RJB Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 When bone digger and I went on a fossil hunting trip last summer, we did the "green river fish dig'. I havent done a whole lot of fish prep since then, but I did a little bit today. I plan on doing 2 shows this year and needed to get some little snarge fish done and ready for sale. The first one I tried I gave up on. The second one I tried needed some gluing, so I did that and put it aside. The third one I picked up I just got started on it for a few minutes and all of a sudden, I saw TEETH!!! I had automaticly figured since it was small, that it was a Knightia, now I realized it was a baby Phareodus and got real excited! I stopped and took a closer look at the fish. It was all under rock, so all I could see was somewhat of an outline. I noticed that the verts were in a nice strait line, so I was hoping that the fins would be in good shape? Fins are always a crapshoot!!! Anyways, I got this little baby monster done in3 1/2 hours. Thats right Bonedigger, 3 1/2 hours!!! This little guy measures just over 5 1/2 inches. I could go on and say that im the bestest fish prepper in the westest, how im the fastest that ever lived, and keep going on about how you just gots to know what your doing, (like me), and with skills like mine they should be for sale!!! Ha!! or I could say that I simply got super lucky with the rock and it was quite easy to prep compaired to most other rock. I used my ARO airscribe to remove most of the rock and finished up with the air abrasive. Then!!! I picked up another rock, blew part of the head bones off it and decided to do the 'Scratch and Blow' technique. Finished up this little 7 inch Diplo in 2 hours! Its not the best, but its a ton better than all those fish you see on Ebay that are missing the bones and painted. This one has 95% of its bones. All in all, it was a purty good day. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Great looking work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Really nice looking fish, and my what nice big teeth you have! Every time I see fish from there, I wonder why mine always seem so "empty" looking. By that, I mean that of the 20 or so fish I split, they do not have the full,dark scales that yours do. I guess I was just in the wrong layer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 wow that is cool!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 No N.AL.hunter, you were not in the wrong layer, even though some layers are better than others, but you can get two fish in one rock and both can be completely different quality? Go figure. It does pay though to be in the 'right' layer. You have a better chance at better fish that way, but no gaurantee. Thanks for the compliment. RB Really nice looking fish, and my what nice big teeth you have! Every time I see fish from there, I wonder why mine always seem so "empty" looking. By that, I mean that of the 20 or so fish I split, they do not have the full,dark scales that yours do. I guess I was just in the wrong layer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Beautiful work and gorgeous detail. I likey a lot! Wish I could find stuff like that in my neck of the woods. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archimedes Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 really nice RJB, glad you shared it with us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 rjb - the problem with those teethed fish is that you can't get the nozzle in their mouths well to inflate them once they're prepped out in two dimensions. and speaking of indian head nickels - no wait...hang on...which door did i come in when i entered this thread? <wandering out> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 Hey barefootgirl, even though ive moved to Montana, Im still a 12 hour drive away from the fish fossils. Deffinetly not in 'my neck of the woods'. When I lived in California I was a long 2 day drive from there. Its just what you put on the front burner, and I have usually put the fossil fishes on the front burner for many years. The only thing that has slowed down my fossil fish hunting is the fossil crabs!! And boy do I love the fossil crabs!!! RB Beautiful work and gorgeous detail. I likey a lot! Wish I could find stuff like that in my neck of the woods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Awesome find, very nice prep job you done there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Really nice looking fish, and my what nice big teeth you have! Every time I see fish from there, I wonder why mine always seem so "empty" looking. By that, I mean that of the 20 or so fish I split, they do not have the full,dark scales that yours do. I guess I was just in the wrong layer. Well, you got your "split fish layer" and your "18 inch layer", with variability in the individual quality in each. Fish from the 18" layer are much more work to prep, but generally have premium quality of preservation. "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...
jimmy1971 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 beautiful job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bone digger Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 WOW thats a superb little Phareodus, great prepping! 3 1/2 hours, I can't even get a fin uncovered in 3 1/2 hours, well at least not on the one I'm working on right now (the nightia or a I mean Diplo ) I did do a couple Priscis in about 6 hours each. You had said you wanted to find a little Phareodus and there it is! The great RB strikes again But I guess since you got that show coming up It'll have to go eh! Let me see! The way I got er figured is this. The base price is about $5 (since you thought it was a knightia before you started). Then add the 3 1/2 hours for prepping at a base wage of $5.25, thats another $15 and some change (not bad for an under the table wage). So thats 20 bucks, but since were friends and all I figured a discount would be in order, maybe 15% or so! $17 buckaroonies!!!! I'll take it Oh and don't forget to add on the $150 for postage! Seriously though you are the bestest, festest, most incrediblestest prepper in the westest! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa dino Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Great looking fish and one fine prep job and I will out bid B.D. and go up to twenty bucks (US) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Thats pretty darn awesome RB!!! thats what i love about paleo! there are always suprises, and that skull is amazingly preseved! well done!! *bows to the supream prepper* "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 N.AL.hunter Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I do believe that I did collect mine from the split fish layer. I got all of them over two collecting trips to the old Warfield Quarry where there was a spring and I was allowed to camp there too. Someone has said that this spot is no longer open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Great looking fish and really nice prep work also. It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Hi RB, Yesterday evening I had a NICE SURPRIZE also :thumbsup: Thankyou man http://www.mbfossilcrabs.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Thanks everybody. Lots of nice things said. Sad thing though. I started a medium sized Diplo today, got the head ruffed out and then ruffed out the back bone only to find that the tail is totaly messed up!!! This one may truly go into the trashcan. And as for as bidding for my little phare, if only dinodigger and granpa dino would have made it to my reserve price of $21.95, then this little baby would have been hangin in there living room. Ha!!! But thanks again everybody. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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