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Cleaning my Allo bone


Masp

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Totally unintentional. I decided to buy this cushion-like material  for safely displaying my allosaurus bone on its stand. Backfired on me because  I found out that my fossil was sticking to this material. Most of it peeled off fine, but there is some residue left over.  Could anyone please tell me the safest way to take the rest off?  It’s not a matter of scratching it off, the  stuff sticks very well. 

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 Also would be helpful if anyone knows a safer alternative for this cushion.  The reason why I needed in the first place was because I wanted to prevent the bone from turning. I want it to stay in place

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That seemed like a reasonable solution to your problem.  Did the foam side touching the bone have adhesive?  Trying to figure out what's holding the residue to the bone.

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7 minutes ago, Troodon said:

That seemed like a reasonable solution to your problem.  Did the foam side touching the bone have adhesive?  Trying to figure out what's holding the residue to the bone.

 No I don’t believe so, the top foam tape is sort of like the kind you place on windows to seal... so I’m confused as to how it stuck like that. Heat? 90% of it pealed off fine otherwise. No damage thankfully

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Is it possible that there is some consolidant (PVA) on the bone that reacted with the foam and caused it to bond together

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11 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Is it possible that there is some consolidant (PVA) on the bone that reacted with the foam and caused it to bond together

 I’m not 100% sure, but yeah, it does seem consolidated. The only head scratcher is why did the rest of the material peel off so easily

in that case?

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15 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Is it possible that there is some consolidant (PVA) on the bone that reacted with the foam and caused it to bond together

Looking at it again I believe that might be the case.  The broken pieces seem to be glued together and then hardened.  About it bonding, I’m not sure 

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You may want to try a some acetone in a very small spot to see if it comes off.   I don't know if there is paint on the bone,  the solvent would take it off.  So take it slow. 

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2 minutes ago, Troodon said:

You may want to try a some acetone in a very small spot to see if it comes off.   I don't know if there is paint on the bone,  the solvent would take it off.  So take it slow. 

Will do that, thanks so much

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Have you had this bone sitting against the foam for very long?  That type of foam desentagrates over a short period of time ( sometimes within a year) and starts getting sticky as it is breaking down.  

The stubborn spots on your bone may be the highest pressure points when it was pushed against the foam.

 

 

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1 hour ago, caldigger said:

Have you had this bone sitting against the foam for very long?  That type of foam desentagrates over a short period of time ( sometimes within a year) and starts getting sticky as it is breaking down.  

The stubborn spots on your bone may be the highest pressure points when it was pushed against the foam.

Yes , I wanna say more or less for 2-3 weeks. Will it damage the bone, and what do you suggest I do to remove it safely? What you’re saying makes sense. 

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I would try Frank's (Troodon) suggestion in a inconspicuous spot to see what happens. That seems like the best route. 

Although, I really don't have much experience at removing something off of a consolidated piece. 

You might try strong rubbing alcohol if the acetone is too strong of a solvent.

I have used it to remove ink marks from pieces with good results.

Please let us know of your findings.

 

 

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Before you try acetone try rubbing alcohol which is less likely to hurt the bone. You also might try some of the citrus oil based products like Goo Gone and De Solv It.

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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7 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Before you try acetone try rubbing alcohol which is less likely to hurt the bone. You also might try some of the citrus oil based products like Goo Gone and De Solv It.

That's a good idea! :dinothumb:

have used Goo Gone to remove adhesive on many occasions with great success. 

 

 

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I've thought of goo gone and have used it but never on bone residues.  Its an easy method to try 

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I’m gonna give it a shot. Thanks so much everyone. This was one of those mini heart attack kind of situations :hearty-laugh:I’ll post back in here when I have some good news

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@DPS Ammonite @Troodon @caldigger Worked like a charm. You guys rock for the help.  I tried using a small amount with the spray gel lightly on a cloth. Little by little, you’ll notice that it slowly starts to take effect.  When it dries, maybe I’ll notice a spot or two that needs some cleaning, but the important thing is it works and it works well.

 

What I noticed is that the foam got caught in the grooves of the fossils, or the highest pressure points as caldigger pointed out. May leave a small mark or two, but I’ll take it. The fossil is in one piece and unharmed. 

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All the credit is due to DPS Ammonite for that one!  Good job on the save.

Are felt pads on the stand your next project?  

 

 

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