Dipity-Do Done

[sseth]

Just finished prepping this great Diplomystus found by a guest at our quarry.  It was the first fossil they have ever found so I wanted it to be something special for them.  Not much to work with but it turned out pretty good.

 

I used a scribe to clean up the fish a bit, PVA to stabilize the fossil and prevent further flaking, and then had to do some restoration using fossil putty and a bit of touch up paint to restore a few missing areas for them, as they wanted a piece that they could hang on their wall and display. 

[Kane]

Turned out beautifully.  You've definitely spoiled that guest with great skill and kindness, and now they'll come to expect that level of professional appearance going forward.  

[Paciphacops]

That looks great!

 

Do you stabilize after you have completely finished the prepping on small sections, or do you stabilize everything before more damage occurs during matrix removal? I'm working on a Phareodus I found at your quarry a couple of weeks ago. The flaky/friable nature of some small areas is extreme. Removal of the matrix tends to cause these areas to turn to dust with the slightest touch, while most other areas are much more forgiving. Stabilizing before matrix removal would help, but then the matrix may be much harder to remove. So far, I'm finishing small areas and stabilizing/gluing as I go, if needed, but some damage seems unavoidable.

[sseth]

1 hour ago, Paciphacops said:

That looks great!

 

Do you stabilize after you have completely finished the prepping on small sections, or do you stabilize everything before more damage occurs during matrix removal? I'm working on a Phareodus I found at your quarry a couple of weeks ago. The flaky/friable nature of some small areas is extreme. Removal of the matrix tends to cause these areas to turn to dust with the slightest touch, while most other areas are much more forgiving. Stabilizing before matrix removal would help, but then the matrix may be much harder to remove. So far, I'm finishing small areas and stabilizing/gluing as I go, if needed, but some damage seems unavoidable.

I stabilize all exposed material as soon as the rock is dry.  I then stabilize as I prepare the fossil and expose any new material.  The other key is to have the right tools for preparation and using magnification so you can see better what is happening with the rock.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Gorgeous! 

Great prep job! 

[Xiphactinus]

Nice fishy!!!!

[Ptychodus04]

Nice work @sseth. @Paciphacops, I typically wind up stabilizing Split Fish material 6 or 7 times during the prep. I apply after the smallest bits of bone are exposed in order to keep them from totally falling apart.

 

If you use the right material (McGean B15, Paraloid, or Butvar) you can remove any extra that has built up with acetone.

[Paciphacops]

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

If you use the right material (McGean B15, Paraloid, or Butvar) you can remove any extra that has built up with acetone.

I have paraloid B72. I have been using it at ~2-4% in acetone or sometimes an acetone/ethanol mix. I have thought about removing matrix until only a thin layer is left over the fish, then giving the whole thing a deep soak in weak paraloid, followed by leaching out the paraloid from the thin matrix with a brief acetone rinse to soften it a bit. I should definitely try this on some practice pieces first.

[Ptychodus04]

2% is the mix I use. I’ve had good results letting the fossil wick it off a small paintbrush and repeat. This allows the specimen to actually pull the consolidant up under the matrix slightly. If you have multiple areas you are working on, you can rotate to allow the solvent to evaporate.

[Peat Burns]

Wow, that really is an aquarium in stone! Very nice.

[Ludwigia]

Nice job! Can't even tell where you've done the restoration, despite the original photo.