sseth Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Thought I would share the inlay process we go through when a fish is on a small rock that does not make for a good display. This is a great little Phareodus from our quarry that was found in a very small rock that simply did not allow the fish to be displayed properly, and in a fashion that allowed its beauty to be taken advantage of. Some try to keep this process a secret and do not always acknowledge that it takes place, but I think it is a fascinating part of the industry. Still in the beginning stages and will share the piece again as soon as it is completed. This is quite a fun process to do. Enjoy. 2 _____________________________________ Seth www.fossilshack.com www.americanfossil.com www.fishdig.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Very interesting! Can't wait to see the finished product. There's no shame in fossil doctoring as long as it's admitted to up front! 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...
sseth Posted April 25, 2016 Author Share Posted April 25, 2016 Very interesting! Can't wait to see the finished product. There's no shame in fossil doctoring as long as it's admitted to up front! Couldn't agree more. _____________________________________ Seth www.fossilshack.com www.americanfossil.com www.fishdig.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Extreamly interesting. I always wanted to try this but was afraid of the last step. I can see how it would be easy enough if one is careful to get to where your last photo is, but what do you fill the space around the fish with? Thanks for the photos. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Nice work, but I am a purist and not a big fan. As you said, most fish sellers who do this will not tell you that a slab has been treated this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Interesting. Not a fan, either, but I can see why it would be done. Regards, 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...
sseth Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 Extreamly interesting. I always wanted to try this but was afraid of the last step. I can see how it would be easy enough if one is careful to get to where your last photo is, but what do you fill the space around the fish with? Thanks for the photos. RB A veriety of materials can be used. I prefer a mixture of plaster and the actual matrix that has been powdered during the carving. It gives a great texture and makes the color matching much easier. _____________________________________ Seth www.fossilshack.com www.americanfossil.com www.fishdig.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sseth Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 Nice work, but I am a purist and not a big fan. As you said, most fish sellers who do this will not tell you that a slab has been treated this way. I know exactly where you are coming from. On the flip side, the process takes a fossil that has very little display value and makes it a nice show piece. This process helps me give amazing fossils a good home. I always tell folks that a fish, or other rare item has been inlayed. This is a very common process with many of the larger and more rare fossils to come out of the Green River Formation because they are found in small rocks and are often broken up onto multiple sections. I wish every fossil could be found in a nice large rock and then just prepped, but that is simply not the case. _____________________________________ Seth www.fossilshack.com www.americanfossil.com www.fishdig.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sseth Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 (edited) Here is the finished piece. These are the last two steps in the inlay process. I left the break in the tail in a position so that it lines up with a natural fracture in the rock. Edited April 26, 2016 by sseth _____________________________________ Seth www.fossilshack.com www.americanfossil.com www.fishdig.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Nice work. 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 April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Hey sseth, that is fantastic. Thanks for all the prep tips. Just super great. Love your work. Im not a purist and think that if you can make a fossil even better by doing this and making it a really good display piece is just super! and im just like you, I would tell whoever buys it exactly what I did with it. Yeah, it would be nice if all fossils were perfect that came out of the ground and didn't even need prepping, but that would be in a perfect world. Great job man!!! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Great prep! Looks pretty awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Yeah, it would be nice if all fossils were perfect that came out of the ground and didn't even need prepping, but that would be in a perfect world. RB That would be a terrible world for me! :D I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the preparation more than the initial discovery. I know... I have a sickness. 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...
oilshale Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 (edited) This inlay process is quite common for Solnhofen fish. Well, I think it is acceptable, but it is definitely not my first choice. At least the slab is more or less the original matrix. But I've also seen this method with Brazilian Santana fish nodules inlaid in a sort of sandstone(?) slab. In my oppinion this is a clear no-go (at least for fossil enthusiasts, may be not for interior designers). Edited April 27, 2016 by oilshale Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Here is the finished piece. These are the last two steps in the inlay process. I left the break in the tail in a position so that it lines up with a natural fracture in the rock. Amazing work and pretty clever with the lining up of the break in the tail. John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 That would be a terrible world for me! :D I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the preparation more than the initial discovery. I know... I have a sickness. Cool. What's you're address? I can send a stack of fossils. Of course I'll pay the shipping each way and you'll get a stack of fun John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Cool. What's you're address? I can send a stack of fossils. Of course I'll pay the shipping each way and you'll get a stack of fun I'll entertain that deal if I get a few cool fossils out of it. 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...
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