Major Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Anyone know how? I wouldn't want to damage any shells inside.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Man Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hi, Welcome to the forum from another Florida Fossiler. Usually watered down pool acid(Hydrocloric acid)aka muriatic acid, will disolve any limestone, but it will also eat the shells. Fume free acid(weak sulfuric acid) has a much slower reaction to calcium. I have heard of people using casustic mixes(Lye type stuff) to weaken the limestone matrix with out eating shells. But what ever you do, be carefull!!!!! Lye can blind you with one drop and acids can seriously burn you. Do lots of research before you try. And never do anything like this inside,or you could gas yourself. BTW what area of Florida are ya in? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 ... and if you are working with acid, ALWAYS add the acid to the water, not the other way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Fossilkid, Limestone is calcium carbonate. Most shells are also calcium carbonate and acids will dissolve both quite easily. If I were going to use an acid to dissolve some limestone I would pick a weak and dilute acid such as vinagar. Vinagar is approximately 3% acetic acid in water. I would advise you to use a test piece of limestone first to see how the vinagar works on the limestone. Also, after you finish dissolving the limestone from the fossil wash the fossil thuroughly with water followed by a rinse with a solution of baking soda and water. The baking soda will remove the last vistages of the vinagar JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 "Agony, Irony, living in perfect harmony..." (Apologies to Sir McCartney and Jacko) "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 lol interesting.. I live in Ocala, PM.. I've got a pool, and work with it's PH levels regularly; didn't know it would do so, but I think I may try vinegar first.. So baking soda would work to stop the 'eating' process? just poor it on, or just lightly? And this was a question for future reference, so sorry, no pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Fossilkid, After you have rinsed the the fossil real good with water after the vinegar treatment I would soak the fossil in a baking soda solution that I made by adding a heaping tablespoon of baking soda to a quart jar and then filling it with water. Again, after the baking soda soak rinse the fossil really well with clean water. As stated in one of the earlier responses, mechanical treatment may be the preferred method for limestone removal because like I said, acids will attack both limestone and most fossil shell materials. JKFoam The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 Fossilkid,After you have rinsed the the fossil real good with water after the vinegar treatment I would soak the fossil in a baking soda solution that I made by adding a heaping tablespoon of baking soda to a quart jar and then filling it with water. Again, after the baking soda soak rinse the fossil really well with clean water. As stated in one of the earlier responses, mechanical treatment may be the preferred method for limestone removal because like I said, acids will attack both limestone and most fossil shell materials. JKFoam Mechanical treatment? Such as? I've used pocket knives in the past (lol) I don't think that's quite what you have in mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Mechanical treatment? Such as? I've used pocket knives in the past (lol) I don't think that's quite what you have in mind Pocket knives, dental picks, air scribes...the occasional Anglo-Saxon word. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Auspex -I was sitting here staring at your post, trying to figure out what you meant by the Anglo Saxon word comment... Most (if not all) of the really effective expletives are of Anglo-Saxon derivation; it is their gift to the western world. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Usually I'm not in a situation such as this, but WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU MEANING?! lol -please excuse this comment- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 "Agony, Irony, living in perfect harmony..."(Apologies to Sir McCartney and Jacko) Haha! I was gonna say that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Usually I'm not in a situation such as this, but WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU MEANING?! lol Welcome to the Forum! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryland Mike Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 What Auspex is referring to, is that most of the vulgarities and offensive words, as opposed to actual cursing, swearing and blasphemies, are words that derive from Anglo-Saxon. Some of them are referred to as four letter words as opposed to their longer Latin synonyms such as excrement. Carpe Diem, Carpe Somnium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryland Mike Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 "Agony, Irony, living in perfect harmony..."(Apologies to Sir McCartney and Jacko) You are subjecting me to sarcastic excruciation by getting that cursed song stuck in my head. Carpe Diem, Carpe Somnium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoRon Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 What Auspex is referring to, is that most of the vulgarities and offensive words, as opposed to actual cursing, swearing and blasphemies, are words that derive from Anglo-Saxon. Some of them are referred to as four letter words as opposed to their longer Latin synonyms such as excrement. Or you can go Russian and say Dermo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evans Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 As much as I enjoyed the diversion away from the thread, I have a question regarding the cleaning of limestone fossils. I have several fossils that have a green "stain" on them that I can somewhat remove with vinegar, but not completely. Could someone that is more chemical literate than me please explain what this is and how to remove it without eroding the finer textures of my recently discovered ammonites. Thanks, Brian Brian Evans For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 ???IDK, but if it is organic, try bleach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 I left a few specimens in vinegar and twelve hours, completely submerged, nothing had happened It's distilled white, is that a problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 If nothing happened in 12 hours, the rock is probably silica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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