First crab prep!

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

Well, I started my first Lincoln Creek Formation concretion prep.  I'm hoping for a crab.

 

I purchased a used CP 9361.  I took it apart and checked the o rings and cleaned up the extra oil from the previous owner.  It's missing the lock ring, but other than that it seems to work fine.

 

I've been reading this forum as much as possible, and these are the other things I'll be getting or making:
1.    I'll be calling Paleo Tools and ordering a new front end with a 2" chisel, as well as getting a Microjack 6 with a 2" point.
2.   I have eye protection, but will be getting new ear muffs and dust mask.
3.   And I'll make a frame to support and hold the concretion, while working on it.

 

Any suggestions for additional items I might need or want?

 

After removing my first 1/1000th of an inch of matrix, I can't wait for my next 15 minute work session! 

[Macrophyseter]

Good luck on the prep! 

[caldigger]

Keep us posted as you progress.

[Miocene_Mason]

Not bad for fifteen minutes! Hope there’s a nice crab in there! 

[RJB]

Once you get down a short ways,  you may want to 'bowl' your concretion.  One never knows what the legs are doing so taking off the rock to form a bowl means you will hit carapace first.  Once you hit carapace you can work your way to the back end, find the legs and follow them out.  Good luck

 

RB

[Ptychodus04]

I would suggest more than 15 minutes per session if you can budget the time. I find the set up and breakdown time to be excessive for prep sessions shorter than 30 minutes. Granted there's not a ton of set up if you have a dedicated prep area but getting the protective gear on, turning on the dust collector, turning on all the lights, opening the air valve on the compressed air line, and turning on the fan (it's hot here in Texas and I know it can get hot in Eastern WA) then doing everything in reverse at the end of the session takes up a fair bit of time. I typically try to prep for no less than an hour with typical sessions lasting much longer.

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

2 hours ago, RJB said:

Once you get down a short ways,  you may want to 'bowl' your concretion.  One never knows what the legs are doing so taking off the rock to form a bowl means you will hit carapace first.  Once you hit carapace you can work your way to the back end, find the legs and follow them out.  Good luck

 

RB

I had noticed you do this, and thought it was a good idea to do.

 

26 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I would suggest more than 15 minutes per session if you can budget the time. I find the set up and breakdown time to be excessive for prep sessions shorter than 30 minutes. Granted there's not a ton of set up if you have a dedicated prep area but getting the protective gear on, turning on the dust collector, turning on all the lights, opening the air valve on the compressed air line, and turning on the fan (it's hot here in Texas and I know it can get hot in Eastern WA) then doing everything in reverse at the end of the session takes up a fair bit of time. I typically try to prep for no less than an hour with typical sessions lasting much longer.

I did a quick trial run to see if the CP I bought worked.  I still need to get a good mask/respirator before I really tackle it.  That will be today's shopping!

 

I'll post pics of my progress.  Thanks everyone for the comments!

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

Excuse me, waiter?  There appears to be a crab in my concretion!

 

After 1.5 hours:

[DPS Ammonite]

"Excuse me, waiter?  There appears to be a crab in my concretion!"

 

Don't tell anyone because everyone will want one!

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

And a little bit more, to see if it was big enough to be a crab.  I stopped after this, and will start removing the surrounding matrix.  Then I will continue with the Microjack 6 that I haven't ordered yet.....

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

1 minute ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Don't tell anyone because everyone will want one!

And the price will go up!  

[RJB]

Kinda hard to tell from the picture, but from the scribe marks your tip seems to be a bit on the dull side?   It also looks like you may have a 'sticky' crab?  I dont mean to be the guy with the bad news, but sticky crabs are a bit tuff to prep.   Some of the best practice you can get though.  and still a lot of fun.  Good luck man

 

RB

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Those crabs taught me patience as I averaged maybe 12 hours each using a magnifying visor so as not to blow through fine detail.  Very rewarding, but a small pile of them tied up my lunch hours for close to a year.  Glad I did it, glad I'm done!  Now I'm back to faster prepping Texas stuff.  In fact, I'm stepping out back with my scribe as we speak...

[Ptychodus04]

5 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

In fact, I'm stepping out back with my scribe as we speak...

I’m doing the same right now. 

[kirkjeremiah23]

13 hours ago, RJB said:

Kinda hard to tell from the picture, but from the scribe marks your tip seems to be a bit on the dull side?   It also looks like you may have a 'sticky' crab?  I dont mean to be the guy with the bad news, but sticky crabs are a bit tuff to prep.   Some of the best practice you can get though.  and still a lot of fun.  Good luck man

 

RB

What is the best way to resharpen the stylus?

[jpc]

I agree that if you invest the 50 bucks for an Optivisor, your final product will look tons better.  Nothing sucks more than tool marks all over a fossil.  Get at least the 3x magnification.  10 x is way too much.  Maybe others who use Optivisors a lot can chime in.  I have a micorscope so the optivisor only cmes out on special occasions.

 

The best way to sharpen the stylus is to send it in to PaleoTools and let them do it.  The second best is to buy a Dremel and large grit and finer grit diamond wheels and do it yourself.  I agree with RB, your tip needs sharpening before you continue on a cool specimen like a WA crab.  

 

If you buy the #6 new, it will be well sharpened and you can use that for going close to the shell

 

have fun.  

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

14 hours ago, RJB said:

Kinda hard to tell from the picture, but from the scribe marks your tip seems to be a bit on the dull side?   It also looks like you may have a 'sticky' crab?  I dont mean to be the guy with the bad news, but sticky crabs are a bit tuff to prep.   Some of the best practice you can get though.  and still a lot of fun.  Good luck man

 

RB

Yes, very dull.  I'm ordering a new front end and chisel from Paleo Tools hopefully next week.

 

So, Mr. Sticky crab, we finally meet?  

 

Not bad news to me!  I need to know how to prep them too.  Like you said, good practice!I

 

Thanks for your experienced eye!  I appreciate your comments.

1 hour ago, jpc said:

I agree that if you invest the 50 bucks for an Optivisor, your final product will look tons better.  Nothing sucks more than tool marks all over a fossil.  Get at least the 3x magnification.  10 x is way too much.  Maybe others who use Optivisors a lot can chime in.  I have a micorscope so the optivisor only cmes out on special occasions.

 

The best way to sharpen the stylus is to send it in to PaleoTools and let them do it.  The second best is to buy a Dremel and large grit and finer grit diamond wheels and do it yourself.  I agree with RB, your tip needs sharpening before you continue on a cool specimen like a WA crab.  

 

If you buy the #6 new, it will be well sharpened and you can use that for going close to the shell

 

have fun.  

I will get a magnifier.

 

I want to show these fossils respect!

[Uncle Siphuncle]

You have nothing to lose trying to sharpen your stylus.  If it were mine, I’d put it in a drill to spin it while pressing it into a rotating grinding wheel while pouring a little water on it continuously to prevent changing grain structure while it heats up.  Even working slowly to minimize heat generation, this is a quick process because you aren’t removing much material.

 

Visor.  I bought a Chinese one online for less than $20 shipped.  It has multiple mag lenses and a pivoting light on the brim.  Works for me.

[Ptychodus04]

I started with an optivisor. 3x is a good compromise between magnification and focal length. As your magnification goes up, your focal length gets shorter. Eventually, you are so close to the specimen that you don't have room for your tool. Plus, that's a dangerous place to be sticking your face.

 

A 3x magnifying lamp on a boom stand is good also. this allows you to sit comfortably and work on the specimen. It also has the added benefit of lighting up the work area.

[RJB]

12 hours ago, kirkjeremiah23 said:

On 8/21/2018 at 6:34 AM, RJB said:

 

What is the best way to resharpen the stylus?

This is all I use.  When PaleoTools went up to $10 to resharpen and tip, i found a much cheaper way.  a pack of 6 of these is $9 and has resharpend my tips dozens of time already. 

 

RB

[Ptychodus04]

4 minutes ago, RJB said:

This is all I use.  When PaleoTools went up to $10 to resharpen and tip, i found a much cheaper way.  a pack of 6 of these is $9 and has resharpend my tips dozens of time already. 

 

RB

 

Are those diamond rasps?

[RJB]

11 hours ago, The Mushroom Whisperer said:

So, Mr. Sticky crab, we finally meet?

Love this kind of attitude.  For sticky crabs I basicly use the side of my stylus and literally wear off the rock down to the shell material in whatever small area im working on.   

 

RB

[RJB]

5 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Are those diamond rasps?

Yesiree bob.

 

RB

[The Mushroom Whisperer]

Well, I sharpened my stylus by slowly spinning it against a silicone carbide grinding stone, under running water.  The grinding stone was chucked in my dremel flexshaft, and I had it running at max speed.  This worked out really well.

 

I did a little more prep work on a couple of other concs, but they only had shells in them, no crabs.

[Ptychodus04]

15 minutes ago, The Mushroom Whisperer said:

Well, I sharpened my stylus by slowly spinning it against a silicone carbide grinding stone, under running water.  The grinding stone was chucked in my dremel flexshaft, and I had it running at max speed.  This worked out really well.

 

I did a little more prep work on a couple of other concs, but they only had shells in them, no crabs.

The best thing about the CP9361 and ME9100 is that they use a “floating” stylus that is held in place by 2 o-rings. If your sharpening isn’t 100% centered, it’s not a big deal. 

 

On a scribe like the Aro where the stylus is physically mounted to a pressure plate exact centering can be the difference between a functioning or a broken stylus.