Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 I decided to take the new microscope for another spin today, practicing a bit with some spare pieces and a sewing needle under magnification as I have buckets filled with partials from previous trips. My intention was to take a break from my work and play for 30 minutes... And that turned into well over an hour. So the first was little practice piece of Pseudodechenella I found back in December. Fiddled with a bit more by pushing the sewing needle around to expose more, clean out the segments a bit. Before and after: 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 But that was not the real surprise. I found a piece of Widder shale on the south side of the river back in the summer. It had been obviously tossed away. I kept it because, although it was shards and impressions, it would have made a nice Greenops piggy pile if it had been intact! As I've come to know that there is a very thin layer where full Greenops tend to congregate in a death assemblage I thought, "why not?" It is a disposable piece, anyway as most people would just pitch it. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 So, out of curiousity, I started picking at it with the needle under the scope. The picture above is the start where beneath the cephalon there are some thoracic segments. And so I picked some more... and - wow! - a full Greenops right underneath! This is where I'm at so far in the process. I don't dare touch this with the scribe as these guys are very flaky and I can't risk too much vibration. As I pick away, once I got past the tougher matrix, the matrix just on top of the bug comes off nice and easy. I may or may not keep the cephalon on it as decoration/association piece, as well as the brach by the left eye. Not sure yet. I also tidied up the broken prone at the top. Still more work to go, but my hand is tired! I never thought I'd land another full in the off-season. Lesson learned: if the plate has a full one on it - even if it is just an impression, into the bucket it goes for at-home exploration! 3 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 Although the last picture doesn't show it too well, there is possibly another one under the top one (there is a bit of genal spine below the back end of it). ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelivingdead531 Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Great work! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Sounds like you found a little treasure there with your second piece. Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 Thanks! And another go at it. This time I was able to free the left cheek, extend the glabella, expose more of the pygidium, as well as expose more of both the top (broken) one and the fragment beneath it. Almost ready for the air eraser. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Excellent surprise! And it's nice when the toy becomes a lot more than that! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 1 minute ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Excellent surprise! And it's nice when the toy becomes a lot more than that! Absolutely! And I have a feeling, judging by the looks of that complete one, that it will turn out just stunning! It is amazing what you can do with a sewing needle and patience. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 That is certainly true! About all I use, actually, pins and needles. Good luck, can't wait to see the next step! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Very nice winter surprise! I love matrix soft enough for a needle prep! Just did this a few weeks ago. Have you ever experimented with shaping your matrix for an artsy-fartsy look? Before After 3 ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 2 minutes ago, fossilized6s said: Very nice winter surprise! I love matrix soft enough for a needle prep! Just did this a few weeks ago. Have you ever experimented with shaping your matrix for an artsy-fartsy look? Before After Very nice! What did you use to smooth the matrix? ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Wow Kane! Good work. I'm sure that will look phenomenal once you've hit it with the air eraser. 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...
ynot Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Nice winter catch. Looks good so far. 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...
Ptychodus04 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Great find @Kane! Nice prep also. A good scope sure makes the difference. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 4 hours ago, Kane said: Very nice! What did you use to smooth the matrix? Just a pin. I use a bigger pin made for upholstery. This matrix was very soft, kind of like White River material. So have you ever shaped matrix? Sometimes it turns a 'B' Grade fossil to a nice shelf art piece. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 That is an awesome find for a piece tossed to the side by someone else. I am not very experienced and fear when I find something like the Trilo's I will mess them up. Great job on the prep and finds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 Thanks, everyone. @fossilized6s - No, that is certainly something I might try. I'm thinking I might be able to get some smoothing/shaping with a flat-head screwdriver and some targeted abrasion. Definitely something to try! @oldtimer - It turned out to be a great find after all! I could tell it was passed over as it was sitting in a conspicuous pile with other rejected pieces (I know I tend to leave piles of stuff for other collectors to find I don't think is high enough quality or stuff I don't collect). As I'm still a novice at prep, I still get a bit nervous - particularly around these trilos! ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 That ones looks like a beauty Kane, and it should be amazing after finish prep with the air abrader is done. Especially nice to have the other pieces associated with it and extra especially nice that it was from a discard pile. 1 There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 4 hours ago, Kane said: @fossilized6sI'm thinking I might be able to get some smoothing/shaping with a flat-head screwdriver and some targeted abrasion. Definitely something to try! @oldtimer - It turned out to be a great find after all! I could tell it was passed over as it was sitting in a conspicuous pile with other rejected pieces (I know I tend to leave piles of stuff for other collectors to find I don't think is high enough quality or stuff I don't collect). As I'm still a novice at prep, I still get a bit nervous - particularly around these trilos! On soft matrix, a vigorous brushing with a hard bristle grout brush does wonders to remove tool marks. Get used to the nerves ; I'm very much not a novice preparator and I'm still nervous at times when working on some specimens. You're doing quite nicely. 3 Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 You should run out and buy a lottery ticket..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 @Ptychodus04 - That, or some sandpaper, was what sent me scouring the laundry room... forgetting that the missus had done one of her epic tidy-the-clutter, which meant not being able to find anything! (And why is it that I seem to have 10 Robertson screwdrivers and no small Phillips?). It will be the final step if I can get a small enough brush. For now, this is about the best I can do with the abrader, plus pin work (I zoomed in at a magnification where my entire field of view would be a single segment!). This one had some problems: * The glabella got crushed during preservation, so it is less rounded and more faceted. * Working around the broken cephalon sitting on top was a challenge, with some hairy moments of matrix coming out beneath it * The left cheek/spine is tucked underneath a bit, so it looks a bit truncated on the left side * Crushed glabella also gives the illusion of a missing piece on the right side (it's there, just descending vertically rather than on a diagonal) * Two spines on the right side of the pygidium have broken tips * The genal spine on the left is not secure enough for me to risk exposing more of it The encrusted partial at 10 O'clock to the main bug is pyritized, which is neat. 2 hours of pin work, 45+ minutes of air abrasion using a Paasche at about 20-25 PSI. If I were to be graded on this, I'd hope to earn a C+. 3 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 @Kane that's still a real beauty. I suffer from the same condition. It's an acute onset of spousalcleanupitis. Symptoms are randomly occurring bouts of inability to find items that you normally know exactly where they were and a spouse who claims they didn't touch anything that belongs to you. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 22 hours ago, fossilized6s said: Very nice winter surprise! I love matrix soft enough for a needle prep! Just did this a few weeks ago. Have you ever experimented with shaping your matrix for an artsy-fartsy look? Charlie, Just had to mention how well this came out! Beautiful work, sir. 1 hour ago, Kane said: For now, this is about the best I can do with the abrader, plus pin work (I zoomed in at a magnification where my entire field of view would be a single segment!). This came out great, Kane. Your prep skills increase, grasshopper!. 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...
Tidgy's Dad Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 That is gorgeous. What a marvelous piece of prepping something out of what seemed like nothing. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Wow Kane, that's coming along really nicely! Do you plan on keeping the cephalon that is on top of the intact trilobite? Personally, I don't find that it contributes to the aesthetics of the piece and I'd remove it, but of course that's just my opinion. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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