Joseph Lambert Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I have some megalodon teeth that are prime candidates for being “diamond polished”. I just don’t know what tools to use. Or if I need a certain polish. I just have no idea. Also how to add graphite into the teeth to polish. I think that’s really cool too. If anyone has any advice it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 News to me--never heard of such a thing. Let's see if others have any clues. I wouldn't think graphite would do much as it is very soft and would rub right off. Never thought of polishing meg teeth so I guess this is beyond my thought process. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Topic moved to Fossil Preparation, as this isn't about Forum Functions. 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...
FossilsAnonymous Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 IMO, they look cool without polishing. Be careful to not use corrosive acids. On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 In my opinion as an artist you can’t improve on the beauty of nature . I also have never heard of this process before. Can we please see a picture of diamond polished tooth. Thank you 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Polishing Meg teeth is a practice in the industry and the teeth are seen at the Tucson show and online. They are typically done on commercial grade teeth that have enamel peel, missing enamel or some other defect. Suggesting this is what you are asking about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 This is from a dealer friend of mine who sells Megs at Tucson and online. One of his product lines is Polished Megs and he sells tons of them. I don't know how many people do this or do most come from this source. Looks like a serious process and I doubt he would divulge his trade secrets but you can try asking. I can provide you his web page. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 This practice is normally done to "cover up" the damaged / missing enamel on the tooth. Just polish everything to a mirror shine so it all looks even, killing any of the details. In my eyes this destroys the fossil in that it no longer has a natural aire about it. May as well get a plastic or resin tooth at that point. Here are a couple of examples pulled from the big auction site. Not something I personally find appealing. I like fossils the way Mother Nature intended them to be. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 1 hour ago, caldigger said: Not something I personally find appealing. I like fossils the way Mother Nature intended them to be. I agree. I would rather look at the damage. Those images were disturbing to me which I find odd because certain other polished fossils are visually appealing to me (like @RJB‘s polished echinoids). 1 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...
Troodon Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Well with all the polished teeth he sells they definitely have an appeal to a certain segments of the market. Its not restricted to megs there is a huge demand for polished sliced ammonites and Nautilus. They are everywhere at the Tucson show. Might not be your cup of tea but somebody is buying all this product. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 3 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said: I agree. I would rather look at the damage. Those images were disturbing to me which I find odd because certain other polished fossils are visually appealing to me (like @RJB‘s polished echinoids). I agree there is something quite wonderful in a sea warn megalodon tooth as Doren said nature of the fossil it’s self is appealing . I also like some polished fossil, like corals and pet wood can be very beautiful and interesting. It is as ever a matter of taste, different strokes for different folks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 At least they are making use of the resource of all the second (or third) rate teeth that they couldn't otherwise sell for good money. I expect that "serious" fossil collectors would turn their noses up at these salvaged teeth but to others they may have some appeal and find a good home. I've got nothing against the practice but they do look very odd to my eyes--like river polishing on steroids. I love the descriptive text for the polished meg teeth from the website. Is there a basis for claiming that megs had 184 teeth in their set? I don't think I've ever seen this in print before. I've seen several meg jaw displays filled with real teeth before so I suppose the number of files in the upper and lower jaws may be known from some articulated tooth set fossils (Peru?) and the number of developed teeth in each file might be known that would allow such a calculation. I just find it an oddly specific detail that I've not encountered before. The extinction date of 2 mya looks like it needs to be pushed back to around 3.6 mya based on the latest paper by @Boesse http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/92625-re-dating-the-extinction-of-otoduscarcharocles-megalodon/&tab=comments#comment-1019198 Thanks for the photos of the polished teeth. I'll stick with my ugly bruiser just the way I found it--peel and all. Cheers. -Ken 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 40 minutes ago, digit said: ugly bruiser just the way I found it--peel and all. I also find it a very beautiful fossil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyBoy Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Very small commercial market for those ugly teeth glad they are repurposing them to make them sellable to a wider base. Most would probably never make it to a home 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Thanks @digit, now I don't feel so bad about my own 2 1/2 inch "bruised & battered" meg. Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 9 minutes ago, daves64 said: bruised & battered" In my opinion I would much rather own yours than the example Doren posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 To me that "Ooooo it's shiny!" thing Doren posted is just that.. a thing. I guess some think everything needs to be really bright & shiny to be worth having. I mean a minor polishing to enhance or bring out the colors maybe, but a mirror polish like that. Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I’m jealous of even the ratty teeth since I’ve never found a meg tooth. 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...
daves64 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 43 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said: I’m jealous of even the ratty teeth since I’ve never found a meg tooth. If I had more than one, I'd send one to you. Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said: I’m jealous of even the ratty teeth since I’ve never found a meg tooth. The grass is always greener and the fossils always cooler when they are not the usual ones in our own area. Floridians (speaking generally) would drool for ammonites or mosasaur bones that are seemingly common (judging by the numerous photos here) in Texas. Florida doesn't go past the Eocene so we think Cretaceous stuff is cool. I give away less than perfect meg teeth to kids in canoes who pass us while we are standing in their way in the river. Many people long to join the "Meg Club" but (as with most clubs) the prestige of membership seems less once it is attained. That being said we are always happy to take out of state TFF members on hunts in the Peace River so they may have a chance at finding their own meg--in whatever condition the tooth gods (faeries) deem appropriate. Unfortunately, this year's high water levels and persistent dry-season rains are cramping our hospitality. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 50 minutes ago, digit said: The grass is always greener and the fossils always cooler when they are not the usual ones in our own area. Floridians (speaking generally) would drool for ammonites or mosasaur bones that are seemingly common (judging by the numerous photos here) in Texas. Florida doesn't go past the Eocene so we think Cretaceous stuff is cool. I give away less than perfect meg teeth to kids in canoes who pass us while we are standing in their way in the river. Many people long to join the "Meg Club" but (as with most clubs) the prestige of membership seems less once it is attained. That being said we are always happy to take out of state TFF members on hunts in the Peace River so they may have a chance at finding their own meg--in whatever condition the tooth gods (faeries) deem appropriate. Unfortunately, this year's high water levels and persistent dry-season rains are cramping our hospitality. Cheers. -Ken Too true. We do tend to be more cavalier with the fossils we are most aquatinted with. There’s many an ammonite that I have left lying where I found it over the years. 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...
Ptychodus04 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 2 hours ago, daves64 said: If I had more than one, I'd send one to you. Well, keep looking. 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...
Troodon Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I think most collectors would be very happy with what they find regardless of appearence. However diggers/divers are doing this for a living and need to find a good way to cash in on the less than best teeth. Polishing is one source of income and it beats having them collect dust in a box. I personally don't care for them but they seem to work great in resort stores 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Yup. When you are hunting fossils as a means of earning an income you have to capitalize (literally) on as much of your finds as you can. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 5 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said: Well, keep looking. I looked again, still only the one. Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now