dakotafossilhound Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 Broke open a large concretion, here's what was inside. I really need to learn proper prepping technique, smash and look probably not the best way to reveal specimens. Any more experienced with suggestions for SD Fox Hills prepping?
Auspex Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 Nice one! That Fox Hills matrix is nasty to work with; hard and brittle. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease!
jpc Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) Light taps, then when it starts to crack, directional taps to help the concretion crack where it wants to crack. It is always a risk, but the gentler you are, the more likely the thing will crack along rather than through the ammonites. This has been my experience in the Pierre Shale. Nice find, btw. edit: As for actually prepping these things, an airscribe is best. Edited May 20, 2015 by jpc
Herb Posted May 20, 2015 Posted May 20, 2015 that looks like some nasty matrix to play with. Nice ammos though. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go. " I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes "can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks
dakotafossilhound Posted May 21, 2015 Author Posted May 21, 2015 which air scribe tools do you recommend?
CH4ShotCaller Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 I used PaleoTool's ME9100 on this piece from that location. Nice find. JPC's advice is perfect. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. -Albert Einstein
jpc Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 Paleo Tools' Chicago Pneumatic type. I think that is what they call the ME9100. Same as CH4's comment above. It is tough, but it is a variable speed tool, so you can actually do nice detail work on these hard concretions with it. Practice on lousy pieces.
dakotafossilhound Posted May 21, 2015 Author Posted May 21, 2015 Thanks for the advice, I just ordered a chicago pneumatic cp9361-1 air scribe kit
RJB Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 If you do what JP says and do it on a bench or table you will be able to save 'Pieces' that you may need to glue back on and not lose them out in the field. Most of the glue I use for this type of material is cyanoacrylate. RB
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