frozen_turkey Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I've been collecting fossils my entire life, but only resently (2 months ago) started doing prep work on my countless fossils. But i havee a bit of a problem. I've been practesing on some expendable fossils and no matter how hard i try i keep accidently touching the fossil with my dental pick or needle tool. And it leaves tiny hole in the fossil. So, i was wondering if there was a method out there that could remove the thin layer of matrix that covers the rock that doesn't damage the fossil. -Frozen P.S.- I've looked into mini blasters, air scribes, and acids, bt I can't even aford a small fraction of what they cost so I'm looking for a cheap (or cheaper) method. Oh, and easy to do. (thanks) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I've been collecting fossils my entire life, but only resently (2 months ago) started doing prep work on my countless fossils. But i havee a bit of a problem. I've been practesing on some expendable fossils and no matter how hard i try i keep accidently touching the fossil with my dental pick or needle tool. And it leaves tiny hole in the fossil. So, i was wondering if there was a method out there that could remove the thin layer of matrix that covers the rock that doesn't damage the fossil. -Frozen P.S.- I've looked into mini blasters, air scribes, and acids, bt I can't even aford a small fraction of what they cost so I'm looking for a cheap (or cheaper) method. Oh, and easy to do. (thanks) You need to provide more information. What are you preparing and what kind of matrix needs to be removed? Your fossil must be very fragile. You might want to practice on something more durable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 (edited) frozen-turkey.....you would need the correct kit to do the job, and even then, confidence in using it only comes with years of experience and experimenting .... trying to convince yourself otherwise you will probably end up wasting money or simply marking your fossils .... Ive been prepping a few years and I dont own half of what I really need..... so the logical way to go is take this one step at a time.....siteseer has a point, if you could be more specific about what you are wanting to prep and the kind of matrix it is in, maybe someone could point you in the right direction in aquiring the right tools and fill you in on there techniques and uses..... Edited December 11, 2009 by Terry Dactyll Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Air abrasion is the way to go.... a cheap hobby sandblaster made by Badger I recall can be had for under $50 from hobby shop or sandblaster for car finishes (cost more) and use baking soda as a blasting media to clean up Cambrian trilobites from Cranbrook BC... very gentle on fossils.... 5 yrs ago I aquire Crystal Mark Eco Blaster NIB www.crystalmarkinc.com for sub $300USD on Ebay.... these devices are worth their money.... recommend saving up... your time ,effort and your fossils exceeds the value of an air abrasion unit.... good luck on your search. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 What the guys said ^. Also, some decent pix from a cheap camera would be of assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 What Pleecan said,, Air abrasion. No way around it. and when you do, you will understand. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_turkey Posted December 11, 2009 Author Share Posted December 11, 2009 (edited) You need to provide more information. What are you preparing and what kind of matrix needs to be removed? Your fossil must be very fragile. You might want to practice on something more durable. Most of my fossils are some what durable (braciopods, big bivalves, giant catheiopods, giant gastropods), but i do have some rare divonian trilos that i found that i want to prep but they are very delicate. And the type of stine is a some what hard sand stone stone. Some of the stone is realy hard and that is the main issue. Even if there is a way to make the matrix more soft would help greatly. Thanks -Frozen Edited December 11, 2009 by frozen_turkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Most of my fossils are some what durable (braciopods, big bivalves, giant catheiopods, giant gastropods), but i do have some rare divonian trilos that i found that i want to prep but they are very delicate. And the type of stine is a some what hard sand stone stone. Some of the stone is realy hard and that is the main issue. Even if there is a way to make the matrix more soft would help greatly. Thanks -Frozen Uh oh! Giant Gastropods you say. I would absolutely love to see them! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 In my humble experience, some sandstones end up needing to be abraded off the specimen. I use a microscope and diamond burrs for the coarse work and hard steel scrapers for the fine work when a sandstone is involved. Since the binder in sandstone is often a silicate, it is impossible to dissolve or soften in that case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 If you decide to go for the air abrasion...For hard sandstone matrix... you may want to use a mixture of Aluminum oxide and limestone dust as the blasting media will cut through the sandstone matrix. PL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I really enjoy aluminum oxide at 90 psi, personally. Now I am going to make dinner again...finished the cookies earlier. I'd offer you one if you were here, Pleecan. Have a great evening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 When I heard Aluminum Oxide my first thought was "OH MY"! Then in the next 10th of a second I remembered using that for my really nice gastropods that were incased in hard sandstone. Its been a very long time since ive use that stuff. Can I have a cookie too Bear? Frozen, here is one of my most favorite gastros that I used aluminum oxide on several years ago. To prep out the shoulders on these Neptunia (sulcosipho) tabulata's are very difficult to clean out, but very rewarding once done. The second pic is of another gastro of the same species where I will take my airscribe to remove as much rock as possible and then go on the air abrasive attack with some aluminun oxide. I usually go back and forth from the airscribe to the airabrasive in some areas. Takes a few hours, but snails this good are more than worth it!!! But Im also one of those peculiar guys who loves the snails. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 i've tended to use dolomite and it's been fine, but if you keep both dolomite and dynamite in your storage area, don't grab the wrong one, because dynamite tends to over-prep stuff. tidbits of prep info thought it'd be fun to link to lessons from dan that don't come directly from dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 i've tended to use dolomite and it's been fine, but if you keep both dolomite and dynamite in your storage area, don't grab the wrong one, because dynamite tends to over-prep stuff. GOSH THAT WAS FUNNY!!! A very hardy deep laugh!!! Thanks tracer RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 just came onto this topic again and noted at the bottom where it says who's reading it it said, "tracer, yahoo". pi$sed me off. hate to be called names. but anyway, um, oh, i know - speaking of blasts from the past, an old thread - prep me, baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_turkey Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 When I heard Aluminum Oxide my first thought was "OH MY"! Then in the next 10th of a second I remembered using that for my really nice gastropods that were incased in hard sandstone. Its been a very long time since ive use that stuff. Can I have a cookie too Bear? Frozen, here is one of my most favorite gastros that I used aluminum oxide on several years ago. To prep out the shoulders on these Neptunia (sulcosipho) tabulata's are very difficult to clean out, but very rewarding once done. The second pic is of another gastro of the same species where I will take my airscribe to remove as much rock as possible and then go on the air abrasive attack with some aluminun oxide. I usually go back and forth from the airscribe to the airabrasive in some areas. Takes a few hours, but snails this good are more than worth it!!! But Im also one of those peculiar guys who loves the snails. RB Wow those gastropods are a bit fanceier then mine. Mine are just inner cast of divonian gastropods but least there on the bigger side. I think i sould start investing in this air abrasion stuff. -Frozen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_turkey Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 Uh oh! Giant Gastropods you say. I would absolutely love to see them! RB I'm tring to get pics, but someone around hid the only digital cammra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 (edited) I really enjoy aluminum oxide at 90 psi, personally. Now I am going to make dinner again...finished the cookies earlier. I'd offer you one if you were here, Pleecan. Have a great evening! Thanks Bear... you also have a great evening! Generally .... When trying air abrasion on an unknown delicate fossil.... try using a very low psi ie 30 depending on nozzle diameter and slowly increment the air pressure by 5-10 psi increments if needed to 90 psi.... I am chicken and run low air pressures to avoid damaging the fossil ie drilling holes in the carpace of trilo... ouch! PL Edited December 12, 2009 by pleecan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Eaton Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 A cheap electric engraver worth the trouble? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozen_turkey Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 A cheap electric engraver worth the trouble? I was using one until it went up in smoke....literally. -Frozen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 Can I have a cookie too Bear? Sure, I made enough for everybody - the finest gingerbread cookies around, hand decorated by my wonderful teenage son. (The Labrador likes them a lot too, spoiled little girl that she is.)I use a 250 grit aluminum oxide with a Micro - Graver that has about a .75 mm orifice so it doesn't go very fast, even at 90 psi. No holes blown in anything yet, but then I am very used to extremely high detail work on fragile objects that don't belong to me, and thus have a very delicate touch. I had a larger blaster but sold it off as I didn't use it - overkill and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleecan Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 (edited) For those that are on a Budget and still want to consider micro abrasion.... may want to consider this spot blaster ... holds 9oz of blasting media... all you need is an air compressor.... http://cgi.ebay.ca/SMALL-SPOT-SANDBLASTER-9oz_W0QQitemZ290379507042QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Aviation_Parts_Gear?hash=item439bf7a562 http://cgi.ebay.ca/MASTER-AIRBRUSH-SANDBLASTER-ABRASIVE-SPRAYER-Etch-Glass_W0QQitemZ190357765594QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c5234fdda http://cgi.ebay.ca/BADGER-260-1-AIRBRUSH-SANDBLASTER-ABRASIVE-SPRAYER-Etch_W0QQitemZ220526043809QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item33586062a1 PL Edited December 14, 2009 by pleecan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 (edited) I have used cheap electric engravers on a variety of fossils (from Moroccan Tb's to White River skulls. Requires a good eye and steady hands but you can do some fine work with one. I wouldn't recomend it though for very delicate fossils like Oklahoma spiny TB's... Edited December 15, 2009 by Frank Menser Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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