32fordboy Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I'm currently prepping this mastodon tooth and have a couple questions: 1. The remaining dirt on the cap is extremely hard. Is there any way to soften this up or a way to remove it easier? I already tried the airbrush/sandblaster thing in a small spot, but worry that I won't be able to polish the cap back up to a nice gloss like it is now if I continue. 2. The parts of the cap that were under the dirt are pretty dull. What can I use to polish them up? Attached are some pics of how it looked when I got it and how it looks now. You can notice the remaining dirt in the "after" photos. Thanks in advance. Nick www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 i'd probably set it aside for a while and just think about how much more to mess with it. trying to polish it is a pretty major decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 that tooth is too cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoRon Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 It looks like you have done an excellent job at cleaning it up. A pin vise might work but it will be a slow solution. Just take your time on the remaining material. If you are getting frustrated put it aside for a week or so and then go back at it again. Personally, I would not try to polish anything on the tooth. If the dull sections are bothering you that much use something that can be removed like neatsfoot oil to give it some gloss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 WOW, excellent tooth. Did you find it? Sorry that I cannot offer good advice on your question.... Welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32fordboy Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Thanks for the replies. I'm not getting frustrated, just confused which way to turn. A slow method is better than one that doesn't work. No, I didn't find it. Nothing like this is near where I live, unfortunately. Nick www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 paleoron has pretty good thoughts there. i just read up on neatsfoot oil a bit, and read that it might oxidize somewhat over time. i was thinking also that you could maybe try a light coat of vinac or butvar dissolved in acetone. that should leave a bit of shine on the enamel and if you decided you didn't like how it looked, you could just remove it with the same solvent. just a thought. but try to keep that fossil pretty original looking, because it's a lot neater display piece than most mastodon teeth out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Nick, There is such a thing as being "too clean." That dirt (as you call it) is part of what that tooth came out of and so tells part of the story of what it is. Polishing looses that part of the fossil and frankly, I think ruins it's look making it look phoney. Fossils are from the earth and that earthiness adds to their charm. You did well, it looks great. Don't kill it by over doing the job. ~Frank Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I agree with Frank it looks great leave it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32fordboy Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 I must say I'm starting to agree with leaving it alone. Besides, it's easier Nick www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 yeah, so what's the story on that tooth, anyway? did you find it? with the preservation on it, i'd say the rest of the critter shouldn't be far from where that was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Whoa Nellie, what a tooth! I'd consider anything that won't come off with water and a toothbrush to be part of the fossil. "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...
32fordboy Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 This tooth was on eBay for a while and got pulled off due to the new rules. Luckily, I had contacted the owner prior to the removal and was able to make an offer. It came from a Florida river. It would have been awesome to find the other teeth. Part of the jawbone is still attached on the bottom. Cleaning the tooth proved to be difficult with the hardness of the dirt. It was hard to distinguish matrix from fossil in some spots on the roots due to the mottled coloration. Nick www.nicksfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts