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Prep douvilleiceras ammonites


Patrik.S.Olsson

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Hi folks!

I got some douvilleiceras that I want to clean up a bit. Ive let them soak in water and then i used a toothbrush and tried to scrape off some of it. It made a minor difference, its like hard clay but not the easiest to get rid off. Do you have any advice what I could do without the risk of damaging the specimens?

 

I do not have any special tools/machines,

Just a dremel tool and a engraver.

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It may be slow and painstaking, but if you don't have access to any specialized tools, you could opt to do it by hand using a pin vise and dental picks -- both of which are fairly cheap to acquire.

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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That matrix is very hard to remove ( probably one reason they find it easier to just polish those buggers!).

I have gotten most of the center whirls cleared out on some, but you risk breaking off very brittle the outer shell material easily.

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6 minutes ago, caldigger said:

That matrix is very hard to remove ( probably one reason they find it easier to just polish those buggers!).

I have gotten most of the center whirls cleared out on some, but you risk breaking off very brittle the outer shell material easily.

Yeah thats probably the reason, I  have nothing against polished ones but I  do prefer them as natural as possible. I might have to get some airtools, when my wallet is thick enough ^^

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2 minutes ago, Patrik.S.Olsson said:

Yeah thats probably the reason, I  have nothing against polished ones but I  do prefer them as natural as possible. I might have to get some airtools, when my wallet is thick enough ^^

You can do a lot with picks, it just takes longer. Get some magnification and take your time. I started with a long drywall screw and a ball peen hammer.

 

You are limited in what you can do by hand but it is more than one would think. Once you start down the path of pneumatic tools, it’s an expensive path to follow. :blink:

 

 

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