Removing putty-like adhesives

[Macrophyseter]

I am wanting to remove this shark tooth for photography purposes, but it is attached to the display case via some putty-like adhesive. I haven't tried poking at it in fear of damaging the tooth (which is quite brittle), but it does appear to be somewhat hardened, although I may be wrong. Does anyone know how to best remove putties using household materials with minimal damage to the fossil? 

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

[DPS Ammonite]

Take a stiff wire like a piano/guitar wire and hold it with both hands. Try to cut thru the putty where it meets the white box. Try to cut away most of the remaining putty with a utility/Xacto knife. Then, try to dissolve the remaining putty with common solvents such as turpentine, acetone or rubbing alcohol. Be careful if you think that the tooth has been glued or restored; you might dissolve it.

[caldigger]

I'll bet it's not as hard as you think. Try taking a paper clip or something real skinny and poke into it. 

If it's normal mounting putty, it should not harden and will lift off if pried upon. A butter knife or the like placed right next to the putty to give as much surface area supported along the tooth blade when you pry up will put the least amount of stress on the fossil.

[Ptychodus04]

On 7/31/2019 at 1:28 AM, caldigger said:

I'll bet it's not as hard as you think. Try taking a paper clip or something real skinny and poke into it. 

If it's normal mounting putty, it should not harden and will lift off if pried upon. A butter knife or the like placed right next to the putty to give as much surface area supported along the tooth blade when you pry up will put the least amount of stress on the fossil.

I agree. This looks like normal mounting putty. I have a fossil dealer friend in the UK who mounts all of his small specimens thusly in the same acrylic cases. It is effectively the stuff us late 80's - early 90's teens used to stick our posters to the walls of our bedrooms so our parents wouldn't scream at us about all the holes in the walls...and ceiling.