Beginner tools for fossil preparation.

[Misha]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what tools people would recommend for fossil preparation, I am an absolute newbie in this area and am not familiar with what options there are out there but would really love to learn, so far I only have a pin vise  which I have used on rough matrix removal but too scared to get close to the actual fossils.

Thank you, 

Misha

[Fossildude19]

It really depends on the type of fossils you are looking to prepare. 

Most here use an air abrading device, along with a pneumatic air scribe. 

For some softer shales and limestones, a pin vice, hobby knife, and rotary type tool work well for both fine work and bulk removal. 

Harder matrices will require air tools. 

If you search the Fossil Preparation Forum, this is a question that has been asked a few times before.

 

[Ptychodus04]

55 minutes ago, Misha said:

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what tools people would recommend for fossil preparation, I am an absolute newbie in this area and am not familiar with what options there are out there but would really love to learn, so far I only have a pin vise  which I have used on rough matrix removal but too scared to get close to the actual fossils.

Thank you, 

Misha

I started with a small ball peen hammer and a 3" drywall screw.

[Misha]

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I started with a small ball peen hammer and a 3" drywall screw.

I think I have those somewhere, I will try it out.

[Misha]

2 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

It really depends on the type of fossils you are looking to prepare. 

Most here use an air abrading device, along with a pneumatic air scribe. 

For some softer shales and limestones, a pin vice, hobby knife, and rotary type tool work well for both fine work and bulk removal. 

Harder matrices will require air tools. 

If you search the Fossil Preparation Forum, this is a question that has been asked a few times before.

 

I have looked into air abrasives and scribes, but so far those are out of my price range, I do have a rotary tool so maybe I will try to figure out how to use it with my fossils.

Are there any needles you would recommend using for the pin vice or do they make little difference?

[caldigger]

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I started with a small ball peen hammer and a 3" drywall screw.

I have a buddy that regularly made trips to Morocco and a hammer and 16 penny nail is the norm for many of the villager hunters that sell fossils to tourists.

I'm sure you've all seen some pretty crude Moroccan prep jobs, 'enough said!

[Fossildude19]

1 hour ago, Misha said:

I have looked into air abrasives and scribes, but so far those are out of my price range, I do have a rotary tool so maybe I will try to figure out how to use it with my fossils.

Are there any needles you would recommend using for the pin vice or do they make little difference?

I don't have a pin vice, but I use a scribe, like this: 

 

 

 

General tools pocket scriber - I get them for less than 10.00 on our favorite auction site.  

This was the only tool I used for a while, before getting an air scribe and an air eraser. 

They do sell replacement points for this, as well. You might be able to use them with your pin vice. 

Hope this helps. 

Regards,

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, caldigger said:

I have a buddy that regularly made trips to Morocco and a hammer and 16 penny nail is the norm for many of the villager hunters that sell fossils to tourists.

I'm sure you've all seen some pretty crude Moroccan prep jobs, 'enough said!

I could do amazing things with my set up. Probably because I wasn't trying to churn out dozens of them a day to sell to people who don't know any better. It would easily take me 20 hours to prep a small 4" ammonite but the results were far superior than one would expect.

[jdiaz55]

On 2/6/2019 at 10:00 AM, Ptychodus04 said:

I started with a small ball peen hammer and a 3" drywall screw.

I have a similar question, being that I own a Husky Gravity Feed spray gun, and I'm wondering if it would work in about the same manner as an air abrasive tool? 

 

Here is a link:

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Gravity-Feed-HVLP-Spray-Gun-H4840GHVSG/203497519 

[steelhead9]

My first tool was a dremel with various sizes, shapes, and grits of diamond bits. You can do a lot with just that tool. 

[Ptychodus04]

44 minutes ago, jdiaz55 said:

I have a similar question, being that I own a Husky Gravity Feed spray gun, and I'm wondering if it would work in about the same manner as an air abrasive tool? 

 

Here is a link:

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Gravity-Feed-HVLP-Spray-Gun-H4840GHVSG/203497519 

In theory, it works the same. In practice, it probably would be a nightmare. Those spray guns are designed to spray a liquid rather than a powder. I would imagine you’d at least have flow issues and you would burn out the tip pretty fast with the abrasive.