Rock pick https://www.axialsupplies.com/product/estwing-e3-22p-rock-pick-hammer/

Blade trowel https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evolution-Small-Stainless-Trowel-Extreme/dp/B018KNWG82?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3U9GENH5SGCOZ

Specimen bags. Retail links to fossil sites not allowed.

These are all useful,although you can still collect with your bare hands.A blade trowel like the one on the link provided are useful for cutting and digging through the clay,although it is not absolutely needed like a pick or specimen bags.hopefully this was useful and hopefully these tools help you find fossils at fort victoria.

We have long needed a category like this, as evinced by such discussions sprinkled throughout several other, more general, forums. We will be moving those topics to this forum for ease of reference; if you come across a candidate, please post a link to it in this thread.

Thank you!

US General tech cart

Reclaimed Shark vacuum canister with HEPA filter and nozzle attachments

USB charging hub

Power strip modified with neodymium magnets

Portable 24 slot storage bins

Wurrkos HD01 PRO (my EDC and raking light buddy for field stuff as well)

Fossil prep and consolidation media

Sand paper grits for polishing

Rotary tools and engraving pen

More alterations and improvements to come as I actually get to use the station.

Any suggestions for improvement of the platform happily welcomed!

I'm beginning research and planning for a fossil hunting trip in and around Western PA to (hopefully) collect a few samples to start my own collection and use in an interpretive program as part of one of my college classes. I'm struggling to come up with a couple parts of this trip, first and foremost being what I'll need to bring along. I'm hoping to collect in a minimally invasive way, but if straight digging is the way to go I'm more than willing to give it a shot. So far I have;

• Osprey Hiking Pack (35 Liter)
• Merrell Hiking boots
• Plastic padded knee pads
• Various bug repellants & sunscreen
• Pocket knife (Benchmade Crooked River)
• Personalized First Aid Kit
• Various notebooks, pens, and pencils
• Duct & Electrical tape
• Two canvas satchels
• Tin foil
• Navigational equipment (GPS locater, compass, paper & electronic maps)

Any recommendations for tools or other equipment I might need or want would be much appreciated!

Though it might be appreciated here.   

YOUTUBE LINK

Cheaper, Alternative build here.

As far as I know, UV lights can identify coprolites. I also know that some stones naturally glow under UV light. I suppose the vast majority of stones with glowing ability will not be mistaken for a fossil.

I am wondering whether it is worth it to get a UV light? Would flint fossils still have some glow in them from organic compounds? 

Or, is this something that will not yield any benefit?

Side question is there any dive helmet on the market that that allows for dive lights to be attached? 

Thanks for any help

Hammering Techniques

For those of us who break and split rock, hammers are by far among the most essential tools in the collecting kit. However, there are a number of best practices we can observe for hammer-use that can increase our power, precision, and reduce the chances of injury. This small primer is designed for those who may not be as comfortable with using a hammer in the field, and those who want to increase their existing skill. The hammer is the extension of your hand, which is an extension of all the muscles that lead up to it.

Part 1: The Hammer Itself

Just like any class of tool, using the right tool for the job is important. Just as one would not use a sledgehammer to drive a nail into a wall to hang a picture (unless they were a maniac like me), there are certain types of hammers that will not be ideal for the job - and in some cases, may cause injury. Having a range of hammers at your disposal is recommended. Having a good arsenal keeps you ready for whatever may come. 

Using the right kind of hammer requires an understanding of the material that will be subject to numerous blows. When dealing with hard, blocky matrix, a heavier hammer head with a sufficient shaft is required. When splitting fissile shale, mason or brick hammers with a chisel-sided end is more appropriate. Geologic hammers with a pick end are the gold standard as they can also be used to pry. Big, dense blocks need sturdy sledge hammers, while cracking nodules or small chunks can be done using a crack hammer.

Unless there is no other option, hammers used for woodworking are not recommended. A nail claw hammer, for example, is simply not made for busting rock. So unless you are oddly trying to drive nails into rocks, leave the claw hammer for work around the house.

For serious rock-busting, the shaft of the hammer should be either a solid steel-forged piece, or fibreglass joined securely to its head. Metal head + wood shaft hammers are not recommended for serious hammering as the head may fly off the shaft and cause injury. Fossil collectors of yesteryear did not have access to drop-forged hammers, but had they the choice they might have opted for not using a wood shaft. 

To supplement the hammer and its brute force, a range of chisels with different ends is effective in better channeling and distributing force, as are pry bars. These are extensions of the hammer blow that channel its force where you want it to go. 

In terms of your hammer, determine the following:

1. What kind of hammer is required for the rock and/or task at hand?
2. Is the hammer of a comfortable weight to be wielded for an extended period of time?

Remember that the hammer has to be right-sized for you. Some may be comfortable with a 10, 5 lb or 3 lb sledge. If the hammer is too heavy or too light for your needs, your results in the field may suffer.

https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/vamp/index.php/VAMP/article/view/29408

abstract: The contribution of microvertebrate fossils towards various paleobiological and geochemical studies are becoming increasingly more numerous and significant. As such, several methods have been developed for the extraction and collection of microfossils from bulk sediment. In the field, screenwashing relies on a sieve in a fluvial setting to passively wet sieve the fossiliferous sediment. Sampling in the field can be much easier as it alleviates the need to transport a large quantity of bulk sediment back to the home institution. However, the primary concerns of sampling bulk matrix in the field are access to a fluvial amenity and availability of sediment that can be successfully wet sieved. We encountered both issues at a locality where: 1) there was no access to any sort of fluvial feature, and 2) even with a man-made water containing feature, the clay-rich sediment at this locality created an impermeable layer in each screen box that clogged the screen, and prevented wet sieving. To overcome these challenges, we designed and implemented a two-part apparatus onsite in the field that relied on a solar-powered water transfer pump to cycle water throughout a system to provide fluvial agitation; whereby preventing the buildup of an impermeable clay layer, and allowing the processing and collection of microvertebrate material from this locality in the field. While there are numerous protocols and methodologies for the processing of microvertebrate material, the methodology we document in this study highlights another technique that can be utilized, and will hopefully prove useful to others encountering similar difficulties.

Any thoughts/experience with this tool for use at Mazonia?

NEW FOLDING TREASURE SCOOP 42"

I am thrilled 2 were being sold locally on Facebook and and I managed to snag one for a veritable steal. I really debated buying both but I couldn't justify it. It was used in an old high school classroom for 20 years but is in remarkable shape I just had to clean gunk off it. It has 10x eye pieces and a 0.8:5 zoom making it 8x to 50x if I'm doing my math right. It has a working distance of 77.5mm. I bought a mountable light ring that's coming in the mail tomorrow and am looking for a Barlow lens. I was thinking a 0.3x super wide field Barlow lens to buy would love to hear any opinions on the matter. Once I get the light I'll update this post.

So, I would like another shoe that will keep stones out for use in creeks like that one.

Anyone know of a good, not too expensive, water shoe for creek use that might fit the bill?

I need help choosing the right camera for photographing fossils and sites. 

Preferably cheaper.

Thanks for answers

sorry for the triple posting unfortunately my computer went crazy

(AKA- spent way too many hours reading archives, got jazzed up with a river at flood stage, and had to do something fossil related to move forward with my life) 

Building a nicer sifter has been on my list for a long while. I saved a nice cedar board from a window sill repair, and have been “gonna make a sifter with it” since.  My current sifter is fine so I decided to make something a little nicer that I can keep a while. A sifter that can live in the boat, is still lightweight but taller than my current version, and buoyant.  

Cedar should be perfect. It’s lighter than most, strong, basically rot proof and naturally buoyant. Since my material was limited I decided to use the CNC to cut it out rather than the bandsaw. Waste not want not. 

The construction fence is something I started using last year. Held up all season incredibly and my favorite part is it’s 3/8”. In my area that appears to be the sweet spot for speed and collection. It stretches like a trampoline and trims up with a razor blade. 

Anyone else got a cheese ball tub of chunkasaurous and dugong bits  

some sanding and shaping along with a little mantra for when I need reminding of why I’m out there. 

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known”  

it’s In really deep so it’s hard to read but over time the letters will darken up while the surface keeps getting rubbed on and it will become really nice. 
 

Also cut some 1/8” veneer cover strips for the bottom. It’s a Sunday sifter. Time to wear the nice shirt. 

It’s screwed together. Predrill cedar or it will crack. To jazz it up I sunk 5/16” counters in and used dowels to hide my screw heads. You can use shorter screws this way too. 

Needs some oil and it’s ready. 

Best part is I won’t need pool noodles for this one.  Needs a dog leash and an eye screw but it’s time for dinner. 

Have a great week everyone! Keep the faith and try to do good!

Jp
 

So the materials: 

- 4 pieces of 1”x3”x20” lumber. I went with pine, cause it was cheap and on sale and very straight.

- Wood glue

- Screws. I used 12 #8 round headed screws.

- Drill for the screws 

- Heavy Duty staple gun + staples

- Hammer

- Wire Cutter

- 1/4” Mesh, enough to cover about 20 squared inches

- Zip/Cable/Wire ties - at least 12, probably going to want long ones, I picked up a pack of 36” ones.

- Pool noodles - enough to fit around 4 sides of the sifter. 
 

So, I have currently ordered, a 4” thick, completely solid pool noodle on its way to me, but since it’ll most likely be here after Sunday when I plan on using my sifter next, I’m using normal pool noodles for now. We’ll see if they manage to keep the sifter up for now.

So to start, I got my wood:

Took 2 pieces, drilled 3 holes within the top inch of the board going right through. I then lined this up with the side of the other piece, and used a pen to mark off where the holes were. I then drilled about a half inch into the other piece of wood.

Next I smeared wood glue onto the area of the wood that would be touching, and then drilled the screws into all 3 holes:

So it looked like this:

I repeated that for the other sides, forming a box:

Next, I grabbed the stapler and the wire mesh, and stapled along the frame to secure the mesh:

Hammering the staples down to keep them in place and make sure the edges are smoother:

Once the mesh was completely on:

I then used the wire cutters to trim the excess mesh:

Next, I cut the pool noodles to size around the frame, realizing I didn’t have quite enough pool noodle, and then zip tied them with my smaller zip ties that barely fit:

I then used parachute cord and a carabiner to finish it off.

The reason for using smaller pool noodles and zip ties is, as I mentioned, that I have the 4” thick, solid pool noodle coming. Being 4” thick, it’ll require the 36” zip ties I bought. It’s also 72” long, which means I can either do 18”/side of pool noodle, or I can do 20”, 20”, and then take another 20” section, cut it in half length-wise, and use each half-pipe shape on the 2 other sides, which is what I currently plan on doing. This’ll give me a good amount of buoyancy while also providing me handles. I’ll update this post when I’ve got the bigger pool noodle, and then again once I’ve tested it out!

Hope everyone’s enjoyed this, and hopefully it’s clear enough to guide people through making their own. Feel free to leave questions if anyone has any!

I’ve also been looking at sifters and found one that got pretty good reviews on Amazon, though it’s pricey. I know a lot of people build their own sifter, but I’d rather just buy one. I am on a budget so I don’t need the best or most expensive tools.

If so, how did you mount the motor to your yak?

I have a "Lifetime" brand kayak with a flat back on it. They sell a metal bracket to mount a small motor that straps on to the back of the yak. Unfortunately, the bracket is almost $200 - about double the cost of the trolling motor I am considering. While I might be able to convince the wife that a $99 trolling motor (plus $50 battery) is necessary, I doubt I can push my luck and drop another $200 on a bracket that is basically $10 worth of stamped steel and a couple of $2 straps.

Honestly, even if I had the cash, I wouldn't drop it on something that probably costs $20 to make. I'm more of a DIY guy.

So, how did you mount your motor?

I am new to fossil hunting and this is my first post.

I just bought an Estwing 24oz chisel edge hammer but I am unsure if the delivered hammer is damaged.

It is almost like some protected coating is worn through at certain points. Also the stamp on the head is way off centre.

Is this legit and in the condition you would expect? Thank you.

What  do you think about this CKG Floating sifter?