RJB Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Ok, ive decided to prep out a fish thats a bit hard to come by. Last summer when my youngest son and I went to one of the fish quarrys in Wyoming, my son found a super nice and very expensive palm leaf. Becuase of that, he asked the owner if his dad, (thats me) could have this one noto that wasnt cut out of the rock yet, for free. What a kid huh? He also let us have a whole bunch of other fish for free too,(little fish but still free) but my son also found two other noto's, and the way it works is if you find two of anything, you can keep one fish for free, so I was able to get another noto for free and only paid for one, for a total of three of these hard to get beauties!!! WoooooHoooooooo!!!! So heres the deal. Im going to post a photo of what this one looks like unprepped, and then start to prep it out in stages and post photos of the different stages to show you how it goes. Then you will all become professional preppers. Actually, if some of you folks had the tools, you would be much better than I because im sure you all have more pateince than I. This fish looks to have some problems though. Its neck is broken and its back is broken, plus I cant see some of the fins! They could still be there, but im just not sure? Like most other fossils, there always seems to be problems. But for now, here is a pic of what it looks like before I get started. This thing measures in at a whopping 18 inches!!! Another WoooooooHoooooooo!!!! Also, this fish comes from the very bottom of the famous 18 inch layer, and for some reason the quarry guys leave this part alone? Not sure why, Maybe becasue the rock is real ugly, but im going to find out real soon? I will post update photos as I go along. I hope everyone enjoys this? RB Oh, I put the lights at an angle so you can see the fish? I also put a 12 inch ruler for scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cris Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 This should be very interesting to see, RB. Can't wait to see the updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Can't wait to see how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 This should be very interesting to see, RB. Can't wait to see the updates. ME TOO!! cant wait to see how ya go with this! it sure is whopper of a fish! "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I think this is going to prep nicely it will defiantly be a display piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 OH RB, your making me green river with envy, cant wait to see it!!! Sure do hope I can make it down there this summer and collect some fish myself, are you sure you cant go? Did you go on that ammonite hunting trip yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrocklds Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 looks like you have been digging in the cap stone (the grey layers at the top and bottom of the 18" layers)? if the matrix is really hard and you are having a hard time getting it to pop off the fish try soaking it with a wet towel over night. it softens the rock and it comes off the fish easier. keep us posted Brock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Sure will be great to see the progress. RB, how much does that slab weigh, do you think? I don't see how you lift what looks extremely heavy around out of those fish places. Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 OH RB, your making me green river with envy, cant wait to see it!!! Sure do hope I can make it down there this summer and collect some fish myself, are you sure you cant go? Did you go on that ammonite hunting trip yet? Hey Bonedigger. I am not going on that trip until the first of June. As for the fish quarry, ive already been asked if I can make it by some other folks who are going, but they are going at the same time that I will be doing my boat float ammo hunt. Plus, i cant afford to many trips this year. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 Hey Brock. I just might try that? I did a bit of work on the head yesterday, and being very careful, its working just fine, so far. its always easier to work on the big bones, but once I get to the ribs and scales and fins, it could be much tuffer to prep? And Roz, this fish is on a slab that is only about 1 inch thick, so it weighs only about 30 pounds? I have another much bigger Noto, about 24 inches that is on some thicker rock and probably wieghs in at about 70 pounds!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scmense Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Ok, ive decided to prep out a fish thats a bit hard to come by. Can't wait to see your progress but I have only got about a week and a half. Do you use an Aro type air tool initially? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micropterus101 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Oh my goodness, Thats Awesome! Are ya done yet? Huh, huh, I wanta see c'mon what taken so long. LOL. KOF, Jason fossil crabs website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Oh my goodness, Thats Awesome! Are ya done yet? Huh, huh, I wanta see c'mon what taken so long. LOL. KOF, Jason Hey Jason. Being that I was sick for a week this month and even then it took me about 10 more days to get back into the swing of things, that has put me WAAAAAY behind schedual. Hopefuly, in about 3 days I will be able to go and finish up the head on this thing and then post that? Maybe, kinda? RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 5, 2008 Author Share Posted April 5, 2008 Ive been extreamly busy building cabinets, but I do keep looking at this fish. All it will take me is 3 or 4 more hours to finish up the head to perfection! Just have to get the time. Being full of myself, and knowing that I can do the BEST prep job ever, better than even Super Man!!! This fish will be worth $125,285.13!!!!!! Now you see just how full of s#*t I am! HA!!! But really, I wish I had more prep time. Just give me a couple more days and I should get the head of this thing done and post a photo? RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micropterus101 Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Sick, busy building cabinets, those can wait. That fish has been buried for millions of years It cant wait any longer. KOF, Jason fossil crabs website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Ok,,, Finally I found some time to do a bit more work on this fish. I cant believe just how tuff this one is to prep out! The rock in no way shape or form 'pops' off the bone. This dam fish is going to take me at least 60 hours to prep out? Now I see why these things are sooooooo darned expensive!!! I also did some more work on some piece of snarge sphenodiscus ammos, more about that later. Here is a pic of the head of this bazzare looking fish! I still have a bit of clean up to do on it, and it will take quite some time to get the body of this thing done, so this thread may be one of those year long things? Enjoy. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Excellent job so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Wow. Stop right there. With that amount of prep it looks sort of like a mini dragon!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hey Ron! Thats looking beautiful! What do you think air abrasive would do for that prep job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hey Ron! Thats looking beautiful! What do you think air abrasive would do for that prep job? Thanks for the complements everybody. And to answer your question boesse, Im constantly going back and forth with my ME 9100, then to my ARO, then to some bicarbonate of soda, and then all over again, and way too much concentration with the ARO. Nothing pops off!!! I had no idea this was going to be this tuff!!! But in the end, i should have one heck of a fish to show for it? RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Cool it does look like a dragon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 looking great RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrocklds Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Thanks for the complements everybody. And to answer your question boesse, Im constantly going back and forth with my ME 9100, then to my ARO, then to some bicarbonate of soda, and then all over again, and way too much concentration with the ARO. Nothing pops off!!! I had no idea this was going to be this tuff!!! But in the end, i should have one heck of a fish to show for it? RB You should seriously try soaking it over night with a wet towel. when i prepared my palm frond the rock would not seperate at all from the leaf. i was destroying the poor thing. i then soaked it and was able to remove 2 inch squares at a time with perfect detail and no damage to the fossil i tried it on a big phareodus from the grey cap stone layers and it seemed to make it alot easier. unfortunately the big pharo's head was blown so it is going to get honed and polished and turned into an end table. it looks like your noto is going to be a very nice one however. good luck and keep us informed. Brock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Hey Brock. I am going to try the soaking with the towel trick, but I couldnt do it before. I dont have a heated garage and its been below freezing evrey night here, (teens and twentys). We have some very nice weather comin our way, so I should be able to try it then. I sure hope it works? RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Necrocanis Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 awesome. I'll be watching this one in anticipation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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