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RB's Ammonite Prep Thread


RJB

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11 hours ago, RJB said:

 

Glue and clamped to try and save some shell material.  Most guys wont do this, and I dont blame them, but once done, even though a bit beat up looking, its still better than not doing this but it does take more time and effort.

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RB

Gotta agree with you on that. With a sample like that it sure is worth a try. Do you let it cure overnight before you move on? superglue?

 

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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5 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Gotta agree with you on that. With a sample like that it sure is worth a try. Do you let it cure overnight before you move on? superglue?

 

That’s what I do for stuff like this. Superglue, clamped and cured for at least 24 hours. There’s a big difference between the bond of fresh superglue and fully cured superglue.

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7 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Gotta agree with you on that. With a sample like that it sure is worth a try. Do you let it cure overnight before you move on? superglue?

here Ludwigia, I will let Kris answer this for me.

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

That’s what I do for stuff like this. Superglue, clamped and cured for at least 24 hours. There’s a big difference between the bond of fresh superglue and fully cured superglue.

 

 

RB

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  I finally got in some hours and cleaned up this other side and did some more work on the carved matrix base.  I still have a ways to go but now I can see this may be a purty good fossil ammonite.    This picture you see here was right before the catastrophy!!!   I should have taken a pic of it but after my heart attack I carefully glued the ammo back onto the base.  Most of the shell and some of the spikes were left in the stand!!!   Its now curing and im very nervous about what I will do next?   Gunna be scary for my next prep session on this!

 

RB

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  • 4 weeks later...

  Ok, its been awhile since ive done any prep attack on the ammo's.  Ive still got to finish up the stand on the female spedini but today I did a bunch of work on this nicoletti.  Hope I spelled that right?   My youngest son came over just the other day and did some rock cutting for me so I have a few ready to prep out.  Somehow i did not save some pics of this ammo in the prep process but here goes with what I do have.   This ammo was split in half and in two rocks that had to be glued together. 

 

 

This is how it was before I glued it back together.

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Gluing it back together and youve got to clamp it for strength!!!

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In this pic you can see an extra piece of ammo shell and I was working around it in case it was a piece of this ammo?

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Here is the other side.  Lots of rock to remove but finding out that this is one heck of a STICKY ammo!!! 

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Just as sticky as can be but still purty dang nice and did the rock carving for the base and then a whole lot of sanding!!!

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The other side. This side you can really see just how beat up it is.  I love doing this, but always in pain!!!  Always looking for those perfect specimens.

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Ive already showed this to two other guys and they tell me im tooooo dang picky.   Not bad for a piece of cra-p.  :)

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The opposing side.  I like this side a bit better. 

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  Even though beat up, Im going to keep this one for awhile just because its purty dang cool!!!

 

RB

 

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Just Gorgeous, Ron.  You have rescued another from the darkness of the rock.

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The White Queen  ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast"

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 Today I started on two ammo's that had lots of promise.  Sadly, no.  Just a waist of time for me.  So it was on to other projects.  I finished up this Gem Quality ammo for my son. Its so pretty it hurts.  Just wish that everyone could see it.   The color on this is the best that color comes for these ammos!   These types of ammo's are my most favoritist of all time!!!  I even told my son that I had lost it but that i had one in my own collection that he could have for a few hundred dollars.  Ha!  He thought I was serious which made it even funnier!   Also, I figure that since I prepped it out that I get to post it.  Sorry son.   Anyways, get a load of this freakin beauty!!!    Oh, this is Hoploscaphites nicoletti from the Fox Hills Formation in South Dakota.

 

RB

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15 hours ago, RJB said:

 I even told my son that I had lost it but that i had one in my own collection that he could have for a few hundred dollars.

 

Since you gave him life, I think stealing an ammonite is fair. :D  I'd be tempted to do the same. Just tell him he can have it with his inheritance. :P

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  • 2 weeks later...

    This one really did take a long time to prep but it turned out freakin awsome!!!    I had to wait for a day where I had a bit more courage to go in the 'fix it' attack.   I actually impressed myself with this repair job!!!  I also smoothed out the rock base.  I nasty dusty job but finally got to use my Foredom.  I have posted the very first picture of this thing to remind folks what it looked like when I started so one doesnt have to go back to page 1 for another look.

 

 

this is what I started with.  Most of the shell stayed onto the wrong side of this break!!!   yikes!!!

 

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After who knows how many hours to get this far, it was time to do some 'fixing'.  I was a bit scared to say the least!

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I was very scared when I started, was elated when I saw how good I was doing,,,, and then quite full of myself after some drinks.  :)

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Here you can see another 'fix it' job.  and also the finished prep job.

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  • 2 months later...

  Been awhile since of posted any ammo stuff.  I had actually posted this unprepped for sale awhile ago.  I thank goodness that it didnt sell.   Im going to trade this beauty for some agatized Aturia.   This ammo from the Fox Hills Formaton I think is conradi?  and it does have predation problems but the color is so beautiful it is truly gem quality and worth a small fortune. I jst wish you could see the color this has.  Its as good as it gets!!!   ive done a bit of artwork to it but just to make it appear whole?  I also left some clams on one side just because they were there.  Ive already have 4 of these so im not worried about getting rid of this one. 

 

RB

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On 1/12/2019 at 5:46 PM, RJB said:

Ive still got to finish up the stand on the female spedini but today I did a bunch . . . . . . 

How can you tell it's female? :heartylaugh:Sorry, the devil made me do it.

 

Seriously, though, great prep work! I have enjoyed this thread.

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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5 hours ago, RJB said:

Been awhile since of posted any ammo stuff.  I had actually posted this unprepped for sale awhile ago.  I thank goodness that it didnt sell.   Im going to trade this beauty for some agatized Aturia.  

How true , how true.  I see that magic word -- Aturia!!!! :yay-smiley-1:I already have my popcorn out.  :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn: This may take a while

The White Queen  ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast"

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1 hour ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

How can you tell it's female? :heartylaugh:Sorry, the devil made me do it.

 

Seriously, though, great prep work! I have enjoyed this thread.

The females wear skirts. The males wear kilts.

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On 4/22/2019 at 3:54 PM, Ludwigia said:

Now that's a real cutie-pie.

Thanks man.

 

On 4/22/2019 at 5:06 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

How can you tell it's female? :heartylaugh:Sorry, the devil made me do it.

The females are more inflated for eggs. 

 

On 4/22/2019 at 6:02 PM, Shellseeker said:

How true , how true.  I see that magic word -- Aturia!!!! :yay-smiley-1:I already have my popcorn out. 

Hi Jack. I havent forgotten about you, just that the new machine I bought doesnt work and this will have to wait for next winter. 

 

 

RB

 

 

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9 hours ago, RJB said:

Hi Jack. I havent forgotten about you, just that the new machine I bought doesnt work and this will have to wait for next winter.

RB

Its all good , Ron somehow I am finding fantastic fossils and , at the same time, get to share your processes for turning rocks into treasures. Thanks for including all of us in your journeys.  Jack

The White Queen  ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow! Love watching your progress and seeing photos of specimens far beyond my price range. I have a new appreciation for the modest South Dakotan ammonites in my collection - I was told that the rock matrix these are found in is hard, but I'm getting a real sense of just how hard. Thanks for sharing.

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23 hours ago, Ailanna said:

Wow! Love watching your progress and seeing photos of specimens far beyond my price range. I have a new appreciation for the modest South Dakotan ammonites in my collection - I was told that the rock matrix these are found in is hard, but I'm getting a real sense of just how hard. Thanks for sharing.

Ive prepped out much more Montana stuff over the years than the SD stuff and the SD stuff is much harder even though it looks almost exactly the same. 

 

RB

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