Newbie from Belgium

[Ibrufen]

Hi everybody!

 

I just started collecting fossils some weeks ago. I went to Cap Blanc Nez, France and now i’m hooked. It’s an amazing site to look for fossils and i’m very much a water/beach person. Ammonites seem to peak my interest a bit more as they have such wonderful shapes. I’m super proud of my first haul that is shown in the pictures here.
 

I have some questions regarding the big ammonite:

 

1: I think i will buy some kind of electric tool that has a small pick that vibrates to remove some of the matrix in the middle. Are there any recommendations as to what tool i should use?

 

2: As you can see there are some blobs of pyrite in there. Could i somehow expose those pyrites so they are all shiny without damaging the ammonite?

 

3: There is a small piece that came off when i extracted the ammonite. What type of glue should i use for this kind of sandstone? 
 

4 I know i need some Paraloid. I believe i need a 50/50 mix? I don’t know anything about this but i’m mostly using youtube to educate myself but any tips are more than welcome.

 

Thank you all for reading and taking the time to answer my questions.
 

 

[Kane]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I may be able to answer a few of your questions, but you may already find some of those answers in our Fossil Preparation section.

 

1. You may be thinking of a Dremel, which is an electric engraver. Some people do manage to make that work for them fairly well, but they also take more time (and may be less precise) than an air scribe. That said, going the air scribe route is not a cheap option and also requires a lot of other expenses such as a big enough air compressor, a blast chamber of sorts, etc. 

 

2. I can't quite make out the pyrite in your photos, so I'm unsure what to recommend beyond the more general advice to simply be careful in how you use whichever tool you bring to the job.  

 

3. For most glue jobs, I use cyanoacrylate (marketed as "crazy" or "super" glue). These come in different viscosities. With that type of glue, less is more. 

 

4. You could get by without paraloid for what you have pictured here. I see paraloid for more delicate specimens or bone material. You can do a search here on the forum for paraloid and see a lot of excellent posts. 

[rocket]

Welcome to TFF

Nice findings, I think the ammonite is a middle or upper cenomanian Acanthoceras rothomagense, really nice for this kind of ammonite.

Prep of this ammonites goes best with small chissels, small hammer, air-scribe or something like an engraver (good ones are not expensive and easy to handle)

good luck!

Edited July 25, 2023 by rocket

[Fin Lover]

Welcome to the forum!

[Fossildude19]

Welcome. Nice finds.  

[grandpa]

Welcome to the forum.

[Mark Kmiecik]

Welcome from Illinois.

[automech]

Very nice finds! Welcome from Maryland, USA!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to TFF from Morocco. 

Nice finds. 

[Ibrufen]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I’ve started to prep it

[rocket]

wow, looks like you have talents in prepping! Good start

[Yoda]

Welcome to the Forum

 

Have a look in the Fossil Prep section of the forum.

Lots of good info there. 

 

Great work you have done there. 

[Stingray]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Echinoid Express]

Hello and welcome from North Carolina! That's a really cool ammonite!

[KJ17]

Can’t wait to see more pics as you progress. I just acquired a similar ammonite and am hoping to work on it also!

[Gizmo]

Welcome aboard!