Jump to content

Ptychodus04’s Fossil Fish Prepapalooza


Ptychodus04

Recommended Posts

53 minutes ago, Randyw said:

So on these do you stabilize the whole piece of just the fish?

The whole back side gets Paraloid and the edges get soaked with Paleobond. On the front, it’s just the fish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finished up this nightmare prep for @holdinghistory last night. This Diplo is huge and must have been a real stinker judging from the amount of decomposition evident. This one was tough. It’s actually harder to prep a rotted fish due to the bone displacement. When the bones are in the right spot, they help hold the scales in place. Without them, the scales also move around, get super thin and leave blank areas. This just proves the bias I get as a preparator. When you see these all the time, only perfect is good enough.

 

2C261025-B96D-4B83-B9F1-08799E8B71EF.thumb.jpeg.ae3fc401f2059699d35e5b083d31884f.jpeg

  • I found this Informative 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I finished up this Diplo and Knightia plate last night. Those are some rotten fish! As you can see, a huge section of ribs floated off the Diplo and the Knightia on the bottom right is basically a pile of bones.


E0615F22-97D3-4B45-BF57-4066704DB1A7.thumb.jpeg.52fd3139148882ba7cc85d7f7782d3b7.jpeg

 

  • I found this Informative 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it wrong to say that you make a rotting fish look good @Ptychodus04:whistle:

  • I found this Informative 1

Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, daves64 said:

Is it wrong to say that you make a rotting fish look good @Ptychodus04:whistle:

Not as long as you’re talking about my prep skills rather than my looks. :heartylaugh:
 

15 minutes ago, Arlie said:

I think it’s a neat piece! You do an awesome job, makes me want to try prepping lol

Don’t do it! It will suck you in. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This monster, heavy bottom cap slab has 2 huge Knightias. The largest is 7” long! I’m contemplating a vertical display for this piece to give it the “swimming upstream” effect.


Before photo as it sat last night:

9B3BCB78-197A-4069-B8BC-5CEE46C8DCDF.thumb.jpeg.fb5b0f35001cc8eadd029ef7d0f443c7.jpeg

 

And after prep:

03D3E4C1-2808-46AC-B92B-B6C361A102C4.thumb.jpeg.cdd36a08c1ab2382259714a724dfd0cd.jpeg

50E6E9A6-5026-4687-B5D0-4FF7CE45A8A9.thumb.jpeg.b091f6ee2c75f316c7995f380fab8dff.jpeg
F1A89D7C-570C-41BF-8FE1-65F0799B584D.thumb.jpeg.92e99a53be2b2ba933e45227cbfa7b43.jpeg

 

  • I found this Informative 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/9/2020 at 2:30 PM, Ptychodus04 said:

I finished up this nightmare prep for @holdinghistory last night. This Diplo is huge and must have been a real stinker judging from the amount of decomposition evident. This one was tough. It’s actually harder to prep a rotted fish due to the bone displacement. When the bones are in the right spot, they help hold the scales in place. Without them, the scales also move around, get super thin and leave blank areas. This just proves the bias I get as a preparator. When you see these all the time, only perfect is good enough.

 

2C261025-B96D-4B83-B9F1-08799E8B71EF.thumb.jpeg.ae3fc401f2059699d35e5b083d31884f.jpeg

 

Thanks Kris :-).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I’ve been off the prep train for a bit as I’ve had a rather nasty bout with some virus that made me wish I was dead last week. This weekend I was feeling a bit better (thus I spent a little time working some bits of steel) but felt that coughing up both lungs all day wasn’t conducive to quality preparation results. So, the lab is feeling lonely.

 

I did a minor bit of work finally assembling a piece my wife wanted me to test out. So, I give you Mrs. P04’s Knightia clock.

 

 

C114EEDF-00BF-4406-B02D-162849A9B503.thumb.jpeg.445d3d1692690f2e606130a4295ab4fc.jpeg
 

What do you think? I think it turned out well. I need to make a nice metal stand for it, but that can wait until this weekend.

  • I found this Informative 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's come out quite nicely. I like that you've kept the clock a bit separate from the fossil, that way it has two focuses, the fossils don't distract from reading the clock and the clock doesn't take away from the fossils. Good work!

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Randyw said:

That’s a cool idea!

 

8 hours ago, Huntonia said:

I think it's come out quite nicely. I like that you've kept the clock a bit separate from the fossil, that way it has two focuses, the fossils don't distract from reading the clock and the clock doesn't take away from the fossils. Good work!

Thanks guys. :thumbsu:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did you get the time to make that, looks really cool . It must have been a little nerve racking drilling that hole out for the clock.  Very nice work.

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ludwigia said:

Your wifey had a nice idea and you did a good job realizing it.

Thank you sir.

1 hour ago, Bobby Rico said:

How did you get the time to make that, looks really cool . It must have been a little nerve racking drilling that hole out for the clock.  Very nice work.

Oh, there's a comic in the house...:default_rofl: It was actually more nerve racking to put the numbers on and get the alignment right. The rock is so soft that drilling was the easy part.

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

:thumbsu: Awesome clock. Now we know where your good ideas come from. :D

  • I found this Informative 1

Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks amazing!

  • I found this Informative 1

"There is no shortage of fossils. There is only a shortage of paleontologists to study them." - Larry Martin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After 2 weeks out of the lab due to a gnarly virus, I had enough tIme between coughing fits To spend some time on one of my Mioplosus preps.

 

The fins on this fish are amazing and alternating between the micro jack and abrasive is teasing out the details on the caudal fin.

5AF01F1F-180C-4A2C-8CAA-8AAA22219FA6.thumb.jpeg.77117337a3321d5b1de0a0b211a2eae0.jpeg


Here’s a 10x view through the microscope of the very tip of the ventral ray of the caudal fin.

3AC35EAC-B2D6-4F63-A23D-7B40A9883BE8.thumb.jpeg.ac7c41bb2b10337eaab77cfb37225d3b.jpeg
 

You can’t ask for better preservation. The problem is the time it takes to prep out these details. I’m already around 15 hours into this fish and I easily have that much or more to finish it. :DOH:

  • I found this Informative 4
  • Thank You 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  The clock fish,,,,,  looks fantastic!  I hope you dont mind if I steal that idea?   The mio tail,,,,,,,  freakin awsome!!!   You do some nice work my freind and im glad your feeling better. 

 

RB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, RJB said:

  The clock fish,,,,,  looks fantastic!  I hope you dont mind if I steal that idea?   The mio tail,,,,,,,  freakin awsome!!!   You do some nice work my freind and im glad your feeling better. 

 

RB

Steal away sir. I finished the tail yesterday. It will look great once I get the leftover bicarb off.

 

D0503F09-3FF2-4D99-8D0B-D31513D2A670.thumb.jpeg.67571e771abca0ce73ee509300fd8272.jpeg

  • I found this Informative 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...