Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'martin marietta'.
-
Okay, for all my friends who asked how I breakdown the matrix and look at it, this is how I breakdown the Martin Marietta Cretaceous marl type matrix. The Matrix I work, is from Martin Marietta Cement Quarry 5-8 inch thick phosphate pebble layer. 1. It starts with placing about 20 pounds or fill 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket with the raw matrix. 2. Then I add about 4 bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide, to cover the matrix completely. Let this set for at least 24 hours. Then, it will be broken apart enough to sift. 3. I Sift it 5 different sizes. 1/2", 1/4", 1/8", 1/16", and 1mm. What falls thru the 1mm sifter, I usually use a gold panning technique to remove the remaining dirt, as the phosphate (everything black fossilized) is heavier than the marl type matrix. 4. Once sifted, I allow it to dry in the sun. This seams to setup or harden the fossils somewhat. 5. After a complete drying, I place them in individual ziploc bags and write the location and what it is on the bag. These are stored for rainy days when I can't get to the field to hunt. 6. Now it's just looking thru it under magnification to find the fossils. I use a 2-180X AMScope inspection microscope with wide field of view.. I made my own tweezers to fit my hand.Took a pair of curved tweezers and filed down the tip to allow picking up finer materials, roughed up the grabbing side of the tip with a file, and added a shaped wooden handle to fit my hands. I find about 5 aprox. 1/2" fossils per 20 pounds of matrix. I find several hundred small to micro fossils as well.
- 8 replies
-
- 5
-
- 90 million year old contact
- cretaceous
- (and 3 more)
-
Some new finds that I made while breaking down 2 buckets full of rock. Martin Marietta quarry field trip, Dallas Paleo Society, 4-9-16. Mostly shark teeth, with 1 broken fish vert,
- 3 replies
-
- atco contact
- martin marietta
-
(and 2 more)
Tagged with: