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Follow Up: Connecticut Fossil Track Help


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 This is a follow-up from another post of mine regarding some dinosaur tracks I purchased a while back.

 

We decided that that the Eubrontes track is 100% real, but some of the other footprints may be questionable or exaggerated. The stain that was used sort of makes it hard to tell. 

 

 I’m not the biggest fan of this dark polish, so I was thinking I might want to remove it and apply a much lighter, more subtle polish to correctly identify which are really dino tracks vs. not. 

 

 The seller told me that it’s a shoe polish that can be removed. My issue is, I’m not sure how to go about it doing it. 

 

 How do I do this without damaging the specimen ?  Will water and a rag potentially damage it? or is there another better way of going about it?

 

 Of course in the end event that it’s not removable it’s not the end of the world because it still a very nice piece, but like I said,  I would prefer a more professional look, as I’m trying to get a little more serious about my collection.

 

Appreciate the help and thanks 

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Water is not going to touch shoe polish. You will have to use a solvent, depending on your polish makeup.

I would test with rubbing alcohol first ( I use 90%, available at Walmart). If that doesn't do it you may have to bump it up to Acetone. 

Test on matrix in an inconspicuous spot first to see how the plate reacts with applied fluids.

I have used both on hard matrix without any damaging effects.

 

 

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What type of stone is it? If it’s just shale a very dilute solvent shouldn’t hurt it much unless it’s got a large amount of a carbonate or something in it. That said, do test it before going all in.

“...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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2 hours ago, caldigger said:

Water is not going to touch shoe polish. You will have to use a solvent, depending on your polish makeup.

I would test with rubbing alcohol first ( I use 90%, available at Walmart). If that doesn't do it you may have to bump it up to Acetone. 

Test on matrix in an inconspicuous spot first to see how the plate reacts with applied fluids.

I have used both on hard matrix without any damaging effects.

Thank you, and for reapplying a light, easily removable stain, what do you reccomend? Like a type of specific polish I mean. 

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2 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

What type of stone is it? If it’s just shale a very dilute solvent shouldn’t hurt it much unless it’s got a large amount of a carbonate or something in it. That said, do test it before going all in.

Yup it’s shale

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To remove the paint, I advise using a dry cloth with soap powder, and rub the dry cloth with soap powder very carefully. I always use this technique and the results are usually wonderful. Yes, absolutely all of these footprints on the rock are 100% authentic and it is not that uncommon so discover footprints of larger individuals with smaller individuals together. And this makes me think that many species of dinosaurs lived in groups.

 

As a comparison, I show here some lages, which is deposited in my private collection, where we can see individuals of the same species, but of different ages living together.

 

Inferior Jurassic, 140 million years!

 

image.png.b50a1ff0bfe79c16e64d4497b267ebb9.png

 

image.png.34b43c8cf80a5726e56f8418c60baca9.png

 

image.png.387e074844f09a9d8fdecdb1a8fdcc31.png

Is It real, or it's not real, that's the question!

03.PNG

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31 minutes ago, Masp said:

@WhodamanHD what type of light , easily removable polish/stain do you reccomend for reapplying to give it a more natural look?

Take this with a grain of salt as I’ve never done it before, and frankly I prefer just leaving it in a natural state, but you could use a clear nail polish. This would catch the light if moved so the depressions would be easier to see but the print wouldn’t look super unnatural. Would also probably slightly darken it. If need be, you could remove it with a very dilute solution of acetone (though I think there is other ways of doing it). Perhaps others may have a better idea.

“...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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I too prefer to leave fossils au natural unless they need repair or consolidation. Coating fossils sometimes makes me question how much restoration work has been done on the fossils. How many uncoated Moroccan fossils have you seen?

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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For reapplying something is there anything a little more on the simple side that’s removable with water , and doesn’t require anything like acetone or alcohol to remove It?

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2 hours ago, Masp said:

For reapplying something is there anything a little more on the simple side that’s removable with water , and doesn’t require anything like acetone or alcohol to remove It?

I think Elmer’s makes a clear water-soluble glue.

“...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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1 minute ago, WhodamanHD said:

I think Elmer’s makes a clear water-soluble glue.

Yes but what Ive seen pointed out by others is that it can be very difficult to remove.  Not sure if that just on bone or other materials 

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10 hours ago, Troodon said:

I like a little highlight so that everyone can easily see them.  This guy uses wood stain

 

http://www.treasuremountainmining.com/index.php?route=pavblog/blog&id=134

I think that sounds good..yeah exactly, a light highlight would be perfect. The dark, dark paint is just, too big of a contrast, and not so great aesthetically in my opinion. Takes away from it, you know what I mean? 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Question for the Connecticut experts out there...These tracks were found near Coginchaug River, in Durham...does anyone know what formation that is? (This is for ID purposes). Thanks.

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