dsaavedra Posted October 1, 2023 Share Posted October 1, 2023 Today I spotted a bit of ecphora shell exposed in a sandy/clay stream bank. When I removed it from the bank I was shocked to find it was whole and HUGE! As far as I know it is pretty rare to find these in unbroken condition and this is the largest one I've ever come across. I got it home and started cleaning it off. Most of the sand/clay washed away easily with gentle running water and a soft bristled brush, but the portion that was exposed to the air seems to have cemented itself to the shell and turned a whitish color, while the portion that was not exposed was dark brown and softer. I've picked away at the "cemented" stuff (sorry, I don't really know the correct terms to describe this) with dental picks and made some progress but I am worried I'll damage the shell doing this. Can anyone offer any advice on how to finish cleaning this off without damaging the shell? Thanks. I've included a few photos and I'm happy to provide more detail if needed 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted October 1, 2023 Share Posted October 1, 2023 I would suggest using potassium hydroxide following these instructions. 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted October 1, 2023 Share Posted October 1, 2023 Nice. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsaavedra Posted October 2, 2023 Author Share Posted October 2, 2023 3 hours ago, Ludwigia said: I would suggest using potassium hydroxide following these instructions. Thanks, I figured an acidic solution would be no good as it would eat away at the shell. This stuff sounds pretty potent though - do you think it's suitable for a complete novice? I usually just collect shark teeth from the beach, this is my first time with a fossil that actually needs some preparation. I'm also curious to hear the community's thoughts on preservation/consolidation of this fossil. It feels solid enough, it doesn't crumble when I handle it or brush it or even scrape it, but knowing how delicate ecphora fossils can be I can't help but feel like it will just shatter if I look at it wrong. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted October 2, 2023 Share Posted October 2, 2023 7 hours ago, dsaavedra said: do you think it's suitable for a complete novice? You'll never know until you try, will you? Otherwise you might find someone with experience to help you. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted October 2, 2023 Share Posted October 2, 2023 I think it looks purty cool just the way it is. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted October 2, 2023 Share Posted October 2, 2023 @dsaavedra I'd also be curious to see a photo showing the aperture. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsaavedra Posted October 2, 2023 Author Share Posted October 2, 2023 I'm not the best at photographing fossils but here's a view of the apertural side. The only damage is a few small chipped edges on the lower part of the aperture, and the tip is broken off. The fossil is 2.25" wide by 2.75" long, much larger than my previous best (most complete) specimen, also shown in the photo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted October 3, 2023 Share Posted October 3, 2023 On 10/1/2023 at 7:18 PM, dsaavedra said: Thanks, I figured an acidic solution would be no good as it would eat away at the shell. This stuff sounds pretty potent though - do you think it's suitable for a complete novice? I usually just collect shark teeth from the beach, this is my first time with a fossil that actually needs some preparation. I'm also curious to hear the community's thoughts on preservation/consolidation of this fossil. It feels solid enough, it doesn't crumble when I handle it or brush it or even scrape it, but knowing how delicate ecphora fossils can be I can't help but feel like it will just shatter if I look at it wrong. Potassium hydroxide is a strong base. It will not damage the shell, but it will remove anything that is jammed into potential cracks. This would result in your specimen falling apart if there are any cracks being held together by cemented matrix. I would try to remove the moss and leave it as is personally. There's nothing you can do to keep a delicate fossil from breaking if it is stable already. Just treat it with appropriate care and don't handle it often. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsaavedra Posted October 3, 2023 Author Share Posted October 3, 2023 6 hours ago, Ptychodus04 said: Potassium hydroxide is a strong base. It will not damage the shell, but it will remove anything that is jammed into potential cracks. This would result in your specimen falling apart if there are any cracks being held together by cemented matrix. I would try to remove the moss and leave it as is personally. There's nothing you can do to keep a delicate fossil from breaking if it is stable already. Just treat it with appropriate care and don't handle it often. That's a good point, I hadn't considered that the cemented matrix may be holding parts of this fossil together. Thanks for the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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