how to protect fossil fish?

[suchomimus20]

i just got this knightia fossil recently and i was wondering if there anyway to protect it from flaking because they look pretty thin to me . I'm only an amateur collector and joined the forum recently so i'm don't know much about stuff like this.

Edited April 22, 2019 by suchomimus20
forgot to add a emoticon which would look good and is relevant to the topic manly because i did not know to answer to it and the emoticon is a person (face) rubbing there chin because they don't know and answer.

[caldigger]

Check out the fossil preparation topic, you might find this subject has been dealt with before.

Welcome to the Forum.

[Mark Kmiecik]

12 hours ago, suchomimus20 said:

i just got this knightia fossil recently and i was wondering if there anyway to protect it from flaking because they look pretty thin to me . I'm only an amateur collector and joined the forum recently so i'm don't know much about stuff like this.

If it's a specimen from the Green River formation in Wyoming it will be just fine without any help, as long as you keep it someplace where it won't collect a lot of dust, and if it does you just rinse it off with running water and a soft brush. It won't flake and peel if you don't pick at it and touch the surface of the specimen itself. If you look at most specimens in museums of fish and other fossils from that location you'll see there has been nothing done to preserve or enhance them. It may look and be quite thin, but it's not as fragile as it looks. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not always the case and fossils from other locations and of other plants and animals can be very fragile and will need some treatment to keep them intact. If you bought the fossil from a dealer at a show or online it most likely has already received any treatment it would require. Post a photo of it with a crisp close-up and we can probably determine if it needs any help and let you know.

 

And, like caldigger said, search the forum topics -- this has been covered here before in detail. Also, if you follow the forum you will see the types that do need some sort of preparation and/or preservation. Many specimens taken from coal beds and certain types of shale need to be preserved/consolidated immediately in the field as they will dry, curl and peel off the matrix within minutes of being uncovered. You can Google most of the info, but nothing beats reading a good book on the subject. It (fossil preservation) has been done for over 150 years and in many different ways, so you're not going to get all the info from one source.

[suchomimus20]

1 hour ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

If it's a specimen from the Green River formation in Wyoming it will be just fine without any help, as long as you keep it someplace where it won't collect a lot of dust, and if it does you just rinse it off with running water and a soft brush. It won't flake and peel if you don't pick at it and touch the surface of the specimen itself. If you look at most specimens in museums of fish and other fossils from that location you'll see there has been nothing done to preserve or enhance them. It may look and be quite thin, but it's not as fragile as it looks. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not always the case and fossils from other locations and of other plants and animals can be very fragile and will need some treatment to keep them intact. If you bought the fossil from a dealer at a show or online it most likely has already received any treatment it would require. Post a photo of it with a crisp close-up and we can probably determine if it needs any help and let you know.

 

And, like caldigger said, search the forum topics -- this has been covered here before in detail. Also, if you follow the forum you will see the types that do need some sort of preparation and/or preservation. Many specimens taken from coal beds and certain types of shale need to be preserved/consolidated immediately in the field as they will dry, curl and peel off the matrix within minutes of being uncovered. You can Google most of the info, but nothing beats reading a good book on the subject. It (fossil preservation) has been done for over 150 years and in many different ways, so you're not going to get all the info from one source.

okay thanks i'll do some more research in to this

 

9 hours ago, caldigger said:

Check out the fossil preparation topic, you might find this subject has been dealt with before.

Welcome to the Forum.

thanks

[Mark Kmiecik]

I just noticed that I used some words that should not be substituted for each other if you want others to understand what you are saying. Sorry, my bad. Let me explain:

 

Preservation  -- This is the process which, over geologic time, makes it possible for a fossil to form.

Preparation   -- This is the process which is used to expose or remove the fossil from the matrix or to remove debris from the fossil. (Not always necessary)

Consolidation -- This is the process which is used to strengthen and/or coat a fossil with a protective substance to decrease fragility and ensure longevity, and sometimes to improve                                      contrast for better viewing. (Not always necessary)

 

 

[Ptychodus04]

On 4/22/2019 at 4:59 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

...just rinse it off with running water and a soft brush.

Only do this if you don't want to have a fossil any longer. More than likely, this fish is from the Split Fish Layer aka Sandwich Beds. This would make it extremely fragile and even more so if gotten wet. The first cardinal rule of fossil curation is not to apply water to an already dry specimen. This is a recipe for disaster in certain circumstances.

 

I would suggest lightly dusting with a feather duster or soft brush if the specimen gets dusty. If it is falling apart, there's a ton of info on the preparation forum about consolidation.

[Yoda]

On 22/04/2019 at 10:59 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

I but nothing beats reading a good book on the subject.

What book would you suggest? 

[Mark Kmiecik]

7 hours ago, Yoda said:

What book would you suggest? 

Take a look here. Some very good info and sources. 

http://preparation.paleo.amnh.org/39/conserving

[Yoda]

On 26/04/2019 at 8:11 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

Take a look here. Some very good info and sources. 

http://preparation.paleo.amnh.org/39/conserving

Thanks 

will look at that website 

[Ptychodus04]

On 4/26/2019 at 6:52 AM, Yoda said:

What book would you suggest? 

Check out “Vertebrate Paleontological Techniques Vol. I” Leiggi and May 1995.

 

It is a treasure trove of preparation and excavation info.

[Yoda]

10 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Check out “Vertebrate Paleontological Techniques Vol. I” Leiggi and May 1995.

 

It is a treasure trove of preparation and excavation info.

Had a look on ABE and Amazon.

Not a cheap publication 

 

Does anyone know if it's available online as a pdf? 

[Ptychodus04]

6 hours ago, Yoda said:

Had a look on ABE and Amazon.

Not a cheap publication 

 

Does anyone know if it's available online as a pdf? 

Not cheap but worth every dollar. 

 

It is the braintrust if some of the best preparators if the time.

[Yoda]

17 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Not cheap but worth every dollar. 

 

It is the braintrust if some of the best preparators if the time.

Ok, I will keep an eye out for a decently priced copy 

[suchomimus20]

On 4/27/2019 at 4:41 AM, Mark Kmiecik said:

Take a look here. Some very good info and sources. 

http://preparation.paleo.amnh.org/39/conserving

Thanks for the link, I've saved it in case i need it in the future