on these two sections, mainly due to difficulty holding long enough for a 30 minute or two hour one. The shell is not as yellow as in this picture.

 

warning, this will be a long documentation of my work as I go along

image.jpg

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After borrowing a similar shell to study, as well as looking at lots more online, I've found that my saving grace is the "skeleton" of the tortoise, which is part of the shell. For example, the pseudo ribcage helps a lot. (I am although not informed on the proper terminology of the parts of these shells :)

 

Along this side you can maybe see what I am talking about.

image.jpg

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8 minutes ago, IonRocks said:

Im using a 5 minute epoxy on these two sections, mainly due to difficulty holding long enough for a 30 minute or two hour one. The shell is not as yellow as in this picture.

 

 

Hopefully, you're OK with your glue joints failing in around 20 years. 5 minute epoxy just doesn't hold up over time. You're better off balancing the bottom piece in a sand tray and using slow epoxy while the top piece is held by gravity. I've also used large rubber bands to hold the pieces together when using a slow set adhesive.

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Well I guess time will tell. 

I had heard about the downsides of the 5 minute epoxy, that's why I chose to use if for only these two spots. The plan is that these two chunks will be joined to other currently not in place shell sections, by a much slower epoxy.

 

Could you tell me a bit more about the sand tray? I'm having difficulty visualizing 

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Not complete sadly, I've got lots of it, but I am missing some along the top at the back, and at the very front

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One of the tricks for holding fossils while the glue dries is to use elastic bands and use sand as a bed as that can be shaped.

The fossil can either be inserted into the sand or supported under to hold in place.

 

Mike D'Arcy

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Looks like a very fun and exciting project to me.  Best of luck.  Im sure you will do a good job.  Waiting to see the finished project. 

 

RB

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Update of how it's looking after working all day. 

 

If anyone might provide me insight as to where the two parts of shown might go, that'd be helpful. A line runs on the other side of the rib. So it's a spot where the rib lines up with the edges of two scutes. 

 

These two are odd with the large boney chunks at the end

 

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Some interesting semi-symmetrical damage at the back.

These two parts (on the right hand side of the shell, nearest to the bottom, possibly right peripherals 9 and 10) where hard to place due to the condition of the rest of the back but I am happy with how I chose to put them.

image.jpg

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The larger of the two mystery bones looks like a section of plastron to me. It would go somewhere on the bottom.

 

For the sand tray, imagine a small sandbox where the specimen is jammed into the sand in order to provide support.

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Well they are corresponding parts. I think I have all the plastron that still exists attached, missing the left front section of the split front on the plastron. I think those two are parts of the front of the tortoise, likely left and right pleural 1, possible 2

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Here is the shell and in the next post the remaining parts (and a large assembled part that will eventually be attached to the front) 

i never mentioned I don't think, the shell is about 11 inches long

IMG_5628.JPG

IMG_5631.JPG

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Remaining parts (front and back) 

 also the larger assembled chunk to be attached.

 

I may end up modifying the current curve at the front before hand to make it fit better

IMG_5625.JPG

IMG_5627.JPG

IMG_5626.JPG

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I would like to say that so far this has been my most enjoyed prep (only out of a few dozen) possible it is due to the difficulty it is mess up

But I simply enjoy the satisfaction of finding a new connection of parts that before seemed ridiculous (like most of the front of this tortoise) 

I also appreciate that it doesn't produce copious amounts of dust. 

 

Hopefully I can find (and afford) more things like this to prep in the future. 

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