Tooth cleaning

[Still_human]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

And no texting while prepping. I hear that is a recipe for disaster.  

I only use my GPS. That should be REALLY useful. I'll know exactly where I am on the fossil, and how long before I get to the surface.

[Still_human]

56 minutes ago, indominus rex said:

Well you could give a dremel a try, but for me a thin but strong metal instrument is also fine. I tried that and it hasn’t let me down so far. But it takes time depending on the hardness of the matrix. 

Oh, yeah, definitely! I'm definitely going with the needle option, I absolutely don't trust myself with something like a dremel for now. Maybe just with the polishing tip for a brief once over after Ive done all I can, but I wouldn't use a dremel YET, or at least not on something small like a tooth. It I were trying to remove more than just layers of matrix, like chunks and stuff, I'd use it then...I would NOT have the patience to use a needle on anything significant. 

I have a square green slab that's guaranteed to have a big fish in it, and they SAY to just use the needle tool to scratch away, but it seems WAY too ridiculous to me. They said it should take around 16hrs avg, but if one was just scratching away at the surface, that would HAVE to take like....probably over 100hrs, I'd imagine. I don't even have 16hrs of patience though, so I bought these really thin chisel bits, like 1/4-1/2cm wide, and am just chiseling away at it. Even with THAT, Ive been at it for more than just a few hours, and taken quite a few layers off, and don't have the first sign of anything yet. I'd use an air scribe(that's what I was trying to think of)on it, but not a dremel for that, cause it's still just a matter of layers....seemingly unending layers. 

[Haravex]

2 hours ago, Still_human said:

Oh, yeah, definitely! I'm definitely going with the needle option, I absolutely don't trust myself with something like a dremel for now. Maybe just with the polishing tip for a brief once over after Ive done all I can, but I wouldn't use a dremel YET, or at least not on something small like a tooth. It I were trying to remove more than just layers of matrix, like chunks and stuff, I'd use it then...I would NOT have the patience to use a needle on anything significant. 

I have a square green slab that's guaranteed to have a big fish in it, and they SAY to just use the needle tool to scratch away, but it seems WAY too ridiculous to me. They said it should take around 16hrs avg, but if one was just scratching away at the surface, that would HAVE to take like....probably over 100hrs, I'd imagine. I don't even have 16hrs of patience though, so I bought these really thin chisel bits, like 1/4-1/2cm wide, and am just chiseling away at it. Even with THAT, Ive been at it for more than just a few hours, and taken quite a few layers off, and don't have the first sign of anything yet. I'd use an air scribe(that's what I was trying to think of)on it, but not a dremel for that, cause it's still just a matter of layers....seemingly unending layers. 

Can you show us what you have so far, just so we can help and possibly suggest if you are going to far.

 

Thanks Matt 

[goatinformationist]

5 hours ago, Still_human said:

lol that's for sure! I DO happen to have a dremel, but nothing "cooler" than that. The air blasters and other air tools look SO cool, and like SO much fun, but after pricing them, that ones a a no-go. I was reading that a lot of people use engravers as cheap substitutes for air....the ones that are like tiny jack hammers, but they're not as good because of the side to side movement instead of the in and out of the compressor, and that you have to be more careful with them because it's not as precise. I figured I'd hold off on that until/unless I ever REALLY needed something like that.

 

oh yeah, and the Dremel bits you're referring to, are those grinding tips, or polishing tips?

 

Both, there is a wide array of dremel tools and accessories.  Spend 30 minutes on Amazon or you-know-where to get a feel for what you need.

[Still_human]

2 hours ago, Haravex said:

Can you show us what you have so far, just so we can help and possibly suggest if you are going to far.

 

Thanks Matt 

Sure thing. As luck would have it, I have to move a bunch of stuff, including that, around tonight. I'll send pictures as soon as I get to where it is, tonight.

[KimTexan]

On 9/25/2018 at 4:29 PM, goatinformationist said:

 

Anyone who preps chants "slow and careful".  I use a small dremel knock off with a #220 to #400 diamond grit flexible tip.  It is a variable speed tool that runs from 30 rpm to 1500 rpm. 

Are you willing to share what this is? I could occasionally use something with low RPMs that is affordable.

[KimTexan]

I use these tools from Harbor Freight for my manual prep work.

 

Wood carving tools $5.49

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-stainless-steel-carving-set-34152.html

 

Hook and prick set $3.99

https://m.harborfreight.com/6-piece-pick-set-93514.html

 

From Amazon I use a number of attachments for my Dremel.

 

I use these little guys below a lot. They’re diamond coated saw blades for my Dremel. I recently figured out a new way to use them in removing matrix by shaving the matrix rather than cutting it. Works tons quicker than the method I was using, but works better in some matrix than in others. Works wonderfully for shale and softer fine sedimentary matrix. I also use to cut and notch pop off matrix. I made my first very armature prep video and posted it on my local paleontology group, because there are so many people who have never done one bit of prep and frequently ask questions. I’m a novice, but I’m one step ahead of them with countless hours of prepping practice. So I made the vid a while back to show how I use the blades. It isn’t really applicable to your tooth though. I collect A LOT. So I have tons of stuf to practice on.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/221569224819/permalink/10156591775694820/

 

$5.99 for 10

Hugesavings 10pcs 22mm Diamond Cutting Wheel with 2 Pcs Mandrel Dremel Screwdriver for Cutting Cut Off Discs Wheel Blades Gemstones Glass Set Shank Rotary Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078XS521B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_A6bRBbCH56NAT

 

$14.80

Then this is one of my favorite tip sets. It works better than the Dremel engraving set and another set of similar tips I have. Something about the texture and grain of the diamond coating works better that the other sets I have.

50pc 1/8'' Shank Diamond Coated Rotary Burrs Small Head Style Fits Dremel Rotary Tools https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NJKUOL8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_StcRBb4JSS3VP

 

[Still_human]

8 hours ago, Haravex said:

Can you show us what you have so far, just so we can help and possibly suggest if you are going to far.

 

Thanks Matt 

The lightest/highest color in the top left is the surface layer. I started doing shallow "probing" chiseling, although what you're seeing is the marks of trails of lots of little taps. Once I got lower though, it became different, and would chip off as flakes. The dark surface I reached is super dense, and needs real power to get through it. You can see some marks on it where I was gauging how hard it was to get through. Except for some surface bumps and stuff, the only things Ive come across is solid dark areas, some tiny, some significantly larger patches, but no hints at anything else. Working SUPER slow and super gently, a couple raised areas on the surface, turned out having nothing in or under them. There's a couple raised areas left, and a ridge that showed from the surface, that i haven't started, or gotten through yet, but so far aren't turning up any signs of "life".

 

*that little raised area that looks like it could be part of a vertebrea in the 2nd picture, isn't. I chiseled it like that, into little sections, because I was testing it, but the angle and the light/shadow make it stand out in that pictures. It's one of the places I was wondering about in the beginning, but was a big let down.

[Still_human]

I'm pointing to what was the largest surface bumps, Ive yet to do much to, and a little ridge right above the finger on the right, and a ridge like structure runningdiagonally in the direction I'm pointing, along the edge of the huger layers. I was sure that was the spine, when I started, but now it's looking like it's going to be like the other places that ended up being red herrings(sorry, I couldn't help it).

 

*i did TONS of the prescribed "scratching away" at all of the potential surface spots, and didn't start chiseling at them until I had already scratched into them enough to see there wasn't anything underneath.

[Haravex]

Errr that doesn't look much like a tooth 

[Still_human]

11 hours ago, Haravex said:

Errr that doesn't look much like a tooth 

Hmm? What, the slab? It's supposed to be an entire good sized fish, but just a tooth. Or do you mean the tooth that the thread is about? Cause that's definitely a tooth, alright

[Haravex]

Yeah I was meaning to show how you where getting on with the tooth I couldn't find where the topic changed to fish slab prep 

[Still_human]

8 minutes ago, Haravex said:

Yeah I was meaning to show how you where getting on with the tooth I couldn't find where the topic changed to fish slab prep 

Ohhhhhhhh lol, yeah, it just got brought up in passing while talking about fossil cleaning/prepping, and someone just asked me to post some pictures so they could take a look.

[goatinformationist]

20 hours ago, KimTexan said:

Are you willing to share what this is? I could occasionally use something with low RPMs that is affordable.

 

Why surely; start with Amazon Lapidary equipment  https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lapidary+equipment&sprefix=lapidary%2Caps%2C167&crid=11J3XBS5QB3N3  , and let your eyes feast over real (small) dremels and knock off dremels, i.e., skillcraft or Chicago equipment, etc....  Dremel tools and fittings are wickedly cheap too.  Remember that variable speed is a must. I know that fossil preppers do use dremels and all lapidary artists use them. For intaglio I use a (Craig's list) Buffalo Dental Mfg #15, dental drill.  I purchased it for the look but found it to be the most versatile and easy to use purpose made tool in my shop. All chrome with a long folded spidery arm. A box of high strength steel diamond coated dental drills is really cheap, around $15 bucks and really thin.  Any online deals site can put you into the same ball park, like eeeebay, which I cannot say out loud on this site, or Craig's list.  About $50 bucks will get you all of the dremel equipment that you could want, including delivery.  Heck, stop at a cheesy flea market and do better.  Hope this helps and please keep us in your dremel loop.  I was a little surprised by the amount of dremel push back on the forum, but maybe that was because the requestor was kind of a prep newbie?

[goatinformationist]

21 hours ago, KimTexan said:

I use these tools from Harbor Freight for my manual prep work.

 

Wood carving tools $5.49

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-stainless-steel-carving-set-34152.html

 

Hook and prick set $3.99

https://m.harborfreight.com/6-piece-pick-set-93514.html

 

From Amazon I use a number of attachments for my Dremel.

 

I use these little guys below a lot. They’re diamond coated saw blades for my Dremel. I recently figured out a new way to use them in removing matrix by shaving the matrix rather than cutting it. Works tons quicker than the method I was using, but works better in some matrix than in others. Works wonderfully for shale and softer fine sedimentary matrix. I also use to cut and notch pop off matrix. I made my first very armature prep video and posted it on my local paleontology group, because there are so many people who have never done one bit of prep and frequently ask questions. I’m a novice, but I’m one step ahead of them with countless hours of prepping practice. So I made the vid a while back to show how I use the blades. It isn’t really applicable to your tooth though. I collect A LOT. So I have tons of stuf to practice on.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/221569224819/permalink/10156591775694820/

 

$5.99 for 10

Hugesavings 10pcs 22mm Diamond Cutting Wheel with 2 Pcs Mandrel Dremel Screwdriver for Cutting Cut Off Discs Wheel Blades Gemstones Glass Set Shank Rotary Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078XS521B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_A6bRBbCH56NAT

 

$14.80

Then this is one of my favorite tip sets. It works better than the Dremel engraving set and another set of similar tips I have. Something about the texture and grain of the diamond coating works better that the other sets I have.

50pc 1/8'' Shank Diamond Coated Rotary Burrs Small Head Style Fits Dremel Rotary Tools https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NJKUOL8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_StcRBb4JSS3VP

 

 

Dang you do get around.  I was about to suggest stopping by HF on a big sale day and just buy the cheapest box set of dremel+extension+bits for $20ish bucks.  I got one.

[Still_human]

15 hours ago, Haravex said:

Errr that doesn't look much like a tooth 

Lol waitaminute....wasn't it YOU who asked to see my green river plate???

[ynot]

On 9/26/2018 at 1:56 PM, Haravex said:

On 9/26/2018 at 11:50 AM, Still_human said:

Oh, yeah, definitely! I'm definitely going with the needle option, I absolutely don't trust myself with something like a dremel for now. Maybe just with the polishing tip for a brief once over after Ive done all I can, but I wouldn't use a dremel YET, or at least not on something small like a tooth. It I were trying to remove more than just layers of matrix, like chunks and stuff, I'd use it then...I would NOT have the patience to use a needle on anything significant. 

I have a square green slab that's guaranteed to have a big fish in it, and they SAY to just use the needle tool to scratch away, but it seems WAY too ridiculous to me. They said it should take around 16hrs avg, but if one was just scratching away at the surface, that would HAVE to take like....probably over 100hrs, I'd imagine. I don't even have 16hrs of patience though, so I bought these really thin chisel bits, like 1/4-1/2cm wide, and am just chiseling away at it. Even with THAT, Ive been at it for more than just a few hours, and taken quite a few layers off, and don't have the first sign of anything yet. I'd use an air scribe(that's what I was trying to think of)on it, but not a dremel for that, cause it's still just a matter of layers....seemingly unending layers. 

Can you show us what you have so far, just so we can help and possibly suggest if you are going to far.

 

Thanks Matt 

Whoops!

20 minutes ago, Still_human said:

Lol waitaminute....wasn't it YOU who asked to see my green river plate???

[Haravex]

Whoops indeed I need to learn to read but looking forward to seeing how the tooth comes along.

 

Thanks Matt 

[Still_human]

12 hours ago, Haravex said:

Whoops indeed I need to learn to read but looking forward to seeing how the tooth comes along.

 

Thanks Matt 

lol ok, so you were referring to seeing how the TOOTH is coming along? I havent received it yet. I'd imagine that it's coming along exactly like in the first pictures, no progress.

[Haravex]

Well I'm following thus topic so should see how it comes along looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

Thanks Matt

[Still_human]

On 9/28/2018 at 2:05 PM, Haravex said:

Well I'm following thus topic so should see how it comes along looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

Thanks Matt

It just arrived yesterday. So I'll probably start a little testing with it tomorrow or Friday:)