sdsnl Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I watched a video of someone showing his fossils, and he mentioned in passing that he prepped one of them by putting it in the microwave. He said that the matrix came off after the heating. I guess it's similar to freeze-thaw's principle, but it sounds like a risk thing to do. Has anyone tried this method? What do you think about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I don't recommend it, can be very dangerous to your fossil, but here is some good discussion http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/40175-nuking-and-boiling-fossils-in-water/page-1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Bad idea. "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 If it has trapped moisture in it could explode. Definitely a less than good thing to be doing. Sort of like drying your wet cat in the microwave.... not recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 If it has trapped moisture in it could explode. Definitely a less than good thing to be doing. Sort of like drying your wet cat in the microwave.... not recommended. My buddy tried it on a small bone from the Hell Creek and that's exactly what happened it exploded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I've dried dissolved matrix containing microfossils in the microwave without any damage. But, it's hard to trap much moisture in a <1mm tooth! Most of the time quick drying is bad and at the very least unnecessary. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Tried it once about 20 years ago. That was also the last time. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I use the microwave occasionally to drive off moisture from blasting medium (glass beads). Beyond that, I think (as others have opined) it might be a bad idea. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Years ago a fossil group I was with used that method on some crab concretions. They soaked the concretions in water and then wrapped them in towels before putting them in the microwave. The towels prevented them from exploding in the microwave, but the results were mixed. I preferred just cracking the concretions with a chisel and hammer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prem Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 (edited) I had Pete Palmer from the Institute for Cambrian Studies take some of my specimens and cook them in a pot on a stove plate and cool them off several times to weaken the hard quartzite they were encased in. It definitely made the matrix more amenable to removal. ---Prem Edited March 8, 2016 by prem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Microwave= big NO. Oven= sure. I'll bake my micro matrix after breaking it down in the oven on 275F until all moisture is gone. No problems. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Hey crabfossilsteve, I knew a guy who used the 'wet towel' trick. The towel caught on fire. Ha!!! I also knew a guy who ruined his microwave when the rock exploded!! Again,,,, Ha!!!! Im just gunna stay with taking the rock off the top with my tools and stay with that. No explosions, no fire. Ha!!! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Oh, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't recommend it as a quick fossil prep method...ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 If anyone does manage to blow up their microwave... Make sure to get a video! Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgroper Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 It would be a great story to tell the shop where the microwave was bought from when you took it back under warranty, "Your crappy microwave exploded the rock I was cooking and ruined it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) Edited March 10, 2016 by Fossildude19 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Previous discussion: LINK "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmshoemaker Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Heh, I remember putting a siderite concretion in the microwave back before I knew what it actually was, compositionally speaking. Won't do that again any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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