Removing excess material

[MeisTravis]

I have a fossil I attempted to get identified to no avail unfortunately, but I would still like to see if I can possibly expose it more. I removed it from the shale at the Montour fossil pit in Danville, PA. It has a lot of that orange rock like material(sorry about not knowing proper terminology ) and I was wondering if there is any good method to expose it more and make it all nice and pretty . Would it best to attempt to remove it from the rest of the rock of leave some attached to it?

All help is greatly appreciated thanks in advance!

[Ptychodus04]

Is the rock covering the fossil hard or soft? If it is relatively soft and the fossil is hard, you can go after it with a stiff brush.

[Fossildude19]

I have found that using tile nippers works well on some of the Mahantango Formation matrix. 

Be careful, though, and have the super glue ready.  

 

 

 

Also small chisels or scribes, used with a small ball-peen hammer, with the chisel lined up with the seams/cracks that already exist tend to work well. 

But the matrix can be cross-bedded, and not break completely around the fossil, and sometimes through the fossil.  

Keep that super glue handy.  

 

The orange coating may require air eraser/abrasion work, or very careful pin vise work. 

 

Good luck. 

[MeisTravis]

20 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

I have found that using tile nippers works well on some of the Mahantango Formation matrix. 

Be careful, though, and have the super glue ready.  

 

 

 

Also small chisels or scribes, used with a small ball-peen hammer, with the chisel lined up with the seams/cracks that already exist tend to work well. 

But the matrix can be cross-bedded, and not break completely around the fossil, and sometimes through the fossil.  

Keep that super glue handy.  

 

The orange coating may require air eraser/abrasion work, or very careful pin vise work. 

 

Good luck. 

Looks like I have a few tools like the pin vise, knippers, and air eraser to invest in which is fine with me! Any brand recommendations? I’m going to expand my prep collection and give it a go as per your recommendations and see how I fare. Thank you!

 

Oh and I know this is a long shot but do you have any idea what this could be? I know this isn’t the right forum for this but I posted it in Id and got no answers so I figured I’d take a shot and ask.

Thanks again!

[MeisTravis]

21 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Is the rock covering the fossil hard or soft? If it is relatively soft and the fossil is hard, you can go after it with a stiff brush.

It’s hard I think I’m going to give what fossildude suggested a shot and see how it goes. Thank you for the answer though!

[RJB]

Cool looking fossil.  What is it?   and good luck

 

RB

[minnbuckeye]

I probably make many people on the forum shudder when I suggest a simple vise to break  matrix away. I would start at the far end and clamp 1/2 inch of matrix. Tighten down until you hear a crack or feel a softening in the viced matrix. This becomes an "art" knowing how much pressure to apply and how big of bites to take and how to position the specimen so that the cracking occurs along bedding planes if they exist.  Take out the fossil and remove the loosened material. Repeat this until you are within 3/4 inch of the specimen. I then pull out a dry wall screw and position it between the fossil and the matrix. with light taps from a hammer, the fossil will hopefully pop out of the matrix. Actually, try and get the matrix to pop off as opposed to popping the fossil out. Again there is a skill learned at using a dry wall screw.If not, try removing a little more matrix with the vice (here is where a tile cutter might help me) before using the screw again. As @Fossildude19 says, do have superglue ready and make sure your floor under the vice is as clean as possible so if a piece of fossil breaks away, it is found easily.  PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT (almost!). Use a piece of straight matrix first to see how it splits. It will let you judge whether this technique works on  Mahantango Formation matrix.

 

Good luck, Mike

[Fossildude19]

18 minutes ago, MeisTravis said:

Looks like I have a few tools like the pin vise, knippers, and air eraser to invest in which is fine with me! Any brand recommendations? I’m going to expand my prep collection and give it a go as per your recommendations and see how I fare. Thank you!

 

Oh and I know this is a long shot but do you have any idea what this could be? I know this isn’t the right forum for this but I posted it in Id and got no answers so I figured I’d take a shot and ask.

Thanks again!

With prepping fossils, you kind of learn as you go. You have to expect things will break. The matrix surrounding the fossil isn't always cooperative, and doesn't always break the way you think it should, or want it to. You probably don't want to go out and spend tons of money on prepping tools just yet. Make sure you enjoy doing it, before making the investments.

 

I started off with screw drivers, wood chisels, and a framing hammer. I also already had a General Tools pocket scribe. 

My inexpensive tile nippers came from one of the large box stores. Pin vises and scribes can be found in craft and hobby stores, as well as on auction sites. 

My air eraser came from Harbor Freight, as did my blast box and compressor. 

 

As far as the identity of your item, I am not quite sure. It may be a colonial coral. Too hard to say without more exposed.

I think it may be another Pleurodictyum americanum.

 

Good luck. 

 

[Ptychodus04]

9 hours ago, MeisTravis said:

It’s hard I think I’m going to give what fossildude suggested a shot and see how it goes. Thank you for the answer though!

@Fossildude19 ‘s advice is good and it will help you to remove the shale but it won’t do anything for the brown stuff. 

[MeisTravis]

7 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

@Fossildude19 ‘s advice is good and it will help you to remove the shale but it won’t do anything for the brown stuff. 

Would you have another suggestion for removing that from the fossil itself??

[Kane]

Just now, MeisTravis said:

Would you have another suggestion for removing that from the fossil itself??

I think air abrasion is the best option here.

[Ptychodus04]

6 minutes ago, Kane said:

I think air abrasion is the best option here.

True but low tech option would be a stiff bristled brush and some elbow grease.

 

You can even take a wet toothbrush and dip it in baking soda and brush it like your teeth to remove material. It will be insanely slow but will work.

[Ludwigia]

4 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

True but low tech option would be a stiff bristled brush and some elbow grease.

 

You can even take a wet toothbrush and dip it in baking soda and brush it like your teeth to remove material. It will be insanely slow but will work.

I agree. Abrading would be best, but our friend definitely doesn't have direct access to an abrader. Do the brushwork under running water. Maybe a steel or bronze brush would work best. At least it would probably be possible to ascertain the id of the fossil and then when the anatomy is known, you could carry on with pin vise etc.

[MeisTravis]

I got it much more exposed successfully! Sorry about the pictures I couldn’t get any better ones unfortunately. Fossildude I think you’re right about it being more coral