gigantoraptor Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Hello all, I think this question has been asked a lot here but It is still not 100% clear for me how to stabilise, glue and prep fossils. I've found some beautifel ammonites, a reptile tooth, trilobites... But every time I try to prep one it turns into a disaster after a couple of minutes. I have an air scribe and a lot of hand tools , but I am afraid of using them again since all of my tries turned out in the destruction of the fossil. Could someone give me hints on this? Greetings Thijs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Every fossil is different and a technique that works well for trilobites might well be useless for ammonites or teeth. Without seeing a specific fossil you are looking at prepping it is difficult to provide any advice. As I starting point do a search here for words such as "prepping" "scribe" "abrasion" "blast media" "consolidant". There are many very good posts on these subjects. If you do not understand things then ask specific questions. A lot of us on the forum can provide advice but most of the secret to good preparation is go slow, have patience, don't rush, use sharp tools always work away from the fossil and at an angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 1 minute ago, Malcolmt said: Every fossil is different and a technique that works well for trilobites might well be useless for ammonites or teeth. Without seeing a specific fossil you are looking at prepping it is difficult to provide any advice. As I starting point do a search here for words such as "prepping" "scribe" "abrasion" "blast media" "consolidant". There are many very good posts on these subjects. If you do not understand things then ask specific questions. A lot of us on the forum can provide advice but most of the secret to good preparation is go slow, have patience, don't rush, use sharp tools always work away from the fossil and at an angle. Maybe someday Malcolmt will video one of his prepping sessions for us??? (hint hint) Or is there already something from you on youtube? Shouldn't have shown us the perfect bug. You are now the fossil prep obi wan kenobi as far as I am concerned. Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Walt, I do all my preparation in a blast box under a zoom scope. I never prep outside the box and never by naked eye alone. I tried to make a prep video a few times with my phone but the results were garbage. I just really do not have the specialized gear, that would be needed to make a quality video (tripod, macro lens, dedicated camera) I also do not have a camera port on any of my scopes. Since I prep using the scope putting one of those USB eyepieces in the scope will not really work for me. Also My cell phone does not really focus a video at the 4 to 5 inches which is where it needs to be to see into the blast box. Additionally I do not have any software that I can use to edit the video that my Samsung phone makes. I actually would love to make a few prepping videos but would be very reluctant to release them unless they were a very good quality and edited so that you are not watching hours of the same thing over and over. Unfortunately there are not a lot available from anyone on YouTube because frankly they are very difficult to make and do them well. I always try to answer specific questions about prepping invertebrates to the best of my ability. My only vertebrate experience is with green river fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 And I will be sure to ask those questions in the future Your bug was a beaut! Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herve Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 POst some photos please J collecting only fossils since 30 years old,ammonites,heteromorphe ammonite,crabs,fish trilobit, sea urshins, mammals, etc...J am married . Sorry for my enghish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 @Malcolmt @herve Here are some pictures. The ammonites are from the Drôme region in France. Op the big piece the central one is I believe a Heteromorph? Am I correct? The tooth is from the Champagne region in France (pictures of this one can't upload?). The trilobites I ment came from Morocco (all Devonian) but I don't have pictures of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 @Malcolmt @herve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Ludwigia here on the forum is the expert when it comes to prepping ammonites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 These ammo's do not look to be preserved very well? Hard to tell from the pics. Roger may be of some help here. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 13 minutes ago, RJB said: These ammo's do not look to be preserved very well? Hard to tell from the pics. Roger may be of some help here. RB Their quality is beter than is visible on the pictures. They are just very fragile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 14 minutes ago, Malcolmt said: Ludwigia here on the forum is the expert when it comes to prepping ammonites @Ludwigia, do You know how I do these best? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 After having had a close look at the photos, I have to agree with Ron. The preservation does not appear to be very good, and since, as you say, they are very fragile, then it's no wonder that you're having difficulty preparing them. There does not appear to be much very solidly preserved fossil substance, but rather lots of fragile steinkern imprints, which are practically impossible to prepare, since there is often no separating layer and the fossil often just dissapears under the matrix. It also looks to me like none of the fossils would be completely preserved. So don't despair, it's not your lack of skill, but rather poor preservation which is causing your problems. You just need to find some more solid fossils and then you can really get down to it. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigantoraptor Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 7 minutes ago, Ludwigia said: After having had a close look at the photos, I have to agree with Ron. The preservation does not appear to be very good, and since, as you say, they are very fragile, then it's no wonder that you're having difficulty preparing them. There does not appear to be much very solidly preserved fossil substance, but rather lots of fragile steinkern imprints, which are practically impossible to prepare, since there is often no separating layer and the fossil often just dissapears under the matrix. It also looks to me like none of the fossils would be completely preserved. So don't despair, it's not your lack of skill, but rather poor preservation which is causing your problems. You just need to find some more solid fossils and then you can really get down to it. Thanks, it are indeed steinkerns. This might be indeed the reason why these don't work, but why won't the moroccan trilobites work? These have a good preservation, but they are too fragile for my air scribe and the glue never holds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 11 minutes ago, gigantoraptor said: Thanks, it are indeed steinkerns. This might be indeed the reason why these don't work, but why won't the moroccan trilobites work? These have a good preservation, but they are too fragile for my air scribe and the glue never holds. What sort of glue are you using? Are you allowing enough time for the pieces to cure? When it comes to trilobites with more delicate details, as you probably already know, you should not be using a scribe, but air abrasion. Scribing is more for removing bulk matrix. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 1 hour ago, gigantoraptor said: Thanks, it are indeed steinkerns. This might be indeed the reason why these don't work, but why won't the moroccan trilobites work? These have a good preservation, but they are too fragile for my air scribe and the glue never holds. It would help if you would show us your Moroccan trilobites. You say that they are fragile, but to my knowledge, the best preserved Moroccan trilobites are very stable and enclosed in extremely hard matrix. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herve Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 You are in the cenomanien stage you have, you have find a turrilites costatus photos 2 with a part of acanthoceras rotomangence,the 1photos j am not sure idem .Its easy for prep but sometime there are no the central.Look very well but in this stage you have a beautiful sea urshin like holaster subglobusus,camerogalerus cylindricus,hemiaster etc... J collecting only fossils since 30 years old,ammonites,heteromorphe ammonite,crabs,fish trilobit, sea urshins, mammals, etc...J am married . Sorry for my enghish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herve Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Sorry photo 1 and 3 J think that is a calycoceras or a mantelliceras . J collecting only fossils since 30 years old,ammonites,heteromorphe ammonite,crabs,fish trilobit, sea urshins, mammals, etc...J am married . Sorry for my enghish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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