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Graysonites ammonite prep


KimTexan

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I’ve been on TFF for a few months. I’ve been collecting fossils for over 25 years, but I’ve never prepped any of them much at all. 

 

Anyway, I have an ammonite I found in Hurst, TX that I am prepping. It isn’t in the pretties condition. It is pretty worn down and covered in oysters, but I think it is still a lovely specimen.

I’m working on removing the oysters and any matrix. I am also trying to smooth out the surface putting and roughness from brakes.

 

I think it would look very nice to prep down to the sutures in the center of the whirl, but I am not sure how thick that layer is and how far to go into the layer for the best look. Any thoughts on it?

 

Another question I have is about the break. As you can see there is a break. I have glued it back together, but I’d like to minimize the appearance of the break. So I plan to smooth down the the area of the seam and then fill it with the grindings from the fossil prep. I have saved a bunch of those, but I have no idea what I’d mix them with to make a compound to fill the cracks and minimize the appearance of the break.

Can anyone give me tips on how I’d do that and what compound/substrate I’d use to mix the grindings with?

 

Here is how it looked from when I found it.

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Here is how it currently looks. I still have a long way to go on it.4C8F5AD1-4B49-49CE-A73B-0E6D609AAD25.thumb.jpeg.c8d56b2bc5f3d32939899b3fb81916dc.jpeg

 

This is a close up of the center of the whirl. You can see sutures just showing through. There is still oyster present. I’m working on removing those and the layer above the sutures still.651B22AA-EDC9-47A2-B1B3-A48A55740ED4.thumb.jpeg.aa7357a780abdd84a0bd3f9953d09ace.jpeg

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I use 2 part epoxy with dust from prepping to attach and fill gaps. When dry it should be about the same color as the fossil. Save some dust to sprinkle on the epoxy as it dries to really blend it in.

Cephalopods rule!!

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Clear laquer is also a good product for mixing with the dust. Use just enough to make a rough paste which can be used as a filler. It dries and hardens well within an hour or so, depending on the size of the cracks. This method works best, however, if you plan on putting a beeswax or similar finish on the ammonite when you're done. Otherwise it may stand out, particularly if the fossil is lightly colored like yours. If worse comes to worst, you can fine tune the color with a bit of water paint.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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Thank you. I messaged another guy I know through the local FB fossil group and he told me not to bother with the prep. I can find better at a lake not too far away.

This is my first of this genus so its special. It’s a bit beat up though. Also it’s my first ammonite, besides my Mariella that I found at the same time. I’m still working on it too. Someone needs to invent “oyster off”. A substance that easily removes oysters. LOL they are the bane of me and many of my fossils.

 

@fossisle and @Ludwigia thank you for your suggestions. I appreciate your comments and suggestions.

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Yes, that is the plan. I keep getting distracted by other fossils though. I’ll work hours on one, sometimes a few hours a day for several days and then I get tired of that one and will have to go back and work on it later.

I have a whole 7 inch nautilus fossil I found at the same place that I want to break out of matrix, but I’m afraid I’ll damage it, because I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s the largest I have found.

I’ll get around to it eventually.

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This is just my opinion, but if I were you I would leave the oysters on. They add geological and paleontological context to the peice. Here are some of examples of what I mean. 

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I would carry on with the prep regardless of the advice to stand down. You don’t want to learn to prep on good specimens. You want to learn on lesser ones where your mistakes (they will be legion in the beginning) are not detrimental to a great specimen. 

 

I would also leave the oysters in place. Not for any reason other than the fact that you’ll never get them off without some serious work with an air scribe. Those things don’t want to come off (personal experience here). You can dissolve the limestone from the shells with very dilute muriatic acid but take care to only get it on the shells as it will eat up the ammonite also. Add 2 parts water to 1 part muriatic acid. This should give you a concentration of 12.5% hydrochloric acid. Brush on in small bits, let it fizz. The rinse off. Repeat until oysters are clean. Don’t let it sit too long or you will etch the shells. And, be careful. Acid will mess you up!

 

As for the filling, all good suggestions here. I would only add the idea of not grinding down the ammonite at the break. That just makes more to fill in.

 

When prepping ammonites, be careful if the inner whorls. They can get very thin and it is very easy to punch through. For these very evolute north Texas ammonites, I never prep both sides.

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That looks the one I left there. I didn't have the tools to remove it that day so I just took a pic.  Lol

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