cf. Treptoceras duseri

[Peat Burns]

Here is an orthoconic nautiloid (cf. Treptoceras duseri) from the Cincinnatian of Ohio that I just completed.  It is ~30cm (12 inches) in length. Unfortunately, I forgot to take "before" photos.  I cut away about 75% of the plate it was in.  About 50% of what you see of the fossil here was covered with matrix.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Another monster! 

Very nice indeed, good job. 

[Wrangellian]

Good prep job. I might have left a little more matrix, but that's just my preference. Maybe you don't have a lot of room...

Is there anything to see in the end view? (aperture)

[Peat Burns]

1 minute ago, Wrangellian said:

Maybe you don't have a lot of room...

Bingo!  Space is *always* a consideration.  I trim them up pretty good as a result. 

 

The aperture-end sort of fizzles out / is deformed, and I didn't want to cut it back to try to get a peek at the siphuncle.  I don't see anything as it is.  I'm thinking it may be the body chamber.

[Wrangellian]

I'm pretty much overflowing here too, but I still like to leave a little 'breathing room' on a plate - you can't add it back on later! I think they make better display items that way, and they will eventually end up in someone else's hands who might have the room, if not in the museum, but for science I guess you don't need the extra matrix unless you can glean any info from the seafloor that surrounded the fossil (and maybe you can).

[Peat Burns]

3 minutes ago, Wrangellian said:

I'm pretty much overflowing here too, but I still like to leave a little 'breathing room' on a plate - you can't add it back on later! I think they make better display items that way, and they will eventually end up in someone else's hands who might have the room, if not in the museum, but for science I guess you don't need the extra matrix unless you can glean any info from the seafloor that surrounded the fossil (and maybe you can).

Agreed for specimens intended primarily for aesthetics / display (and if that were the primary intent, I wouldn't have trimmed it to a perfect rectangle  (which fits storage boxes better and stores more efficiently) ).  

 

I do like to leave some matrix on a specimen if possible, for the reasons you state (palaeoecology, stratigraphic context, etc.).  In my case, though, I limit it to no more than what is scientifically valuable and after that make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible within those constraints .

[Wrangellian]

I wish everyone would do the same, but I guess space constraints cause some people to butcher them down beyond the point of aesthetically pleasing (and maybe to save on shipping) - certain sellers on 'the auction site' come to mind, who sell eg. Ediacaran items from Russia that have been trimmed down so far you'd think it was done so that someone could smuggle them out.

[Peat Burns]

Here's an "aerial" view.

[Ptychodus04]

Well done @Peat Burns. That’s a real beast.

[Peat Burns]

2 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Well done @Peat Burns. That’s a real beast.

Thanks.  I almost gave it away. It sat around for months.  It didn't look like it had much promise, initially. But it just kept getting better and better once I started prepping it. Wish I'd taken "before" pics 

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, Peat Burns said:

Wish I'd taken "before" pics 

Really, what a slacker.  I guess we will forgive you this time.

[Tidgy's Dad]

5 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Really, what a slacker.  I guess we will forgive you this time.

Oh, no we won't!