Devonian Dig 7/7/2024

[Darktooth]

I was able to get out for a hunt today with my friend Stephen spent about 8hours dealing with the heat and bugs. We found plenty of fossils including brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, and Dipluera parts and pieces. We were digging in a highly weathered and fractured area and I found the highlight of the day. A weathered and somewhat beat up Dipluera. Not complete but I'm cool with that. Measures at 5 7/16 inches.

[Kane]

Nice! 

 

Now let me play the school marm. Dipleura, not Dipluera. Think of pleural segments. 

 

Perhaps this is a candidate for a bit of restoration? Seems a good size to consider it and not much to restore.  

[trilobites_are_awesome]

Awesome Dipleura!

[Darktooth]

Well I have never restored any of my fossils but it may not be a bad idea!  Thanks for bringing it up! And mentioning my bad grammar!

[Kane]

Being the grammar and spelling police for 20 years. Occupational hazard.  

 

Resto would likely work here. The only challenge is replicating the pits. I know I've done it before with a sewing needle. To be honest, all that needs to be done is the tail and filling in the crack. And just one thoracic segment on the axial. That is less than five minutes with some milliput and texturing. The longer time is paint matching. This needs white (not black) milliput, and then the long slog of the paint match.

 

I just know one of our prep experts will be sending you a PM when they see this.

[Darktooth]

1 minute ago, Kane said:

Being the grammar and spelling police for 20 years. Occupational hazard.  

 

Resto would likely work here. The only challenge is replicating the pits. I know I've done it before with a sewing needle. To be honest, all that needs to be done is the tail and filling in the crack. And just one thoracic segment on the axial. That is less than five minutes with some milliput and texturing. The longer time is paint matching. This needs white (not black) milliput, and then the long slog of the paint match.

What  is milliput? I have never heard of it. I am assuming some kind of putty for filling the crack and molding the pygidium, but what kind is best for this?

[Kane]

Milliput is a two part epoxy. You have your binder and your mixer. You roll that together and apply. You can smooth it with water and let it cure. Within 12 hours you can still carve and change it. You know those miniatures the Warhammer geeks use at the comic book store to make their figurines? Same kind of stuff. It cures well, and can even be used to stabilize a specimen. I have a friend who uses wood filler, but it is not as permanent. Once it cures, it's like rock. Look up Milliput; it seems to have a following among a lot of people who do figurine work. There are also a few blogs that specialize in how to use it optimally. You can also look at my prep thread to see how I've done it in the past.

[Darktooth]

4 minutes ago, Kane said:

Milliput is a two part epoxy. You have your binder and your mixer. You roll that together and apply. You can smooth it with water and let it cure. Within 12 hours you can still carve and change it. You know those miniatures the Warhammer geeks use at the comic book store to make their figurines? Same kind of stuff. It cures well, and can even be used to stabilize a specimen. I have a friend who uses wood filler, but it is not as permanent. Once it cures, it's like rock. Look up Milliput; it seems to have a following among a lot of people who do figurine work. There are also a few blogs that specialize in how to use it optimally. You can also look at my prep thread to see how I've done it in the past.

Thank-you Kane, I appreciate the info!

[Kane]

Just as an example, I applied it here. It is not where you think it is!

 

[Pagurus]

Awesome find, Dave! Highlight of the day? That would be the highlight of the decade for me, or at least near the top of the list. Congrats.

[Ludwigia]

Congrats on the find, Dave! Nobody's perfect, right? I mean the trilobite

[Darktooth]

2 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Congrats on the find, Dave! Nobody's perfect, right? I mean the trilobite

[trilobites_are_awesome]

On 7/7/2024 at 7:42 PM, Kane said:

Just as an example, I applied it here. It is not where you think it is!

 

Kane, How did you do bumps on the glabella with the milliput?

[Bjohn170]

Congratulations Dave, what a awesome find!