Newbie With Prep Question

[GeoCJ]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week. I have done some research online but am having some difficulty getting a straightforward answer on the best way to prepare and preserve fossil shells collected at the Capitola Beach site in Northern California. I have tons of great fossil-bearing rocks to play with and am full of the lust to get my hands dirty.....and I have no idea how to go about it! I did a fairly quick search on the forum (and net) and came up empty. I am sorry to be a pest with questions on such a fundamental part of this great little adventure but I could really use a point in the right direction. Thank you all so much!!!

[GeoCJ]

I should probably mention that all visible fossils are mollusks and are contained in siltstone. Sorry!

[Boesse]

Hi GeoCJ,

As it turns out, I've spent several years collecting at Capitola, and will be doing some of my Master's Thesis research on the fossils there. Here is some advice:

1) Use water to soften the sandstone around the shells (if they have been collected from the soft sandstone there). If you have collected hard concretions with shells in them, you won't be able to prepare the fossils from the rock without mechanical tools (i.e. airscribe) which is an expensive, toiling process. Instead, collect from the soft sandstones, and clean the shells with a toothbrush and water.

2) Use some sort of glue to preserve the outer surface of the shell. Several types work - superglue is great, but it is easy to bond your fingers to the shell, and it is expensive. White glue works also, but it is water soluble, and will turn into glue again if it gets wet. Vinac is best, because it basically coats the fossil, keeping the shell together and not allowing it to flake, and it is soluble in acetone, which is generally in less abundance around the house than water (i.e. spilled drink that might dissolve the white glue).

Bobby

[GeoCJ]

Hi GeoCJ,

As it turns out, I've spent several years collecting at Capitola, and will be doing some of my Master's Thesis research on the fossils there. Here is some advice:

1) Use water to soften the sandstone around the shells (if they have been collected from the soft sandstone there). If you have collected hard concretions with shells in them, you won't be able to prepare the fossils from the rock without mechanical tools (i.e. airscribe) which is an expensive, toiling process. Instead, collect from the soft sandstones, and clean the shells with a toothbrush and water.

2) Use some sort of glue to preserve the outer surface of the shell. Several types work - superglue is great, but it is easy to bond your fingers to the shell, and it is expensive. White glue works also, but it is water soluble, and will turn into glue again if it gets wet. Vinac is best, because it basically coats the fossil, keeping the shell together and not allowing it to flake, and it is soluble in acetone, which is generally in less abundance around the house than water (i.e. spilled drink that might dissolve the white glue).

Bobby

Thank you so much for the post and good luck on the thesis! How far down from the parking area can you go before you hit the state beach (non-digging area). Really appreciate the assistance!

[RJB]

Hey CJ. You can also use your imagination and try to make your fossils display better? Heres what I am talking about. Most of my stuff is in very hard rock, but here is a gastropod that was found in some rather soft sandstone that I worked with water and a brush, but as you can see I left some matrix becuase of two reasons, one, there was another smaller gastro that I wanted to show along with the other and two in the same rock is always better than one, and two, now it has its own stand carved out of the original matrix it was buried in. Now how cool is that?

RB

[GeoCJ]

Hey CJ. You can also use your imagination and try to make your fossils display better? Heres what I am talking about. Most of my stuff is in very hard rock, but here is a gastropod that was found in some rather soft sandstone that I worked with water and a brush, but as you can see I left some matrix becuase of two reasons, one, there was another smaller gastro that I wanted to show along with the other and two in the same rock is always better than one, and two, now it has its own stand carved out of the original matrix it was buried in. Now how cool is that?

RB

Very! Thanks for the advice