Bguild Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Hi Everyone, This season I'm planning to do at least one fossil hunting trip outside of my usual stomping grounds in the Massachusetts area. I looked at a couple of trip options and have decided on taking a couple days off of work to drive up to Penn Dixie in upstate NY. It's roughly an 8 hour drive from Massachusetts to Hamburg, NY. Friday/Monday would be my travel days (with some stops along the way), leaving me Saturday and Sunday to actually do some digging at Penn Dixie. Many of the forums members here seem to frequent Penn Dixie and for good reason! I have yet to visit the quarry, but it looks like a great spot to dig for Devonian fossils and certainly seems popular. I'm primarily interested in digging for trilobites and with a little luck will hopefully find some Phacops and Greenops trilobites of my own. I was hoping to see if you guys had any tips so that I can make the most of my two days up there. Where do the trilobites like to hide?! Right now I'm targeting the end of June for the trip (Tentatively the weekend of June 24/25). My summer is pretty jam packed so if this date doesn't work I might be looking at taking the trip up in late August/early September. If any TFF members will be at Penn Dixie on June 24/25 I'd love to say hi and split some shale with you . Additionally, if anyone has any suggested tools that aren't on my packing list or papers worth reading any/all suggestions are welcome! Resources. https://penndixie.org/our-geology/ https://penndixie.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/penn-dixie-field-trip-from-71st-nysga-1999.pdf Packing List: 3 lbs hand sledge Chisel end rock hammer Assorted cold chisels Pry bar Eyewear Work gloves Thanks as always! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Perhaps I'll pop down if you are going early September. You asked for some tips, and I'd be happy to oblige (as will others). If trilobites are your thing, the Eldredgeops rana and Greenops barberi are by far the most abundant (with the former being more plentiful than the latter). The kind staff will direct you to the "trilobite pit", which is the largely excavated area northwest on the site. It can also be recognized by that area having the most people. Your tools sound good for the job, but my personal preference is to add a 5 lb wedge to the mix, and use a 4lb hand sledge to drive it in. The trilobites are mostly in a particular layer that sits above a very hard layer, which is just below the water table. You can use the wedge/sledge combo to pop up slabs, and then use the pry bar to lever them out. Some people prefer a 5-6' pry bar for leverage, but my preference has been to use a 3' one, jam the crook under the slab, sit in front of it with my boot securing it in place, and using two hands to pull the bar toward me as I lean back. Most of the trilobites will occur in the bottom few inches of the slab, with a 4-8" blank interval, and some trilobites above that. Once the slab is freed, set it on its side. Some people prefer to use the chisels, but I prefer the sledge to knock against the side to bring out any natural cracks. At that point you can apply the chisel and slice away like a big, grey, rocky piece of salami. Your chisel-ended hammer will be good for chipping through the spoil piles. A small shovel may also be needed to remove the ever-present overburden. I would also add some super glue to your kit. Sometimes, despite all best efforts, a gorgeous trilo will get sheared. Apply some glue in the field, let dry, wrap it up, and you can soak it in acetone later to remove the glue and use a more permanent bonding agent. Just another few things to add: it can get hot and dry in that pit! Bring plenty of water and potentially take a few breaks in the gazebos for shade, or use a wide-brimmed hat. I've seen some people bring portable canopies so that they can work in constant shade. Hope this helps, and have fun out there in June! ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Thanks @Kane for the tips . Whether the trip happens in late June or early September depends on what days I can get off from work. Perhaps both dates are in the cards. Good old Gorilla Glue, a wedge and a shovel will be added to the packing list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Don forget a trolly...cart..wagon..or whatever you feel like calling it. Let us know a few weeks in advance before you go if possible. ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 As far as resources, The Geology and Paleontology of 18 Mile Creek, Amadeus William Grabau. This is pretty much the bible for that region. penn-dixie-field-trip-from-71st-nysga-1999.pdf Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Raggedy Man said: Don forget a trolly...cart..wagon..or whatever you feel like calling it. Let us know a few weeks in advance before you go if possible. Will do. I should have a more solid plan in the next couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 2 hours ago, Bguild said: Good old Gorilla Glue, From others here I have heard that "gorilla glue" is not a good choice. It expands after application and can cause further cracking / damage. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Also, DevonianDigger is a good resource. Handy map of the area. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 6 minutes ago, ynot said: From others here I have heard that "gorilla glue" is not a good choice. It expands after application and can cause further cracking / damage. Ah good to know. I haven't yet used Gorilla Glue to repair a fossil directly, just to coat areas of matrix. I've found it to be useful to coat areas on the backside of shale plates when there's a crack that hasn't gone all the way through. I could see how you could get into a... sticky... situation trying to bond a bone together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 @Bguild on the map @Fossildude19 pointed out look at the top left red star and that was were I recovered about forty complete Eldredgeops rana over a period of four days (10 hours a day) and a single Bellacartwrightia whitelyi. I heard that this spot was recently buried with shale to excavate another spot so getting there may be difficult. So Bellacartwrightia are very rare. Greenops are also rare but slightly more common and you would be very fortunate to find a complete Greenops. Eldredgeops rana are more common but finding a decent one still takes work. I found one decent E. rana per hour. You'll find a bunch of cephalons and body parts but complete trilobites are more rare. Be prepared to work very hard. For a chisel, pack a chisel that is very wide at the end as this will amplify the energy as you hit the chisel with the hammer and allow it to evenly spread throughout the matrix without damaging the fossil. Make sure your chisels all have hand guards so you don't hurt your hands. Your three pound crack hammer will help a lot. I kept borrowing @Kane sledge hammer and large wedges. The large wedges came in handy. Then there is the art of prying out the benches and this takes a combination of work and skill. Some benches have a cornerstone that locks them into place. During the last few days there I was able to get the hang of locating these rock knots and removing them and was able to rip out some very large slabs to split. Generally you'll want to rip out a lot of slabs, take a break, then carefully split edge slab. I call the big slabs books and as you split them you get smaller pages. Be very careful as you work as I've seen some really good stuff lying around that was missed first time. Also be mindful of where you split. @DevonianDigger and I were working on a slab together and we crunched a very decent Greenops because we weren't taking our time. Look at the diagram @Fossildude19 sent out. The smoke creek bed is rich in trilobites. That is your target. May the force be with you. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted June 9, 2017 Author Share Posted June 9, 2017 15 hours ago, Fossil-Hound said: @Bguild on the map @Fossildude19 pointed out look at the top left red star and that was were I recovered about forty complete Eldredgeops rana over a period of four days (10 hours a day) and a single Bellacartwrightia whitelyi. I heard that this spot was recently buried with shale to excavate another spot so getting there may be difficult. So Bellacartwrightia are very rare. Greenops are also rare but slightly more common and you would be very fortunate to find a complete Greenops. Eldredgeops rana are more common but finding a decent one still takes work. I found one decent E. rana per hour. You'll find a bunch of cephalons and body parts but complete trilobites are more rare. Be prepared to work very hard. For a chisel, pack a chisel that is very wide at the end as this will amplify the energy as you hit the chisel with the hammer and allow it to evenly spread throughout the matrix without damaging the fossil. Make sure your chisels all have hand guards so you don't hurt your hands. Your three pound crack hammer will help a lot. I kept borrowing @Kane sledge hammer and large wedges. The large wedges came in handy. Then there is the art of prying out the benches and this takes a combination of work and skill. Some benches have a cornerstone that locks them into place. During the last few days there I was able to get the hang of locating these rock knots and removing them and was able to rip out some very large slabs to split. Generally you'll want to rip out a lot of slabs, take a break, then carefully split edge slab. I call the big slabs books and as you split them you get smaller pages. Be very careful as you work as I've seen some really good stuff lying around that was missed first time. Also be mindful of where you split. @DevonianDigger and I were working on a slab together and we crunched a very decent Greenops because we weren't taking our time. Look at the diagram @Fossildude19 sent out. The smoke creek bed is rich in trilobites. That is your target. May the force be with you. Awesome tips! Hopefully I can find a few decent trilobites. My widest chisel at the moment is 2 3/4" wide. Should that do the trick, or would you suggest going even bigger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickNC Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 When I visited I thought I was well prepared as far as tools go. I wished I'd had a very large pry bar and a much larger sledge hammer. I brought a rock hammer, chisel, crowbar, rock pick, and some miscellaneous tools which were sufficient but it would have made things easier to have brought a large pry bar, what I call a tanker bar. I found some good stuff in the spoil piles too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNGray Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Don't forget to surface collect on the eroding spoil piles. I found several complete small rollers there. It sure beats schlepping and whacking... See my site report at nautiloid.net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bguild Posted June 12, 2017 Author Share Posted June 12, 2017 Thanks for the continued tips everyone! Right now my plan has changed. I'm going to be taking this trip in late August/September. It'll give me more time to plan so I can hit a few other sites in the Hamilton area. I'll let everyone know once I have some dates nailed down to see if I can catch any fellow TFF members who might be in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 On 6/9/2017 at 5:52 AM, Bguild said: Awesome tips! Hopefully I can find a few decent trilobites. My widest chisel at the moment is 2 3/4" wide. Should that do the trick, or would you suggest going even bigger? Should be fine but the wider the better. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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