More from the new workshop - Eldredgeops multi w/coral

[DevonianDigger]

So, in my previous post, "Day One In The New Workshop", I had posted a pic of a plate that I had hoped would be an Eldredgeops rana mass mortality plate.

 

 

I decided to do some work on it to see if there were any more than the two hiding in the matrix. Apparently the rest of the trilobites opted for the blue pill.

 

Turns out there was just the two, one enrolled, one prone, and neither 100% complete. There was also a nice little piece of what would appear to be Streptelasma ungula coral.

 

I have been asked several times to "blog" about my prep work as I go. In an attempt to abide, I am going to try and share as I go with this piece and others!

 

So, after some initial prep, it looked a little better.

 

 

Once I determined that these little fellas were not with friends, I used my Dremel engraver to rough out and shape the surrounding matrix. I did, at one point, accidentally pop the lentil-sized roller off of the matrix. Thankfully, I had the foresight to hold down the actual fossils with my thumb as I was working around them, thus denying him the opportunity to experience flight. In the above picture you can see that I started to smooth out the rough cuts surrounding them. I did this with my secret weapon, the tattoo machine with a 7RL needle. 

 

 

As you can see in the final picture from the day (above), I started to prep out the coral and continued to contour around the "bases" of the two bugs. You can also see that the roller has a squished head, and that there is a small piece missing from the right eye of the prone. (As I mentioned earlier, neither of the two were in perfect shape to begin with.) 

 

In my next post for this one, I will show the surrounding matrix contoured out and hopefully more detail on the buglets. This is proving to be a tricky prep as they are tiny! (See below)

 

 

Next time, I will try to get more "step-by-step" pictures to walk through the entire process!

[Ramon]

Wow!!! That's a great specimen.

[FossilDudeCO]

still a nice find Jay, thanks for sharing the process!

[RJB]

is that a tip of a pen in the photo?  

 

RB

[DevonianDigger]

On 1/7/2017 at 11:03 AM, RJB said:

is that a tip of a pen in the photo?  

 

RB

 

Sure is! The prone is just a hair under 1cm long. This has been a really fun prep so far!

[ArrestedBeauty]

I cannot believe you use a tattoo gun! That is truly wonderful news! I was just about to put that question out to the "Fossils Prep Gods" in hopes for a familiar tool in my arsenal  (though I'm usually on the business end). I'm learning a lot...as always.

 

"The day that I stop learning...is the day I die..." 

- Me

I very much abide by this...there is too much knowledge to be garnered in this vast universe for even the smartest among us all to come anywhere close to having the knowledge of the ages.

 

I feel your pain...I decided to choose this as my first prep. Looking to be a smorgasbord of...an elephant rhino cross! Ithe is about 2 1/2" tall. The black is my gloveday fingers.