Dapalis1 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hi everybody, I have been working a lot to prepare a 14 cm Priscacara from Wyoming (see attached picture). The picture shows what i have done so far on the fish. As you can see there is a very thin white layer still covering the fish. Is there a cheap solution to remove this layer and make the fish look better with the scales and bones coming out very nice ? By cheap i mean no air-abrasive equipment, no airscribe... something very affordable. Someone, here in France, told me that i should use white wine vinegar to clean out the fish ..but i wonder if it's going to be very useful. So i am waiting for your tips . Thanks, Dapalis1 Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 ... there is a very thin white layer still covering the fish...Someone, here in France, told me that i should use white wine vinegar to clean out the fish ..but i wonder if it's going to be very useful. Dapalis1, yes, it works. http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapalis1 Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Dapalis1, yes, it works. And how to use it? the guy told me to use a toothbrush and then brush the specimen as if i wash brushing my teeth ...? and then clean it out with a wet sponge...? Is this the right way to do it? Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old dead things Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 We prep a lot of Green River fish. Sometimes we use an Ecobra fiberglass pen. They are made in Germany. Google Ecobra to find the pen, they cost around five Euros. If you can get them, we sure would like to get some more. The website was in German and unfortunately we don't speak the language. Jim Old Dead Things www.olddeadthings.com to see our prep jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 And how to use it? the guy told me to use a toothbrush and then brush the specimen as if i wash brushing my teeth ...? and then clean it out with a wet sponge...?Is this the right way to do it? Jnoun have explain it you already, think, man, think . http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapalis1 Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Jnoun have explain it you already, think, man, think . That's right , i am glad to see that you follow the french forum too ! It turns out white vinegar works on this kind of rock. So the question now is not about vinegar but more about how to apply it to the rock? In the sense that i am asking myself the question: "how long do i need to apply vinegar to the specimen so that it will remove the layer covering the fish without damaging the specimen?" If you speak french i invite you to post some comments onto the french forum: French topic Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 That's right , i am glad to see that you follow the french forum too ! It turns out white vinegar works on this kind of rock. So the question now is not about vinegar but more about how to apply it to the rock?In the sense that i am asking myself the question: "how long do i need to apply vinegar to the specimen so that it will remove the layer covering the fish without damaging the specimen?" If you speak french i invite you to post some comments onto the french forum: French topic prends du temps, voilà http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 That is a fine specimen you have there! Apply the vinegar very lightly with a sponge or brush and be sure to rinse water. The vinegar will dissolve the limestone but could also loosen/etch the bones. I'd use a sponge or cotton swab to spot apply and wipe. A toothbrush risks too much disturbance of the bones and scales. -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 We prep a lot of Green River fish. Sometimes we use an Ecobra fiberglass pen. They are made in Germany. Google Ecobra to find the pen, they cost around five Euros.If you can get them, we sure would like to get some more. The website was in German and unfortunately we don't speak the language. Jim Old Dead Things www.olddeadthings.com to see our prep jobs. I found the ecobra pens Here.... from a UK company, and something similar Here! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Very nice fish! Be sure to neutralize the vinegar afterward with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and rinse, rinse, rinse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapalis1 Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Very nice fish!Be sure to neutralize the vinegar afterward with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and rinse, rinse, rinse. Hi, To practice i tried to clean a small knightia with 8% white vinegar. Yesterday evening (in France!) i poured some vinegar onto the fish without rinsing it . The fish dried throughout the night and when i woke up, i took a look at the fish. It looks quite nice but for now the the thing that i noticed the most is that the fish still looks wet in the sense that after 12 hours the fish looks like i had just poured some water onto it. I guess it's because of the huge quantity of vinegar that i poured without then rinsing it. I know this is not the right to do it and that i should have rinsed the specimen very quickly but that's just to practice. The thing that i am happy with is that despite the huge quantity of vinegar, the scales and bones were not dissolved... old dead things you say you prepare a lots of Green River fishes, so my question is, at this point, which technique do you use the most to finish preparing a fish like mine: abrasive pencil or vinegar? And moreover, how long do you apply vinegar before rinsing it? a few seconds? hours?.. Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old dead things Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Actually we use air tools for most all of the prep. We never use vinegar, too much of a chance of a chance that we will destroy matrix under the bones. We do use the ecobra pens quite a bit. The smaller paleo-tools work the best. It is tedious work, but we feel that it makes the fish look the best. We only use the air (sand) blaster on the 18" layer fish, no air scribes. And visa-versa for the split fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrocklds Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 you can also try using an art gum erasers. they are softer than the fiberglass pens and don't damage the fish if you are careful. here is apicture i prep alot of these as well but i use an abrasive blaster. never tried vinegar. Brock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapalis1 Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 you can also try using an art gum erasers. they are softer than the fiberglass pens and don't damage the fish if you are careful. here is apicturei prep alot of these as well but i use an abrasive blaster. never tried vinegar. Brock Okay it seems that Vinegar could damage the specimen ... What is the cost of an air (sand) blaster ? Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapalis1 Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 I finished preparing the fish. I can't go further because for now i don't have the required tools. Here is a picture showing how the fish came out after i applied vinegar and rinsed. I then used an art gum eraser to make the fish look better Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 That came out well; congratulations! The cost of a blaster set-up is high enough that it only makes sense if you are doing a lot of prepping. As you have shown, good results are achievable with simpler methods; it just takes more time. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepinthemud Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 wow! that turned out nice! I am waiting for the fish to start gasping for air! "To do is to be." -Socrates "People are Stupid." -Wizard's First Rule "Happiness is a warm Jeep." -Auspex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapalis1 Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 Anyway i want to thank you for your comments and remarks. It's really helping me improve my preparation skills. Dapalis1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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