FranzBernhard Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 12 hours ago, Casper Voogt said: My first FOTM. Date of discovery: August 9, 2018. Found and prepared this month by me. Scientific or Common name: Eldredgeops Rana Geologic Age or Geologic Formation: Middle Devonian State, Province, or Region found: Hampshire County, West Virginia Photos of find: attached, showing size, frontal, in situ, and before preparation. Thats a great Trilo! Your prep skills are marvelous. How did you do it? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Voogt Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 5 minutes ago, FranzBernhard said: Thats a great Trilo! Your prep skills are marvelous. How did you do it? Franz Bernhard Thanks Franz! It means a lot. I trimmed the piece out of the limestone boulder a few inches away from the specimen (all around), and it popped out, but in two pieces. The cephalon and part of the thorax got separated, but I glued those together at home using cyanoacrylate. I scrubbed it with a toothbrush, then hit it with a water gun, then got off what excess limestone I could using a pneumatic chisel. Then I tried using my air scribe with gypsum powder, which did nothing really. Could have tried SiO2 powder, but that wouldn't have helped either. Instead I used my barbeque's steel-bristle brush, which worked pretty well. Then, to finish it up, I used a steel-bristle attachment with my power drill. I used two kinds of attachments; a wheel (for getting in between the segments and around the eyes) and a cup (for broader areas). Next time I think I'll take it a little slower using a dremel for the finer bits, because using power tools on such details was not easy. I have a fairly large/heavy corded power drill. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I would say you did very well considering the rough and tumble heavy duty equipment you used. Looks great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Voogt Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 thanks caldigger. I had burned out my last dremel, which lasted me 20+ years, and just hadn't gotten round to replacing it. I guess it's time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Thanks, Casper, for the info! That was a lot of work! Do you know how many hours you have spend on this specimen? Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Voogt Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 1 minute ago, FranzBernhard said: Thanks, Casper, for the info! That was a lot of work! Do you know how many hours you have spend on this specimen? Franz Bernhard I think it was maybe 3-4 hours or so. A lot less than I've spent on some other specimens. It went quite fast with the steel bristle brush. So fast, in fact, that I will go with a dremel and brass bristles next time around, because going so fast makes me nervous about damage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 @Casper Voogt excellent trilobite. Didn't realize any good trilobites could come out of W. Virginia and Virginia. I usually head far up north to dig at Penn Dixie as the Shale is a lot softer than that Limestone. I give you points for persistence and being able to prep that trilobite. It looks really nice. I have some that look like that from New York but have never seen a specimen of this quality come out of VA. Most folks find them and don't bother to prepare them properly as the matrix is very hard. Well done. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Voogt Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Thanks @Fossil-Hound. That matrix is challenging for sure. I have ogled the NY / Penn Dixie trilobites for a long time, but have never made it up there. Sounds like I need to make that happen. And I have to say that in 10 years of collecting trilobites in Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia this is the first complete one I have found of this quality. I do have others of this quality, even bigger ones, but they're not complete. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 10 hours ago, Casper Voogt said: I think it was maybe 3-4 hours or so. Thanks for the info! I expected much more, but you are very experienced. Good work! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 On 19/08/2018 at 1:40 PM, FranzBernhard said: Very nice gastro! Whats the exact diameter and whats all the other stuff in the specimen? Its both an impressive gastro and a nice facies specimen! Franz bernhard It's about 8 cm wide and high, the other stuff are turritellae, cérithes, venericardiae and, i believe a cyprea. 1 "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 13 hours ago, Casper Voogt said: I think it was maybe 3-4 hours or so. A lot less than I've spent on some other specimens. It went quite fast with the steel bristle brush. So fast, in fact, that I will go with a dremel and brass bristles next time around, because going so fast makes me nervous about damage. Nice trilo Casper, you were more lucky than me with your prep, i only could you use the dremel for the matrice the farest from the shell. After that i did it all during hours with elbow grease for about a week. How big is it ? "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Voogt Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 thanks @fifbrindacier. Did you use brass or steel bristles? And is yours limestone too? Re: how big is it? Good question! I am going to update my post because I included the wrong picture. I had taken one with a scale in it, but uploaded the wrong one. It is 4.8 cm in length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 It's a nice one, i have one that's not so big, only about 2 cm. That's not limestone matrix with my shell, that's silicified sand and clay. I used steel bristle and even with that it took two days to remove some matrix away. I worked by step : hours in water and then i removed what i could. What is left on it is really very hard, it is very near the shell and once, as i tried to remove a pin tip-size bit of it i broke a tiny part of the decoration. I managed to glue it back but didn't give it another try, i don't want to damage it more. 1 "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b. bartron Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Found 8/14/2018 Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae Wilson located in the St. Mary's formation of the Calvert cliffs Miocene exposure in Calvert County Maryland. This shell is roughly 8ma. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 20 minutes ago, b. bartron said: Found 8/14/2018 ecphora gardnerae gardnerae Wilson located in the St. Mary's formation of the Calvert cliffs Miocene exposure in Calvert County Maryland. This shell is roughly 8ma. Thats also a lovely gastro! Congrats! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilsAnonymous Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 On 8/16/2018 at 11:31 PM, Fossil-Hound said: FOTM entry for best vertebrae VFOTM Recovered: American Fossil Quarry (owned by @sseth and @FossilDudeCO) in Aug 2017 Preparation: Prepared by @Ptychodus04 with prep work completed Aug 2018 Species: Priscacara serrata Geologic Time Period: Eocene Formation: Green River Before preparation the fish was found in multiple pieces with some of the fish exposed and the rest buried under sedimentary limestone. Here's a picture of the largest chunk that split off (inverted): Sent this to Kris in the spring (March) of 2018. After months of slow and careful preparation Kris was able to glue the pieces back together and prepare the fish from the top down. This fish is a true showpiece and will always have a place on my shelf (in other words it's value is priceless and I'll keep it forever): Another view: Oh goodness me how am I supposed to chose between the Carboniferous shark and this one or @fifbrindacier's shell? Life is too hard 3 On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 12 minutes ago, FossilsAnonymous said: Oh goodness me how am I supposed to chose between the Carboniferous shark and this one or @fifbrindacier's shell? Life is too hard The month isn't over yet. There's bound to be more entries to compound your indecisive whoas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilsAnonymous Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Just now, caldigger said: The month isn't over yet. There's bound to be more entries to compound your decisive whoas. I know. I'm going by what we have now. Of course, new additions will make it harder On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 And you have the choice between vertebrate and invertebrate. 1 "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I for one am glad that we have difficult decisions every month. Though there can only be one winner (in each category) each month, this is a remarkable place so see some really great finds. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 10 hours ago, digit said: I for one am glad that we have difficult decisions every month. Though there can only be one winner (in each category) each month, this is a remarkable place so see some really great finds. Cheers. -Ken Sure, it's the occasion to see delightul and lovely fossils. And also to see the work sometimes needed to prepare and present them, like Caterpillar's skull. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 My entry for this month: found on August 18 2018: Hemipneustes striatoradiatus Maastrichtian Eben-Emaal ( Belgium ) In situ: after cleanup: 8 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranzBernhard Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Manticocerasman said: My entry for this month: Very, very nice! So much detail. Congrats! Franz Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil-Hound Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 On 8/21/2018 at 9:47 AM, b. bartron said: Found 8/14/2018 ecphora gardnerae gardnerae Wilson located in the St. Mary's formation of the Calvert cliffs Miocene exposure in Calvert County Maryland. This shell is roughly 8ma. Lovely Ecphora. FYI @SailingAlongToo 1 Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Gastropods are doing so well lately! Guess who's happy 1 Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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