How to proceed with these ?

[Danielc1998]

Hello everyone.

 

I have been collecting fossils for three weeks only, but the couple of hunting trips i did proved very productive, i think.

Now, fossil hunting is fun, but as far as fossil preparation goes, it seems like a pretty different story and much more difficult than I thought. I have seen many videos on YouTube, but they are all about individual fossils already partially extracted and simple geometric shapes, like ammonites. So I'm wondering if some more experienced members of this forum could help me with some questions and give me some advice on how to proceed.

 

QUESTIONS

1) Most of the rocks I found look like the image1 to 5. It seems to me that there isn't much to extract from them. Probably the fossil is completely worn off,  and only that little mark on the surface of the rock is all that is left. Am I right ? Any suggestions about what can be done with this type of fossils?

2)  The heaviest rocks I found, seems the most promising, image6 to 12, but they are massive, it could take me years to remove all the excess of rock. Any suggestions as to how to proceed? It seems to me that besides the visible fossil/s , there could be something else hidden.  Is there any rule as to how to expose multiple fossils in the same matrix? Do you sacrifice some for the sake of others? How do you choose? 
 

3) Have anyone tried any of these cheap microscopes like this one on amazon ? Any recommendations?

https://amzn.eu/d/ahyVExk

 

Too many questions for a first post, I apologise !! But if anyone could put me in the right track, I would be very grateful.
Thanks to all in advance ! 

 

 

[Ludwigia]

1. You're right. I'd leave them as they are.

 

2. Some of your photos are a bit too fuzzy to make out the details. It depends on what tools you have available. You should peruse some of the other posts in this Fossil Preparation section to get some ideas. There are no "rules". You just go about it bit by bit, taking your time to study what needs to be exposed. And yes, sometimes one has to sacrifice something, but that's a pure matter of individual choice as to what has to go.

 

3. Sorry, but I can't help you on this subject. It of course depends on how much you are willing to invest.

[Fossildude19]

Most of these look like rugose corals, many in cross section.

I also see crinoid stems, and perhaps orthocone nautiloids.

10 might be a coral, like Siphonodendron.

 

Most of these could only be polished, to make them look better.

Most can't be prepped out, so I wouldn't even try it.

 

Yes, sometimes you have to sacrifice some fossils to split the rocks further.

Unfortunately, sometimes you ruin fossils for no reason. Other times, you luck out, and find some better fossils inside.

It is really just luck, at that point.

 

Can't help with the microscope, though.

 

@Brian James Maguire
 

[Brian James Maguire]

Hi there and welcome to the forum, like the guys said above i would agree , most of what you have is coral or crinoid in cross section so nothing really to prep out as such but some of them you could polish and that would make them pop, have e good look around the site here, there is a vast amount of info here regarding prep, on a final note you have some really nice specimens there as they are so well done !

[doushantuo]

Great to see another poster from Ireland!! 

[Danielc1998]

Great. Thank you all for your replies.  

Do you think nro 9 or 10 is not possible to extract or expose more of the coral in them ? They seem to be pretty much intact inside the rock.