Dr Mud & The Crab Concretion Crusade

[Doctor Mud]

7 hours ago, mamlambo said:

It's 4am and I'm on my way down to go look at the sand levels now  Hopefully there is something showing!

Oooh! I’m jealous.

Let us know how you go. 

Every day is different on the coast and who knows what you will see!

 

One thing i would do if i was you is get a shorter scribe bit. I’ve never done it, but it would be interesting to film in slow mo the 2 inch tip while the scribe is running. To the naked eye it looks like there can be a few mm of wobble. So it isn’t as precise.

There is always a little wobble and if you can imagine that the longer the bit the more pronounced it becomes.

 

This might not sound a lot, but imagine approaching a previous claw tip with your scribe where you want the scribe tip to be exactly where you want it.

 

Its a trade off. The 2 inch is great for getting into nooks and crannies that will be common in these 3D preserved tumidos, but it isn’t so good for precise work when you don’t need it.

 

 

 

[RJB]

22 hours ago, mamlambo said:

. I've been wondering what the Paleotool ones are like as they get such good reviews online.

 Ive been using the Paleo Tools since I first started.  Started with the ARO.  Way too small for most of what I do.  Went to the ME9100 and has been my favorite tool since!  The ME9100 moves 10 times the rock that the ARO removes.  I finally bought the Super Jack.  Very expensive but has save me hundreds of hours in 'rock rmoval' time.  The Super Jack will move 10 times more rock than the ME9100 and is a wonderful tool for these Tumido concs!!!   The only bad thing with the Super Jack is,,,,,, if you make a mistake, it can be a big mistake. 

 

RB

[Doctor Mud]

10 hours ago, RJB said:

I finally bought the Super Jack

I’m working on getting workshop space. Having a taste for prep while back in New Zealand (Thanks @6ix) and having great fossils to work on makes me yearn for a place to prep!

 

Im getting a quote for a superjack. @RJB looks like you use the chisel stylus for the superjack. Is this ok for the Tumido concretions. They also have a pyramidal tip which the recommend for very hard rock. Have you tried it?

 

Love it if one day you could get one of your sons or someone to film you using the superjack so we can see it in action 

[crabfossilsteve]

I too would recommend the 2 inch stylus for the ME9100 because you can get into all kinds of spaces and you can keep sharpening it for a long time.  I use a finger to control and dampen the stylus, this helps quite a bit to control any wobble and dampen the throw of the stylus.  This can allow you to do some pretty fine work. For taking off large amounts of matrix I've been using a pneumatic cut off saw with a diamond blade to cut down rows and then chisel off. Much cheaper than a superjack...ha ha.

[mamlambo]

So much good crab prepping info in this thread! Thanks @RJB for showing the prepping tools - I think the ME9100 will be my next tool I get. It sounds like exactly what I need!

[Doctor Mud]

22 minutes ago, crabfossilsteve said:

I use a finger to control and dampen the stylus,

Great idea @crabfossilsteve A good way to deal with the wobble. I guess if the work is super fine you can always switch to a microjack. That’s how I work with fossil crabs. 

[Doctor Mud]

6 minutes ago, mamlambo said:

So much good crab prepping info in this thread! Thanks @RJB for showing the prepping tools - I think the ME9100 will be my next tool I get. It sounds like exactly what I need!

A pneumatic cutoff saw and diamond blade like @crabfossilsteve recommended is a much cheaper option that the super Jack. You just have to be careful as once you cut through the crab it’s hard to fix!

With crabs you just have to be careful of the position of the limbs and give a generous margin of error.

Its always a nervous time cutting the rock and chiselling it off! I cut through a shark vert as I was trimming a block full of shark verts, but hey, this stuff happens unless you have x-ray vision or access to medical imaging!

 

@6ix has been kind enough to let me use his set up.

[crabfossilsteve]

When cutting the rows on the concretion, I try to stay well above the plain of the crab checking each cut to see if there is any evidence of shell material showing.  Importantly, using the pneumatic saw produces a large quantity of dust, so do the cutting in a prep box and wear a mask.

[Doctor Mud]

On 11/21/2019 at 10:44 AM, Doctor Mud said:

Love it if one day you could get one of your sons or someone to film you using the superjack so we can see it in action 

I came across this video of the superjack in action from the Paleotools Facebook Page

 

 

[fifbrindacier]

I've looked at the prices, that's quite expensive and i can't afford it. So i'll go on with my dremel for a while.

[Doctor Mud]

1 hour ago, fifbrindacier said:

I've looked at the prices, that's quite expensive and i can't afford it. So i'll go on with my dremel for a while.

They are pricey, but worth the leap if you are really into prep and do it a lot.

i think I might be selling some shark teeth to be able to afford the super Jack right now though!

[fifbrindacier]

9 minutes ago, Doctor Mud said:

They are pricey, but worth the leap if you are really into prep and do it a lot.

i think I might be selling some shark teeth to be able to afford the super Jack right now though!

Sure, that's worth having one to do a good and efficient work.

[Doctor Mud]

1 minute ago, fifbrindacier said:

Sure, that's worth having one to do a good and efficient work.

 

The crab concretions are just so big and there’s is lots of rock to remove. Slicing and chiselling is good, but the super jack will be very useful after that ad there is still a lot of rock to remove.

 

I worked with a dremel and other engravers for a while and you can still do great work, it is just a little slower. Digit removing lots of rock, it is really worth getting the tools.

[fifbrindacier]

Do you also use chemical means or a sandblaster ?

[Doctor Mud]

19 minutes ago, fifbrindacier said:

Do you also use chemical means or a sandblaster ?

Not on the crabs, but I know people who use an air abrasive to finish off the crabs.

Ive used acetic acid on other fossils, but always see it as a last resort. I find it is way more labor intensive than scribing. Unless your fossil is acid resistant you need to protect the exposed fossil, put in acid bath, clean, neutralize in water, dry, protect new exposed fossil, repeat.

 

I have thought about trying acid on a small concretion, as an experiment to compare with scribing though. I imagine the crab shell will dissolve quickly in the acid and you would have to be careful.

Buffering the acid helps protect the fossil. 

 

 

[mamlambo]

I put together a video of the hunt @Doctor Mud and I did when he was over here in New Zealand. It was a bit windy but we had a great time.
 

 

[fifbrindacier]

That's a very interesting video, thank you very much to have posted it.

[Doctor Mud]

It’s almost time to return to New Zealand.

Still deciding if I might just include all future trips in this thread?

 

I don’t have a prep area here (apartment living) so I’m taking tools over to NZ. Hope to get a crab prepped while I’m there!

Going to let @mamlambo try out my tools too.

 

Its been a tough year and I thought 2019 had thrown everything it could at me, but no. I also now have the end of a 12 year relationship. I won’t go into details here.

I think it is for the best, but the timing couldn’t be worse.

Sorry for more negative news, but the support of TFF helps.

 

There will be more fossil searching and soul searching on the coast this summer.

[grandpa]

11 minutes ago, Doctor Mud said:

I also now have the end of a 12 year relationship.

I am so sorry to hear this.  After losing your father, and now your partner, I can't begin to imagine how this must leave you hurting deeply.  Yes, we at TFF are here to give you support during this very tough time.  Feel free to lean on your friends here. 

[Ludwigia]

17 minutes ago, Doctor Mud said:

It’s almost time to return to New Zealand.

Still deciding if I might just include all future trips in this thread?

 

I don’t have a prep area here (apartment living) so I’m taking tools over to NZ. Hope to get a crab prepped while I’m there!

Going to let @mamlambo try out my tools too.

 

Its been a tough year and I thought 2019 had thrown everything it could at me, but no. I also now have the end of a 12 year relationship. I won’t go into details here.

I think it is for the best, but the timing couldn’t be worse.

Sorry for more negative news, but the support of TFF helps.

 

There will be more fossil searching and soul searching on the coast this summer.

Sorry to hear this, but it's a good sign that you're able to be open about it. That's the best way to find ways to work your way through the crisis.

[Doctor Mud]

3 minutes ago, grandpa said:

I am so sorry to hear this.  After losing your father, and now your partner, I can't begin to imagine how this must leave you hurting deeply.  Yes, we at TFF are here to give you support during this very tough time.  Feel free to lean on your friends here. 

Thanks so much.

This year has been quite a test. We had problems, I thought things might end, but things were getting better so it came as a surprise. 

There never is a good time to break up, but boy I think the timing could be better. I understand though that if you aren’t happy and you feel that you have to pretend to be, that can feel so much worse at this time of the year.

[Doctor Mud]

5 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

Sorry to hear this, but it's a good sign that you're able to be open about it. That's the best way to find ways to work your way through the crisis.

Yes, so many people (men can be worse) bottle it up. That’s not good.

Even just writing it down helps. 

[grandpa]

2 minutes ago, Doctor Mud said:

that can feel so much worse at this time of the year.

I'm sure that "time of the year" only serves to heighten the feeling of loss.  My heart goes out to you!

[Doctor Mud]

Since I travel a lot and don’t stay in one town for long, close friends are spread far and wide. Luckily I have great friends I’ve met through here and one in Sydney whonill ve catching up with for a beer or six this afternoon.

[Doctor Mud]

2 minutes ago, grandpa said:

I'm sure that "time of the year" only serves to heighten the feeling of loss.  My heart goes out to you!

Yes, we both had flights booked to visit my mum for Christmas in NZ, so a big surprise and it will be a strange Xmas. Our family is close, and recent events have brought me and my mum much closer. So we will get through it.