Priscacara Preparation

[Fossil-Hound]

@Ptychodus04 is preparing a fossil fish in exchange for some on the side web development (web page). Here's where he is at with the preparation and I must say that I'm very pleased with the results. This is going to turn out to be one amazing fish. Here's a before and after. The before was a fish that was broken in half and in need of some restoration and repair but is mostly there. Kris is really working his magic on this one.

[Fossil-Hound]

After:

 

[caldigger]

Nicely centered on your plate too (extra bonus!).

Great job Kris!!!

[Ludwigia]

Excellent work!

[Miocene_Mason]

That’s a beauty! Awesome specimen and awesome prep!

[snolly50]

@Ptychodus04 Kris, did you have to shoot it in the head with a .45? I think a .380 would have been sufficient to stop it from floppin' around! 

 

Actually, it looks great. @Fossil-Hound I would be happy to display that one. Prisca are stunning specimens to enhance any collection.

 

 

[fossilized6s]

Came out nice, Kris. 

[FossilsAnonymous]

That looks really good. You should pat yourself on the back

[Ptychodus04]

@Fossil-Hound just wait until I get it touched up and all the scribe marks are gone!

 

@snolly50, it was in fact a .44 magnum. These fish may seem harmless but they are the fish version of a more well known rabbit. It’s better to not take chances!

 

In fact, this is what happens all too often when a specimen splits apart in the field. Jason was being modest about his collecting abilities. There were actually several small shards that he also collected at the site that flaked off. He recovered everything but that one small section and wrapped them up so I could piece back together. 

[Sagebrush Steve]

8 hours ago, Fossil-Hound said:

After:

 

 

I’m guessing this came from the Split Fish layer, not the 18” layer, is that correct?  It’s a very nice specimen, especially given that it was originally in pieces. @Ptychodus04, Kris, very nice job!

[Ptychodus04]

@Sagebrush Steve, yes it’s from the split fish layer.

 

@Fossil-Hound, I spent some more time on it, filling in the brain damage and removing scribe marks on the matrix. It’s nearly finished.

[Sagebrush Steve]

4 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

@Sagebrush Steve, yes it’s from the split fish layer.

 

@Fossil-Hound, I spent some more time on it, filling in the brain damage and removing scribe marks on the matrix. It’s nearly finished.

I learned something new.  I didn’t know you could do anything with split fish layer slabs other than split them open and hope for the best.  When I find a good fish on both sides of a split, should I be gluing it back together and prepping it from one side?

[Ptychodus04]

11 hours ago, Sagebrush Steve said:

I learned something new.  I didn’t know you could do anything with split fish layer slabs other than split them open and hope for the best.  When I find a good fish on both sides of a split, should I be gluing it back together and prepping it from one side?

Yes, definitely. I have done several that split onto different halves. Pick one side to be the bottom, slather it with superglue, put the pieces together, and clamp them for 3 days.

 

The clamps are a must for a tight bond. Prep from the other side (the one you didn’t slather with glue).

[ynot]

It is always nice to see the magic You do on fossils.

[Fossil-Hound]

On 7/6/2018 at 3:03 AM, Ptychodus04 said:

@Sagebrush Steve, yes it’s from the split fish layer.

 

@Fossil-Hound, I spent some more time on it, filling in the brain damage and removing scribe marks on the matrix. It’s nearly finished.

Yeah that looks amazing!