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Should I Glue Broken Megalodon Tooth Fragments? (Puerto Rico)


Kurufossils

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Hello all, I recently received some megalodon teeth from Puerto Rico, the other one is ok but this one was found in fragments and held together by tape. I am wondering what will be a good way to repair the fragments for now, would super glue be ok to use or is there something else I should use? Since its from a rare locality I want to stabilize it as best as I can before I decide or not to fully repair it.

IMG_20170814_220800864.jpg

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ouch! I'm never seen a meg fractured in that manner. Yes, super glue will work just fine; especially if the shards nicely fit together.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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I think super glue would work (unless you are considering consolidating it for some reason afterwards) I use wood glue for my fossils, don't know if it's bad or not but it seems to work.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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3 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

ouch! I'm never seen a meg fractured in that manner. Yes, super glue will work just fine; especially if the shards nicely fit together.

Thanks, yeah I think they fit close enough to warrant super glue, had to make sure its a first for me to fix one up like this.

 

@WhodamanHD I'm not sure I have wood glue, but I should have super I don't plan on moving it anytime soon so it should be ok.

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Yikes the part that's taped is very unstable, it started to crumble upon moving and I think the tip is barley hanging on by it.

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5 minutes ago, Ryann10006 said:

Yikes the part that's taped is very unstable, it started to crumble upon moving and I think the tip is barley hanging on by it.

I'd stop right know, get ahold of some consolidation before you glue. This will make every part stable, then glue once consolidated.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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@WhodamanHD Oh no :( already hastly glued it, luckily nothing else crumbled from the tip, the rest seems ok and hasn't crumbled, luckily only two very small pieces crumbled off but nothing else seems to be crumbling, at least the overall preservation is decent.

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I am sorry you are having a hard time with the piece. I'm confused. I assumed the damage occurred during shipping?????; but then you mention tape. Was it taped together prior to shipping? Insurance, shipper liability. misrepresentation - many questions arise.

 

Good luck with cobbling it together.

 

Questions linger. Was it a purchase? Were you aware it was damaged? If not, was it insured? If purchased, what does the seller say?

 

Edit: I just reread your original post, "found in fragments." So, I now assume you knew it was damaged.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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3 minutes ago, Ryann10006 said:

@WhodamanHD Oh no :( already hastly glued it, luckily nothing else crumbled from the tip, the rest seems ok and hasn't crumbled, luckily only two very small pieces crumbled off but nothing else seems to be crumbling, at least the overall preservation is decent.

Do not despair, for all is not lost! The problem with consolidation after glue is that the solvent used in consolidation (usually acetone) can devolve the glue. You may however make the consolidation mixture (see @Harry Pristis's about me page) and paint it on with a brush ,if it is still crumbly, carefully avoiding the glue. Should make it shinier and allow it to survive forever (or at least a great deal of time).

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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@snolly50 Yeah it appeared taped together previous to shipping so I knew it was definitely damaged in fragments as the seller does say it was pulled out of a mountainside, but only on the tip was taped the rest appeared arranged to appear to be glued together in the picture as it held together and looked that way but now I know it wasn't. I don't mind it to much since they have seemed to glue together decently though I sort of wish I would've knew, and also I received it with another undamaged meg and a hemi, got it at a cheap enough to justify the breaks price from someone in Puerto Rico who found them but seems to be not experience with meg fossils.

@WhodamanHD Thanks alot for the recommendation I'm going to take a look and see if I can make and apply it soon.

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Megs do not routinely require consolidation. (I am not familiar with material from Puerto Rico). I am guessing, that the damage seen is the result of mechanical trauma and is not the result of the properties of the tooth. If that is accurate, no consolidation is indicated. It would simply be a matter of gluing that rascal back together. 

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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Heres the result of the careful glueing, thanks everyone I'll be happy for now before I decide to consolidate it further, the second picture shows the problem area of the tip which seems to be ok for now.

IMG_20170814_234143818_HDR.jpg

IMG_20170814_234158991.jpg

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Despite it's flaws it is a pretty piece, nice acquisition!

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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6 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

Megs do not routinely require consolidation. (I am not familiar with material from Puerto Rico). I am guessing, that the damage seen is the result of mechanical trauma and is not the result of the properties of the tooth. If that is accurate, no consolidation is indicated. It would simply be a matter of gluing that rascal back together. 

@snolly50 That's a relief to hear, it doesn't seem like it has terrible preservation like some other teeth I handled in the recent past them comply crumbled apart or turned to mush, as far as I know the only teeth from Puerto Rico I know of had been found at construction sites so thats definitely the case I think.

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@WhodamanHD Thanks my house is a home to flawed teeth haha I love them just as much, I have a huge chilean meg that went through much worse haha, I'll have to post my exotic teeth collection sometime soon, I'm very surprised by what I have been able to acquire considering my broke college graduate budget so I appreciate them much more. I have even one from Hawaii which is pretty much unheard of and the heart breaker would've been without patho 7incher.

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1 minute ago, Ryann10006 said:

@WhodamanHD Thanks my house is a home to flawed teeth haha I love them just as much, I have a huge chilean meg that went through much worse haha, I'll have to post my exotic teeth collection sometime soon, I'm very surprised by what I have been able to acquire considering my broke college graduate budget so I appreciate them much more. I have even one from Hawaii which is pretty much unheard of and the heart breaker would've been without patho 7incher.

I've never heard of Miocene deposits in Hawaii, that's a big one too! The only megs I have are small or broken as well, but they are cherished as much as possible (I bought one relatively cheap, it's amazing how with some time and patients, cheap fossils can easily be found!) I'm looking forward to seeing your collection!:popcorn:

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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@WhodamanHD Yeah I didn't know there was fossils at all in Hawaii till recently I've learned so much in the 1 n a half I've been head deep into fossils, the tooth is mostly repaired though found as a small fragment lol but has enough blade to give insight on how they are. Yeah I live and breath cheap fossils, cheap rare fossil, and broken expensive ones lol I agree, its also alot of luck/networking cause alot of my special finds where under the radar and I only realized them through talking with the owners who in most cases aren't hardcore collectors at all but come across this stuff in there off time by accident haha. 

 

All is cherished but its funny alot of collectors get to a point where they despise them or think nothing of them, idk if it comes with time or collection size but I'll always appreciate any piece of a prehistoric beast!

 

I'll see if I can start taking pictures sometime this week I'm looking forward to sharing!

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