koscojo Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 (edited) Sorry I created this thread and immediately found it already existed...I don't know how to delete it. Sorry! Edited July 22, 2013 by koscojo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendell Ricketts Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Don't do it! I'm attaching a couple of .pdfs that you might find useful. You don't say what material you're trying to preserve (and that makes a difference), but you'll want to use something that's reversible, doesn't cross-link, and ages well. Waxes such as commercial floor waxes are going to yellow and degrade over time. For many materials, Butvar (see the chart, attached) is a good option. It's not expensive, it's readily available, and you can choose a grade that's soluble in alcohol or in acetone, both of which are easy to find. Best, W. _________________________________ Wendell Ricketts Fossil News: The Journal of Avocational Paleontology http://fossilnews.org https://twitter.com/Fossil_News The "InvertebrateMe" blog http://invertebrateme.wordpress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendell Ricketts Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Oops, and here are the attachments. W. Wall Chart - Adhesives and Consolidants.pdf Adhesives and Consolidants in Geological and Paleontological Conservation.pdf _________________________________ Wendell Ricketts Fossil News: The Journal of Avocational Paleontology http://fossilnews.org https://twitter.com/Fossil_News The "InvertebrateMe" blog http://invertebrateme.wordpress.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koscojo Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 Don't do it! I'm attaching a couple of .pdfs that you might find useful. You don't say what material you're trying to preserve (and that makes a difference), but you'll want to use something that's reversible, doesn't cross-link, and ages well. Waxes such as commercial floor waxes are going to yellow and degrade over time. For many materials, Butvar (see the chart, attached) is a good option. It's not expensive, it's readily available, and you can choose a grade that's soluble in alcohol or in acetone, both of which are easy to find. Best, W. I went to a professor at a local university and he suggested floor wax. I bought some Holloway House Quick Shine Floor Finish and I am unsure how to apply it. Yellowing? Yeesh...I guess I don't know how else to preserve them because they are beginning to severely crack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 (edited) What type of fossil are you trying to preserve? One that would need floor wax sounds intriguing.... Edited July 22, 2013 by Missourian Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koscojo Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 What type of fossil are you trying to preserve? One that would need floor wax sounds intriguing.... I have several. An unidentified rib, a bison vertebra, half of a bison skull, etc. These were all found in a sandbar near a river. They're all beginning to crack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) Non-detergent plastic polymer clear floor polish can be used for modern bone - most of the big animal skull suppliers use it to finish their products - but I wouldn't use it on a fossil. Edited July 23, 2013 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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