Man That Shell Material Is Fragile!

[RJB]

Frank reminded me with his post of "Tough clean up and man those horns are fragile" about a certain echinoid site just north of Eureka California about 40 miles or so. These things were soooooooo fragile!!! Anyways, the second time I was there, I took a freind and she found two HUGE ones. I found some smaller ones, but still large. All were destroyed as they dried out! Just sucked!! So I thought about it for quite a long time on what I could possible do to save some of these very large echinoids. Oh, these ech's are still living today and are known as Dendraster eccentricus, (not sure of the spelling), and are about 300,000 years old. Not old in the time scale of our earths history, but you cant find any of these today that get this big!!! Ive heard people tell me that they have found them even bigger on the beaches, but when I would push for photos, their measurments would always shrink or they dont have any pictures, or their camera was broken, always some excuse!! Give me a freakin break!!! MY biggest one measures way over 6 inches across, but Ive seen two that were almost as big around as a paper plate!!! Yes, those two fell apart when they dried out!!! Dang!!! Anyways, I got a job just north of this site. I would leave very early in the morning, stop by this site, dig down an area to where these things are at and start brushing away the wet sand. I would uncover lots of them, but only a few were really big, then I would go to work and come back about 9 hours later. I would litterally pour on the Glyptal and sit back for about 30 to 45 minutes. Then I would put a bunch of sand on a piece of cardboard and then lift the echs up with a great big spatula like tool and place them onto the sand. I drove home very slowely. some still didnt make it. But there was no way in tarnation that you could save them if they dried out in the site in situ if you didnt put any glue on them!!! I took another freind from Sacramento who thought I was crazy and that all he had to do was be super careful. I told him there are several there just under the sand and would let min try. We got there, I gave him a nice fine bristle brush and told him where I just barley covered some up. Well, he got down to them, and as careful as he could brush, he simply brushed the shell material off the tops of these echinoids, cussing all the way!! You absolutly cant save them without glue!! Even the ones I poured the glue on, and once home with them, I put more glue on them. Once there was enough glue, they were very very sturdy. The really good thing is, I still have several of these, even though I made some really really good trades with some.

RB

[tracer]

so, um, how fragile were they?

[mommabetts]

That one looks like it was worth saving, that is very nice, love the echs!!!!!!!!

[Boesse]

Darn, Ron, thats a pretty nice Dendraster! Late Pleistocene you say? Found any bone there ever?

[RJB]

Dang, Ron, thats a pretty nice Dendraster! Late Pleistocene you say? Found any bone there ever?

I have found pieces of bones there, but in such bad shape couldnt hardly tell it was bone? A proffessor named Frank something found a piece of seal jawbone with teeth there. I think its at College of the Redwoods.

RB

[Auspex]

Sounds like you were working on soap bubbles; If Dr. Prepper can't do it, it can't be done

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

What I also find interesting is how the matrix in the picture is composed of a lot of broken up pieces and yet there sits a beautiful sand dollar (that is what I call them). Really neat how it survived while the other stuff didn't. There is a place here in Bama that has similar sand dollars, but much older (cretaceous). I think it is the Gosport Sand stuff. Anyways, the problem there is that when you do see a big one like that (I'd say on the 4" scale is big for ours), it is nearly impossible to get it out of the matrix. The matrix just doesn't want to crack anywhere you want it to. So sure as the sun rises, a crack will form straight through the specimen you are trying to collect. That is why I am in need of a cordless saw with diamond blades. Soon as I have enough money saved, that is what I will get.

[RJB]

What I also find interesting is how the matrix in the picture is composed of a lot of broken up pieces and yet there sits a beautiful sand dollar (that is what I call them). Really neat how it survived while the other stuff didn't. There is a place here in Bama that has similar sand dollars, but much older (cretaceous). I think it is the Gosport Sand stuff. Anyways, the problem there is that when you do see a big one like that (I'd say on the 4" scale is big for ours), it is nearly impossible to get it out of the matrix. The matrix just doesn't want to crack anywhere you want it to. So sure as the sun rises, a crack will form straight through the specimen you are trying to collect. That is why I am in need of a cordless saw with diamond blades. Soon as I have enough money saved, that is what I will get.

Hey Hunter. There actualy is quite a bit of complete clams and snails, just not with that piece. I poored too much glue on that one and the glue soaked out aways around this specimen. it actually came out cooler than all the rest were I was more careful with the glue.

It sounds like you need some air tools to get those danddollars out of that hard matrix? If you get some home, I wouldnt mind bying one from you to try my hand at it?

RB

[Guest bmorefossil]

looks nice RJB

[Frank Menser]

Nice Ech!

Reminds me of a cave in Gainsville, Florida (and no I do not collect in caves). For at least twelve feet up one wall was layer after tightly packed layer of sand dollars-stacked like pancakes. You could tell by looking that if you touched them they would crumble.