What would be the best fossil prep setup in regards to value for money

[HelicoprionChristian]

I have been using dremels (290 and 7760) and hand tools for the most part so far, but I am looking to expand the range of tools I could use. Specifically, I would to start sandblasting and using air scribes. Thus I would be grateful if you could provide any information regarding all the necessary kit I would need (compressors, tubing etc) and where I can get these pieces for the best value for money.

 

Thank you,

HelicoprionChristian

[Kane]

Well, as any preparator here will tell you, be prepared to spend a lot of money and that the costs continue through regular maintenance. I would easily say about $1,200 USD just to get set up with a good compressor and some basic air tools. It is not a cheap hobby, and costs escalate quickly. If it were easy and cheap, everyone would do it.  

 

Let's start with the compressor: you will need 60 litres at least. You will also likely need a blast box, shop vac, and water traps on the line. 

 

Scribes will depend on the material you are preparing, but be prepared to shell out a lot for those. A good scribe is easily $500. You can go cheaper, but the conventional wisdom is "buy right the first time." Your results may be reflective of what you paid for the tools.

 

Abrasion is a whole other kettle of fish. Your cheapest option is a Paasche, mid-line is a Vaniman, and the great units like Swam or Comco will be a four digit expense. And don't forget you will need to buy the right blast media for your projects. 

 

Perhaps tell us more about the material you will be working with. Not all the specialized tools are right for the job. 

 

I am going to tag two of many of our expert preparators here to provide any further advice. @Ptychodus04 @RJB

[Ludwigia]

You could also spend some time perusing this section where a lot of useful advice can be found.

[RJB]

I cant really put it any better than what Kane has already posted.  I can tell you that I am on more expensive side of prep tools.  Compressor, 1400 bucks.  Air abraider, 4200 bucks and a few more thousand on all the tools I use.  Then there are all the incidentals.   But what a great hobbie.  Going on 31 years now.  Good luck to ya.

 

RB

[Ptychodus04]

@Kane offers good advice. Prep tools tend to be very specialized so, knowing what you want to start prepping will help. My first scribe was an Aro clone and it served me well for many years. I now have multiple scribes for different purposes.

 

For your compressor, CFM is as important as tank volume. It needs to be rated for a minimum of 5cfm @ 90psi. The higher the rating the faster it will recover and the more tank volume you have will lengthen the time between cycles. This is important for the life of the compressor.

 

Abrasives also introduce more equipment than just the blaster. You also need a blast cabinet and dust collection system.

 

Next up is magnification. You need a minimum of 5x. Without magnification, you are going to put tool marks on your specimens. Your best route is a zoom stereo microscope but they come with a higher price tag as well. With magnification comes the need for additional lighting.

 

Now, we move on to PPE. You can cause permanent damage to your body if you prep unprotected. You need hearing protection (scribes are loud), eye protection (scribes throw chips of rock), and lung protection (prepping creates lots of dust). Much of the dust generated from prepping is 3 microns or smaller. Long term inhalation of these small particles will cause silicosis and/or pulmonary fibrosis. Neither of these conditions are a pleasant way to die. Get a P100 rated respirator. They filter 99.97% of all particles larger than .3 microns.

 

You just opened Pandora’s Box and I’m sure you can start to see how the expenses add up.

[ParkerPaleo]

Adhesives are a continuing expense as well.   I have a small chemical storage cabinet for things like acetone, acids, CA glues, Vinac, epoxies, etc.

[hadrosauridae]

Yep, pretty much everything that said above.

 

An air scribe would be the cheapest way to step up your prepping, but your looking at an air compressor system and scribe.  You can get away with using something like a desk magnifying lamp and no blast box for a bare-bones starter.  A word of caution though, without a box, whatever room you work in will be extreme dirty all the time.  I dont know about prices in your area, but here in the US, a bare minimum compressor will be around $300.  A Chicago pneumatic CP9160 scribe will cost about $150.  You need an air compressor line filter / drier which will be at least $100 (that would get a very cheap quality set).  Plan on probably another $100 for hoses and fittings.  Earphone prices vary greatly depending on quality, but  goggles/glasses are pretty cheap.  I cant remember how much respirators cost.

 

Now, assuming you want to build a vacuum dust handling system (and you REALLY should), youre going to need a decent shop-vac vacuum, probably some extra lengths of vac hose, some 90 degree elbows, some 5-gal buckets to make a water-trap filter.... so all that will probably be another $150.

 

The size of your blast box (and lets face it, youre going to build one eventually, you might as well do it now and not have a filthy prep room) depends on the area you have to work with.  Sizing up doesnt increase cost too much, so make it big enough.  Plan on another $100 for lumber and supplies, assuming you already have wood working tools or have access to them.

 

So, thats about $900 for a VERY cheap, entry level, single air-scribe prep station.  

 

Lastly, if you live in an apartment, you probably shouldnt start down this road.  Air compressors are loud and vibrate a LOT.  Your neighbors will absolutely hate you.