Penn dixie never disappoints!

[rachelgardner01]

Penn Dixie never disappoints

 Hubby and I went last Saturday and I got loads of goodies.  I find it rather interesting how all of these trilobites came from the same small area but the way they sit is so different.   I would be curious to find out  About the conditions that cause the "hugging" trilobites. It's hard to see because I need to be cleaned but each little group has a couple of them , mostly belly to belly. I'm trying to clean them useing an etching pen and a soft brush but pieces keep breaking off and I'm not sure how to do it without them crumbling.

 

 

[Ludwigia]

Just imagine the surf and the currents tossing those molts around and getting them all mixed up in a trough before they settled down to get fossilized That's a nice double there.

[rachelgardner01]

31 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

Just imagine the surf and the currents tossing those molts around and getting them all mixed up in a trough before they settled down to get fossilized That's a nice double there.

I kind of thought that, like bugs trapped in a puddle on a rainy day.

[Ludwigia]

2 minutes ago, rachelgardner01 said:

I kind of thought that, like bugs trapped in a puddle on a rainy day.

You got it

[Fossildude19]

Great finds!   

Nice double, as Roger said!

Now, we just have to get you prepping.  

[Jeffrey P]

Very nice double and some cool rollers besides. Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

[Pagurus]

You did well! I'm glad you had a good day. 

[Nimravis]

Great finds- congrats

[FossilNerd]

Very cool finds! The double is very nice as the others have said. Looks like you might have some decent eye detail in a few of them as well! 

[rachelgardner01]

2 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Great finds!   

Nice double, as Roger said!

Now, we just have to get you prepping.  

 I've been practicing with an etching pen and have quite a few pieces of trilobites   to practice on without being upset when they break, but it seems like I need to make to leep to air tools. 

[Monica]

Beautiful trilos - congrats!

[Fossildude19]

17 hours ago, rachelgardner01 said:

 I've been practicing with an etching pen and have quite a few pieces of trilobites   to practice on without being upset when they break, but it seems like I need to make to leep to air tools. 

 

Don't discount hand tools. It may take longer, but good results can be had. 

hrguy54 has done some amazing work with safety pins, dental picks, and patience.   

[rachelgardner01]

With smaller pieces I certainly don't mind . It's nice to sit back in a chair in the evening with hubby and just whittle away at a fossil.   I am thinking about upgrading for some bigger pieces.  Maybe the Paasche AECR Remote Air Eraser Etching Tool.  I have a 20 gallon air compressor and a work Room with plenty of windows.   I'm researching what is best for me but its quite the rabbit hole to go down! Yikes. 

[Kane]

56 minutes ago, rachelgardner01 said:

With smaller pieces I certainly don't mind . It's nice to sit back in a chair in the evening with hubby and just whittle away at a fossil.   I am thinking about upgrading for some bigger pieces.  Maybe the Paasche AECR Remote Air Eraser Etching Tool.  I have a 20 gallon air compressor and a work Room with plenty of windows.   I'm researching what is best for me but its quite the rabbit hole to go down! Yikes. 

I'm perhaps second only to Malcolm in terms of the number of these PD bugs I've prepped.  The Paasche will work well for these (most times; other times one wants to throw it across the room), and baking soda will be the best abrasive to use on this material. Some kind of blast box + shop vac and magnification (microscope) will improve your results. Of course, it'll take patience, it will be loud, but you sound like you already have patience in spades if you've been doing them by hand. Another important item to go on the shopping list would be some kind of air-dryer on your air eraser line to make sure moisture doesn't make the blast media clump in the line or unit. Also, some 18 gauge dispensing needles to affix on the end of your Paasche really helps for getting in between the segments. Those can be bought in bags cheaply from the auction site. 

[Malcolmt]

My first ones from Penn were prepped with an engraver, magnifying glass and sewing machine needles in a pin vice... along with a tooth brush and baking soda at the end...

 

I have lost track over the years of how many I have prepped ... I know they have made their way all over the world  over the years

[rachelgardner01]

All very doable. I just need to take it step by step

[Misha]

I have had some luck with Penn Dixie fossil prep using a tungsten carbide scriber, you need to be careful though since it is quite hard and can damage your fossils but from the work I have done it has gone well and the only times it didn't work so great was for Weeks formation matrix that I tried prepping.

Scribers are available at many hardware stores and are super cheap!

[Al Tahan]

Awesome double!!! Great trip