What kind of clay is best?

[Bone guy]

So I've been trying to get creative with fossil displays, and I've seen people use a kind of clay to display their fossils and ID cards. What kind of clay should I look for???

[caldigger]

Brandon, I think if you look at craft stores you will find a few varieties. Something like Tacky putty or quake putty , used to hold items in place during mild earthquakes. 

[Bobby Rico]

There was a thread last year about museum putty on TFF, I think . I only thought the putty was a short term solution for holding fossil in place .

[Bone guy]

Thanks for the help Doren.  

[Bone guy]

@Bobby Rico I'm more or less looking for something to hold ID cards....I'll probably go look for a non-oil putty.

[thelivingdead531]

1 minute ago, Bone guy said:

@Bobby Rico I'm more or less looking for something to hold ID cards....I'll probably go look for a non-oil putty.

Just in case you didn’t know, most putties (I’m not sure if this is the correct plural spelling of putty) that you buy from craft stores will eventually stain anything with oil, some sooner rather than later, even if they say oil free/non-staining. I’ve worked arts and crafts retail for almost 8 years, I know the truth behind some products.  However, I haven’t had any experience in mineral putty, which could be different. Maybe someone else could chime in on that part.

[DPS Ammonite]

Stick with what the pros use: Mineral Tack. I use it too.

 

http://www.minresco.com/boxes/mineral_tack.htm

[Bone guy]

@thelivingdead531 glad we have an insider from the world of craft stores.  @DPS Ammonite I will look in to that, thank you.

[SailingAlongToo]

49 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Stick with what the pros use: Mineral Tack. I use it too.

 

Any good sources for PVA beads?

 

All my sources have stopped selling or stopped selling in smaller quantities. I can find it in 100 kilo bags or bigger lots.

[DPS Ammonite]

Check out: http://museumservicescorporation.mybigcommerce.com/search.php?search_query=pva

 

They claim to sell in 1kg quantity. Check under product description.

 

If you stiff cannot get the quantity and price that you want consider contacting your local paleontology society to see if they want to make a bulk order and split it up with several people.

[SailingAlongToo]

46 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Check out: http://museumservicescorporation.mybigcommerce.com/search.php?search_query=pva

 

They claim to sell in 1kg quantity. Check under product description.

 

If you stiff cannot get the quantity and price that you want consider contacting your local paleontology society to see if they want to make a bulk order and split it up with several people.

 

Thanks. Looks promising.

[goatinformationist]

Or you could buy a cheap tile saw,  cut a card groove in a very nice chunk of heavy and well mineralized dugong rib to hold your card.

I do good work with the saw.  My daughter in Texas tells me that all the big oil offices make their card holders out of drill cores.

She now has the only fossilized dugong rib card holder in the State.  Get a lot of comments on it.

[caldigger]

Well why didn't you say you wanted it for ID cards.

Here us what I use. It is a wood moulding called bead rail found at most home building supply stores. Something like $2.20 for an 8' strip.  I cut it into small sections, attach double sided tape against a card stock label and shabam, a perfectly angled and nicely weighted ID  card.

[caldigger]

Cont.

 

[Bone guy]

Thanks Doren you gave me an excellent idea!