RJB Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I had to go to my property today (1 1/2 hour round trip), to unload some stuff and I went through some of my crab concretion pile and brought this one home. I got this from a friend of mine 2 years ago. The sad thing is, he wacked it open and its in several pieces and missing some pieces also, but it was a real easy read, meaning that he didn't have to 'wack' it open. I could tell by the rock which was was dorsal and which way was front. But it is what it is. its got some problems because of the whackin and it will be a bit of a challenge and there will be some fixing/repair, but that's just the way it goes. I could tell that it has some good 'bones' meaning that it looks like a perty good crab. I did some glue up and then went and cut a small piece on my 10 inch tile saw and then glued that up too. A double clamper job in the same day. Saves time and then I can get to work prepping tomorrow. RB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I wish I had the patience to do prep work it looks interesting! But alas I have none. I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Can't wait to see another great crab come out of your lab. 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...
Mike Pocock Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 As above I wait with baited breath Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 How long do they have to sit clamped back together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hey Fossildude, I let them sit overnight usually. Here is also what I have to contend with. this piece of rock was simply missing so I have to rebuild some rock and hope I don't get into it while prepping out the right claw? RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 I did a bit of work on this yesterday and then some more today. Its got some rather difficult legs on the right side, no tippy tips on the left side and the right claw is going to be a real challenge. Ive still got a ton of work to do on it, but its comin along quite nicely even though Ive got to fix some things on it. It really is quite the job being that there is soooooooooo much rock to remove! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLB Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Looking good RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Looks like it's not too sticky. You're right about the challenge. but I'm sure you'll work it out just fine. So far, so good! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 looking real good... wish we had some of them up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frijoles108 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 snarge, and i thought the slab i would have to cut out of the ground with a crinoid in it was going to be big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 looks like he is coming along nicely! can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10, 2016 Author Share Posted April 10, 2016 Ok, got tired of prepping ammo's and decided to put in some more hours in this crab. Found a 4th leg on the right side. Woooooop!! Woooooop! That front 4th leg is hard to come buy. I put in about 3 more hours and it doesn't look much different and it still has a loooong ways to go. Even when I get ready to do the final rock cleanup, that by itself will take me about 8 hours! But this crab is really starting to look purty dang good! It will have waaaaaaaay too many hours in it to let it go for sale so im afraid im gunna have to keep this one. but here is a picture of it now sittin by the same species of crab in a normal size rock for comparison. Belive me, these bigins are a lot of work to remove sooooooo much rock. But it does take me away from the world for a time and for me that is super nice. RB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 I just knew you'd be making something good out of that and there's a bit of good luck involved together with the patience to find the 4th leg. Great stuff and worthy of your collection, I'd say! Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 You're definitely on a roll Ron with this and the lobster! John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Thanks fella's. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 Ok, got tired of the lobster and all its problems that came about so I decided to do a bit of work on this crab. Got about 2 hours and a bit more to smooth out some rock. Lots of rock to smooth!!! but its coming along quite nicely! Here is what it looks like now. Lots more to do but its nice to see it getting done. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Ok, I got the hours wrong on this one on smoothing out the rock! I first guessed about 8 hours. Ha! Boy was I wrong! Im not used to this size of concretion to say the least! I now have about 10 or 11 hours in smoothing and have at least 6 or 7 to go? Here is what it looks like now. Im having fun with this one though. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeon.rocks Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Awesome prep-job! Sounds like you need a stronger tool to smothen the matrix, or is it a problematic one and afraid it might fall apart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Hi aeon.rocks, There is a faster way to smooth out the rock and I used to do that but I didn't like the way it made the rock look. This way is deffinetly more time consuming but makes the rock come out real nice. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Ok, ive done a bit more work on this thing and its turning out better than I could have expected. But, now that ive got the front left to do which is the hardest part, I can now see that ive got about 10 more hours on this thing. You can see the missing rock and its causing me some major problems and I will have to do some major repair on the rock and that most important front leg coming around the claw. I had some cave ins while trying to smooth out the rock in front of that right claw but I kinda expected that. Its always something, I think its called life? Ha!!! Just wish me some luck. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLB Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I tell you what that is some true dedication only if I had mor of that in my life great job on that one I know you're pain I've been there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 Well Crud! Talk about a nightmare!!! I put in about 2 and 1/2 more hours into this thing and HOLY COW! Ive got some serious problems to fix now! How well I can fix them, I don't know. I will just do the best I can and see how it turns out? Im kinda scared now. The 'cave in' may seem small to most foks, but this is the biggest and baddest cave in of my fossil crab experience! Not my fault, there was some major rock missing. Gunna be interesting to see what I do with it. The thing is, that rare 4th front arm is right in front of that claw and pieces of it are missing!! Yikes!! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Oh geez! That's gonna be a tough one to solve! Some kind of filler that dries really hard? Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifbrindacier Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Nice work indeed. "On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) "We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes." In memory of Doren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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