Rockaholic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Can you expect a nodule to split open using the freeze/thaw technique even if the nodule is not fossil bearing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glacialerratic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Yeah, the clunkers open just easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockaholic Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Thanks michigantim. This and other entries you've made in this forum have been most helpful in my quest to find a Mazon creek fossil. It's definitely not a process that brings instant gratification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glacialerratic Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 No, it's a lot of work! But finding a a really nice fossils makes it all worthwhile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indiana Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I've always wondered about the direction of the split. So many of them seem to split in a favorable manner. Of the 360 degrees available ( we'll stick to one axis for now ), do they split favorably often, or do I just not see the thousands that split the "wrong" way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kehbe Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) I am a 'nodule popper' and I tried the freeze thaw method. What I learned is, I have no patience. For me it was like a tootsie pop, I'll never know how many licks it takes to get to the center because I have to bite it! That probably won't change until I completely destroy a perfect shrimp or fish by 'popping' it with a hammer! Be sure to post up some pics of anything you find! I have found a lot of interesting things but ID'ing them is difficult at best! Good luck! I've always wondered about the direction of the split. So many of them seem to split in a favorable manner. Of the 360 degrees available ( we'll stick to one axis for now ), do they split favorably often, or do I just not see the thousands that split the "wrong" way? I have popped a lot of nodules and you are right, they do have a natural break line and I personally have found it to be on a horizontal plane in relationship to the way it was sitting in situ. Unfortunatly, they don't always split on this line. My average has been, 'something of interest' in one out of ten nodules, 'something identifiable' in one out of a hundred! When popping them with a hammer to open them, I find that a sharp 'pop' directly in line with the natural 'break line' will usually result in a nice split. I have turned a lot of them into a pile of dust though. I guess it depends on what kind of nodule, where it was found, and what it is made of. So many variables! Edited March 30, 2012 by Kehbe It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kehbe Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Here is a link to a few of my 'popped' nodules! Most of these came from the Muncie Creek Shale of the Kansas City area! If anyone has any ideas as to what some of these are, please feel free to comment! http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/gallery/album/1301-muncie-creek-shale-phosphatic-concretion-nodules/ It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glacialerratic Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 If you have a nicely shaped, open nodule, look at it edge on. One side will be thicker than the other. This shows natural orientation, with the thin side being the bottom. As the original piece of organic matter decayed, it off gassed and formed the shape of the nodule, puffing it out a bit above. All that is discussed in a chapter of "Richardson's Guide to the Fossils Fauna of Mazon Creek," which is a must read for nodule nuts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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