RockHound66 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I will attempt number 2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 Sold! And that concludes our free auction... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hashemdbouk Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 As promised, here's a before and after cleaning picture of the Eupatagus antillarum (fossil #1) Before After the process was as follows: - soaking in water for 1 hours - soaking in distilled white vinegar for 1 hour, removing at 5 minute intervals and scrubbing with a toothbrush - washing under faucet for 1 minute - soaking in water for 1 hour - left fossil to dry Thanks Tom for the tips, and for the beautiful fossil! cheers, Hashem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/48782-gift-fossils-from-tmaier-for-cleaningprep-learning-purposes/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Tom first off thank you for your generous donation To help me learn ...the fossils are awesome! But yes i could use some help identifying them? i tried the water soak vinegar soak and with tbe amount If matrix still on the fossil it didnt cleanup That easy...all good what do you suggest to remove The major matrix...i think its too fragile for Air pens...and i dont think i have the right media For my air blaster yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) Try carving and scraping the matrix with a knife. Just make sure you don't hit the fossil itself (or your fingers, too). A grinding wheel, steel brush, dremmel tool... what do you have available? You will find that matrix is so soft it will yield to almost anything you do. It's like compressed powder. When you get close to the fossil, then switch to lighter manual abrasion, like grinding with a hand stone, sandpaper, etc. Come as close to the fossil as possble without touching it. There is a lot of surface detail on those and you don't want to nick it. Don't use the vinegar until you get the matrix shaved down really close. Then when you are ready to do the vinegar, go back and read over my tips about how to do it. Remeber to soak the fossil for at least 15 minutes in tap water BEFORE using the vinefar. You might have forgotten that step, but it is OK because the acid didn't seep too far through the matrix yet. Here are some tips about the other fossils... a rib bone of a dugong... mako tooth sand shark tooth ray tooth parrot fish mouth plate sting ray stinger Trionyx shell Hope you enjoy them... Edited August 17, 2014 by tmaier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Oh yeah, Notice Harry Pristis used an air pen (I think) in post #13 of this thread and he had really good results. He might have some tips about how to get started with your new pen. You could do one with vinegar and one with air pen. Harry, you out there? Help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Been collecting for about a year. Too advanced? Have cleaned up some of my finds with a dental instrument. If that would work well on one of these, I would love to try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Minnbuckeye, Let me look around. I gave away the ones I had out in the open, but it seems to me I had another coffee can of them also. I'll get back with you tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Oh, UtahFossilHunter, If the fossil you started with was the small wetherbyi, then it is not totally covered in matrix and you should wash it off for 1 minute under tap water. The acid will be weakening the fossil calcite if you don't wash the acid off. I thought that was totally covered in matrix, but it isn't. The acid should only be used to weaken the last remaining thin layer of matrix, and then brush with soft toothbrush as it weakens. By the time you cut through the thick matrix, there would be significant damage to the fossil, which is made of calcite and it also will be dissolved by the acid, only much slower. So wash it before grinding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Here are the results of just using the air pen Hard to see where the matrix ends on the underside But i did find this middle fin like structure? I do have a drimmel and many other tools also Have the dental pick coming soon 1st photo is before and other two are after air Pen i worried about the bottom as i cant determine Matrix area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I do have sand, soda, and bd-60 alum oxide Powder for the micro blaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Since you have that pen, I'd forget about the acid and just see if you can blast all the matrix off. Never have used a pen myself, but it sure looks like a good tool. Whenever you are working on a fossil make sure you know the anatomy of it. That will help guide you on what needs to be removed. You are working on the wetherbyi, so here is what it should look like... http://www.paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=fossil_gallery§ionnav=detail&submission_id=1714&taxon_id=15&state_id=&period_id=8&assemblage_id=&last_section=search There is no fin on it, so if that is hard calcite then you may have hit another fossil or just a piece of antother echinoid. Sneak under it and it will probably fall off. Notice there are two holes in the echinoid. The wide hole on the wetherbyi is the mouth and the small hole is the anus. I would continue with the air pen and carefully examine the surface of the fossil to make sure that you are not abrading away the surface detail. The sand abrasion might be too tough for the fossil surface, but should make short work of the matrix. On the fossil surfacee the sand will probably cause damage because sand is harder than calcite, so you might switch to baking power for the final touches. When you learn on this one then the big antillarum should be a piece of cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Your photos are too blurry for me to see the fossil surface, but a good surface on a wetherbyi will look like this... Sometimes the fossil already has an eroded surface, so you can never make more perfect than it already is. The exposed parts of that fossil seemed to have very good surface to start out with, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Thanks i will proceed slowly the big hole on the bottom Is where the fin like bone is protruding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 If the "fin bone" ends up being the tiny echinoid Neolaganum dalli stuck sideways in the mouth of the wetherbyi, then you have to send it back to me because you are exceeding your echinoid quota. Just kidding. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/invertpaleo/display.asp?catalog_number=46461&gallery_type=Florida%20Echinoidea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Heres as far as i could get i didnt want to damage Anything ...i did do the vinegar at the end which Created this small hole...but i think it turned out very Good for my first prep I will try a little more with the dental tools on the bottom side And darn i need a better camera in my phone haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks again Tom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Definately need a better camera. You may not have made that hole. I find the wetherbyis often have these holes and you can't see them until after you clean them. Too much time in the vinegar will cause erosion of the fossil surface, so cleaning these is like playing "Beat The Clock", because you only have a limited amount of expose time before you have to quit. And make sure you do the acid flush procedure or the "clock" will still be running while you are sleeping. If the fossils smells like vinegar the day after you cleaned it, then you have to flush it again or the acid will cause long term damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Thanks Tom learning more everyday. I truly respect the prep work I have seen posted on this site so far! Ill get there! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Yep, I'm just a self taught hack at prep, and some of these guys are pros, so reading, watching, and asking questions from these other guys would be your best education. I only have a vibro pen and a dremmel and some simple hand tools, and attempting to work limestone like you are doing is a major undertaking for me. The thread "This could turn out to be interesting" is turning out to be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) Here's what is probably a hormatoma that is probably from the Catheys formation near Ringgold Tenn. (upper Ordivician). It is the best I have been able to do with a vibro pick and it took me a looong time. It is an internal cast. It is 43 mm long. When I found this specimen, all I could see was the biggest whorl sticking out of the matrix as a bump, no other detail. I just started picking around at it for good luck and uncovered the whole gastropod inside the matrix. Edited August 19, 2014 by tmaier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Whats a vibro pick? I tried googling but only came up with jack hammers haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockHound66 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ah I found a picture of one...might be better ....the air pens are great for bulk but very dangerous on the fine finishing work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Here's a picture of mine... I got it so long ago I don't remember where I got it. Many people believe that the vibrations cause nerve damage in the figers, which might be true. The pros use the air tools from what I understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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