Yet Another Phytosaur Prep

[Ptychodus04]

I’ve also started on the posterior of the skull. The morphology here should be very well preserved since there are few breaks. You can barely see the occipital poking out of the matrix in this pic.

[Ptychodus04]

After a bit of a prepping hiatus (had a couple of knives to make and some family stuff) I’m back in the saddle on the phytosaur. I flipped the skull and spent a couple hours working in the back tonight. This is now 36 hours in. There’s a lot of bulk to remove back here so the Super Jack is earning its keep.

[RJB]

 Really cool prep job Kris.   Im purty dang happy that its 'your' prep job and not mine.  Got too many as it is. 

 

RB

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

 Really cool prep job Kris.   Im purty dang happy that its 'your' prep job and not mine.  Got too many as it is. 

 

RB

It’s definitely a time consuming one. I estimate that I’m a little over 50% done now!

[Ptychodus04]

2 more hours this morning (38 total if you’re counting). The problem with prepping the under side of the skull is the contortion required to reach into all the cavities and the weird angles. This thing is pretty heavy to be adjusting regularly. 

 

[Ludwigia]

I can feel for you. I have the same problem with those wagon wheel ammonites.

[Ptychodus04]

I now have 43 hours in this prep. Slow going on the ventral side.

[Misha]

It's looking really cool so far!

[LordTrilobite]

That's some very nice progress.

[Ptychodus04]

Spent a couple hours tonight back on the posterior. It’s not obvious, but I removed about 5 pounds of rock between the quadrates and the occipital the with the Super Jack and the ME9100. I’m doing my best contortionist impression working in these tight places!

 

[StevenJD]

Looking great Kris 

[Kane]

Compared to where the posterior was at on May 2, I'd say you've made some serious progress. 

[Ptychodus04]

2 hours ago, Kane said:

Compared to where the posterior was at on May 2, I'd say you've made some serious progress. 

It's kind of like eating an elephant with chopsticks!

[Kane]

1 hour ago, Ptychodus04 said:

It's kind of like eating an elephant with chopsticks!

LOL! 

I seem to have the opposite, yet similar, problem given how what I work on is much smaller -- like performing knee surgery on a flea.  

[Ptychodus04]

Spend another 3 hours on the Super Jack attack last night. I’m in the process of removing the mass of matrix between the squamosals. Total time is now 48 hours.

 

 

[ynot]

Well, it almost looks like a skull now.

[Ptychodus04]

1 hour ago, ynot said:

Well, it almost looks like a skull now.

Almost.  

[RJB]

That thing is really startin to take shape!  and yeah, moving around a big rock all the time to get that angle you need to prep can get old.  But  has to be done.  Keep going.  lookin good.

 

RB

[Ptychodus04]

I just realized what a terrible photo the last one is. I'm surprised Tim (@Fossildude19) hasn't called me out on that fact already.

[Fossildude19]

11 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

I just realized what a terrible photo the last one is. I'm surprised Tim (@Fossildude19) hasn't called me out on that fact already.

 

It wasn't something I could edit to fix.  

[Ptychodus04]

12 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

 

It wasn't something I could edit to fix.  

That cuts me deep Shrek...

[Fossildude19]

1 minute ago, Ptychodus04 said:

That cuts me deep Shrek...

  ...  

[Ptychodus04]

I got 5 more hours into this prep today. The posterior is really starting to shape up. This is now at 53 hours.

 

[Ptychodus04]

Here’s another view.

 

[Kane]

It's going to be a sad day when you're done and have to give it to the client after all the time you've spent on this. It seems the more hours you spend on a project like this, the more of a "bond" you develop with the specimen!