Consolidating Arcadia Park Formation Fossils

[Heteromorph]

I recently went hunting for my first time in the Turonian Arcadia Park Formation, an Eagle Ford group shale formation in North Texas. I found some great fossils, but many of them are fragile. I found a Worthoceras sp. specimen in matrix that seems to be on the verge of falling apart, and a very small Metoicoceras sp. specimen in a similar situation. They both have the nacreous shell preserved. Many of the other ammonites that I found tend to flake bits of the white shell while I am handling them. What can I use to consolidate the specimens so that they don’t fall apart and so that the shell doesn’t flake off? Will the consolidants dampen the beautiful iridescence of the shells?

 

Here the two most fragile specimens, the Worthoceras sp. and the small Metoicoceras sp.:

 

FIG 1: Worthoceras sp.

 

FIG 2: Metoicoceras sp. 

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Butvar cut thin with acetone.

[goatinformationist]

Yep, Butvar.

[Ptychodus04]

yep to the original and the yep.

[jpc]

triple yep.  

Drop it onto the specimen.. the whole rock, with an eyedropper,or paint it on.  Avoid dipping the whole rock into the butvar.  

[DPS Ammonite]

@Heteromorph

 

Here is some of my info to help with using Butvar B 76.

 

Make sure rock is dry. Put on thin layers allowing plenty of time to dry between coats. Can use nylon brush to apply, just do not contact paint or finish on brush handle which may dissolve. You might do a practice run with a junk piece of the Arcadia Park shale.

 

Recipe for mixing Butvar B 76:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/54481-first-time-with-butvar-76/&tab=comments#comment-582634

 

Source for Butvar B 76:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/85813-source-for-butvar-paraloid-found-in-us/&tab=comments#comment-924560

 

Bottle for consolidants:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/85818-dispenser-bottle-for-consolidants/&tab=comments#comment-924589