Got my dremel 290

[Alvrr.0]

I got my dremel and I want to prep the Ammonite in the picture. Can someone give me some advice or tip to use the tool and for that Ammonite? I will practice first with some Ammonite fragments. The matrix is kinda soft and weak. 

[SPrice]

You will need all the safety gear to protect your eyes, lungs and ears. Good eye coverage safety glasses or goggles. A magnifying glass is a big help also. Like the table clamp on magnifiers.  Ear plugs will do fine. The dremel isn't that loud but long exposure could injure your hearing. A good quality dust filter mask...not a medical COVID mask... to stop the dust from getting into your lungs and causing silicosis over time.

 

Gloves are good. A stable platform to work on. Like a bean bag, rice bag or shot bag.  Or a folded towel with a leather pad on top of it. 

 

The factory tip that comes with the Dremel will work but is not ideal. It's made for engraving into metal not fossil matrix. Ideally, you will need tungsten carbide tips that will fit into the dremel. A drill bit can be ground down to a pointy shape, a hardened steel concrete nail could work. Any hardened tool still rod sharpened to a point will work if you have access to those materials and skills at grinding steel and re-tempering it to hard steel. Which is heat it up and quench it into oil or water then heat it again to the proper temper. Straw color is good. You need blacksmith skills or knife making knowledge to do this correctly and accurately. I purchased the Zoic stylus tips and they are night and day better than the factory tip.

 

Otherwise use the factory tip and do your best with it. Go slow.  Try not to touch the fossil with the tip...it will break it.   Start at the lowest setting. Test on scrap matrix. Light pressure is much better than pushing hard against the matrix. The tool will do the work just by touching the matrix. It is a micro jack hammer. Jamming it hard against the matrix is just plain wrong. Over time you'll get the "feel" of the tool and matrix doing what should happen.

 

This is all simple explanations. Safety for your eyes  and health comes first no matter what.

Edited October 16, 2023 by SPrice

[Alvrr.0]

53 minutes ago, SPrice said:

You will need all the safety gear to protect your eyes, lungs and ears. Good eye coverage safety glasses or goggles. A magnifying glass is a big help also. Like the table clamp on magnifiers.  Ear plugs will do fine. The dremel isn't that loud but long exposure could injure your hearing. A good quality dust filter mask...not a medical COVID mask... to stop the dust from getting into your lungs and causing silicosis over time.

 

Gloves are good. A stable platform to work on. Like a bean bag, rice bag or shot bag.  Or a folded towel with a leather pad on top of it. 

 

The factory tip that comes with the Dremel will work but is not ideal. It's made for engraving into metal not fossil matrix. Ideally, you will need tungsten carbide tips that will fit into the dremel. A drill bit can be ground down to a pointy shape, a hardened steel concrete nail could work. Any hardened tool still rod sharpened to a point will work if you have access to those materials and skills at grinding steel and re-tempering it to hard steel. Which is heat it up and quench it into oil or water then heat it again to the proper temper. Straw color is good. You need blacksmith skills or knife making knowledge to do this correctly and accurately. I purchased the Zoic stylus tips and they are night and day better than the factory tip.

 

Otherwise use the factory tip and do your best with it. Go slow.  Try not to touch the fossil with the tip...it will break it.   Start at the lowest setting. Test on scrap matrix. Light pressure is much better than pushing hard against the matrix. The tool will do the work just by touching the matrix. It is a micro jack hammer. Jamming it hard against the matrix is just plain wrong. Over time you'll get the "feel" of the tool and matrix doing what should happen.

 

This is all simple explanations. Safety for your eyes  and health comes first no matter what.

Thanks you a lot. Another question, does the tungsten tip damage the fossil if it touch it? 

[Ptychodus04]

Any tip will damage a fossil if you touch it while working.

[Bringing Fossils to Life]

I have also thought about this dremel; where can you find the dust masks, like the kn99 that comes with the beginner pack?

[SPrice]

6 hours ago, Bringing Fossils to Life said:

I have also thought about this dremel; where can you find the dust masks, like the kn99 that comes with the beginner pack?

Advance Auto Parts, 5263 Simpson Ferry Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

[Ptychodus04]

14 hours ago, Bringing Fossils to Life said:

I have also thought about this dremel; where can you find the dust masks, like the kn99 that comes with the beginner pack?

Any hardware store should have them. Or, you can find them online easily.