Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 There are several expert preparators who eke out a living collecting and preparing their finds. There are those finds that are just too problematic to deal with, and so get tossed into the chuck pile for whatever reason: missing parts, discolouration from mineralization, compaction damage, or just too time consuming to make good ROI. Some of them will offer up these B-grade pieces for sale for relatively cheap so that folks like me who don't have access to some sites can give it a whirl and get much needed prep practice. One of my main goals of preparation is to learn something new each time, which isn't hard as I've only been preparing with air tools on occasion for a little over a year. I get to learn how to approach different species, challenges, matrix types, try out different techniques, and -- the best teacher of all -- by making mistakes. So this was the piece I acquired cheaply, a Illaenus sinuatus. The specimen came out, as a good number of them do, in pieces and was glued together in the field with good Russian glue. There was a preparation attempt, but it was likely decided it wasn't worth the time to pursue this one given its many problems. 4 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 So began the first main round of preparation. A lot of sticky bits all over this bug! I started scribing away according to the species' body plan, every once in a while giving a spot air abrasive blast just to test certain places. The one challenge I'd be facing would be those farflung and delicate genal spines. There was already a crack in the right one, and the left one was along a major crack through a part of the bug that was being held together with glue. Progress at stage 1: 5 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Missing a bit of pygidium shell, unfortunately. The shell is thick in some areas, and very thin in others. Where it got very satisfying for me was when I started working on the anterior part of the cephalon, which tend to be bulbous and run deep into the matrix. My scribe was sailing through this stuff! It was perfect matrix to work with: a chalky, soft consistency limestone where it separated so easily from the shell. But soft matrix like this can be a double-edged sword; just as it is a little like a hot knife through butter, it also can lead to deep fractures (and fractures sometimes like to run through the trilobite!). Cracks started appearing in a lot of places, threatening to ruin this one. I powered down the tools, wicked the cracks in the matrix with cyanoacrylate, and let it cure overnight before starting again. 3 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 This morning was round 2. The first image indicates the difference between where I started and where I ended the night before. The second image depicts my being very near the end of the scribing work before taking on the more delicate abrasion work on the trickier spots near the genals and the eyes. 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 A few passes with the air eraser at varying pressures to remove gunk, and dig out the sticky stuff near the genal spines (carefully!). Focused work on the eyes, and a moistening to pick out any spots I may have missed. What I'm most proud of is having not failed at preparing the genals (the right one would be my first "flying" one, although it is not flying all that far ). 6 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf89 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Sanded down the matrix and some additional finicky work. The last thing I need to do is apply some acetone to the left of the pydigium to get out that ragged texture (too risky to simply abrade it off at this point). Maybe at some point I can fuss with some restoration of the few missing shell pieces. It's not perfect, and a bit discoloured, but then again so am I. I've learned a great deal in this process, and hopefully managed to transform a B-bug into a B+-bug. 6 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Nice to see you managed it with this guy. I think you've managed to draw the best possible out of it. Well done! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 9 minutes ago, Wolf89 said: Looks awesome! Thanks! 3 minutes ago, Ludwigia said: Nice to see you managed it with this guy. I think you've managed to draw the best possible out of it. Well done! Thanks, Roger. A little like making lemonade out of lemons. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Looks fantastic, Kane! Well done, sir. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Just now, Fossildude19 said: Looks fantastic, Kane! Well done, sir. Thanks, Tim! This was a really fun one to prep. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 Well done @Kane! That's a B+ now that you're done with it. How's the weather up there? Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Ptychodus04 said: Well done @Kane! That's a B+ now that you're done with it. How's the weather up there? Thanks, Kris! Weather is... unseasonably warm and wet (12 C / 54 F). The snow hammer is poised to strike soon, though! ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Kane said: Thanks, Kris! Weather is... unseasonably warm and wet (12 C / 54 F). The snow hammer is poised to strike soon, though! Wow! we are colder here today! Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 A very nice report Kane, and you take the time to explain things to a T. and a rather nice bug too I might add. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 Put in a good 17 hours on what was supposed to be a quick and easy prep. This was from my excellent Russian connection, and I was under no illusion that there wouldn't be some problems with this bug. This will have been the third Asaphus lepidurus I've prepared this year, and the second in this orientation. Already, there is a fracture in the last pleural segment / facet nearest the pygidium, so this was going to be a practice prep. 2 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 If only it were just a matter of tapping off the top to reveal the pristine bug inside! No, this was going to be a methodical working down, level by level in spots. Part 1 was a long down-levelling of the matrix until I could "contour" where the trilobite would be. Sometimes this matrix is a breeze to work with, and sometimes it is as tough as iron. In this case, it was a very sticky, dense, hard, calcitic matrix that would not be amenable to simply "popping off" using angle scribing. 4 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 Part 2 involved more contouring and down-levelling work. The plan was to scribe it within less than a millimetre from the shell, and then abrade the rest. Well, that plan was great in theory until I spot-abraded an area to find that even blasting with dolomite at 75 PSI was doing nothing! I also made the unfortunate discovery that there was a missing pleural segment on the lower left. Judging by the slight misalignment of the pygidium, it may have been moult damage. That kind of stuff does happen. 4 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 And that was when I put it aside and worked on something else. But I came back to it last night and today. I scored sections of matrix near the cephalon, and worked slowly for several hours from left to right until I could track the anterior edge of the cephalon, and then work up to remove all the sticky mess above. As abrasion was not helping, I had to resort to the less than ideal "scribe-kissing" (using as much control as possible under serious magnification to just "kiss" the covering matrix to flake it off). It is less than ideal because even exercising as much control as possible, scribe dings on the shell are just going to happen. I didn't take pictures of the incremental cephalon reveal as I was too focused and on a roll. But by this point, the whole bug is now contoured out and bulk matrix removed. Huzzah! Next step: the finicky stuff... intra-pleural work and surface crud to remove. 5 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 The abrasion process took a ridiculously long time, of course. Every once in a while I would have to stop and poke at some places with the pin vice to create a point of vulnerability that the air abrader could exploit. In the end, it's done! A few pictures: moistened and let to dry. Apart from the missing segment, there are some minor issues with the eyes and a few scribe dings, but out of sheer stubbornness, I kept at it and finished this one. 12 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilsAnonymous Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 @Kane looks real good to me! Good work there. On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Great job Kane! Well worth the effort! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 2 hours ago, FossilsAnonymous said: @Kane looks real good to me! Good work there. Thanks! 15 minutes ago, Darktooth said: Great job Kane! Well worth the effort! Thanks, Dave! You did encourage me to keep at this one. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Great job Kane!! ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innocentx Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Bravo!!!!! "Journey through a universe ablaze with changes" Phil Ochs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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