Jump to content

Creative display ideas for small ~1inch fossils


Lmshoemaker

Recommended Posts

Greetings,

I'm looking for ideas to display my smaller crinoids among other things, and am curious what others use. One of the coolest things I have seen was a small pencil sized rod with metal prongs that could be bent to fit the fossil, but I'm sure others here have their own unique ideas they've put to use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HI, I use little display cases with foam inside them that push up against the lid to keep small fossils in place. I can PM you some pics if you want.

Izak

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Find a carpet/wood flooring retailer. Ask for any tile/ wood samples that they're disposing of. Frequently they're small approx 2 inches by 1 inch and mounted on cardboard. Peel them off , they're already attractvely sanded, stained, sealed, drill a small dimple in the top for your sample to sit in. Label and cover. Specimens can be elmer's {white}glued (water soluble) in place.

  • I found this Informative 1

“Beautiful is what we see. More beautiful is what we understand. Most beautiful is what we do not comprehend.” N. Steno

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am currently experimenting with "artificial water" and embedding the delicate fossils (NON valuable) in the epoxy. The surfaces comes out crystal clear and allows one to see the top and bottom of fossils by turning the hardened epoxy over. So far I am impressed with how it is coming out, though as I stated, I am in only the experimental phase. I need to order Identification labels to also embed into the epoxi. The purpose for me encasing the fossils in epoxy is to provide a local nature center visiters with hands on access to delicate and smallfossils. This way children can hold, drop, or even chew on the display without damaging it for others. Easycast clear casting epoxy can be found at any Hobby Lobby. Let me know if you try this. It is fun to work with but irreversible so do not put your valuable fossils into it. Good luck!!!! This was just some junk I immersed into the epoxy. I was suppose to warm it to get rid of the minor air bubbles. The edges were reynolds wrap supported. In other words this was crude and still looks ok. My suggestion for crinoids is to get a nice thin but tall glass vase and stand the crinoids up layering them as you go up . One can hot glue them in position as resin is added in the first layers. As the resin hardens, one could just poke them into it to start another layer.post-12553-0-15765200-1450572759_thumb.jpg

Edited by minnbuckeye
  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Is it safe to put a ammonite fossil in real tap water

If the matrix and fossil seam solid then tap water and even a little soap is the best way to clean at least the dirt and grime off of almost any fossil. I will scrub with a soft toothbrush as well. But the other rule of thumb is always to test your method on either a specimen you don't care as much about or even just the back side of the fossil in question.

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I really like that acrylic embeddment idea. You could create large plates that could be rigged for hanging on the wall as well. I have also seen other projects where the person poured a colored layer first, set the specimens, then embedded with clear Lucite after that.

Oh, so many projects, so little time.

Fossils: The Original Limited Edition Collectible.

www.bonesandstone.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mount them in a shadow box with museum wax. There some nice small shadow boxes you can buy with attractive mats at Hobby Lobby and Walmart. Then hang them on the wall. Look in the picture frame section of hobby lobby and Walmart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's some things I've done in the past and a picture of what I've done today. First just filling up a mason jar with random fossils maybe dressing it up if you like:

 

 

post-19134-0-76109800-1458950936.jpeg

 

 

Second using an old spice jar and either a piece of wooden dowel or an old thread spool.

 

 

post-19134-0-35729800-1458951063.jpeg

 

 

And finally what inspired this post was my find at the local dump today. I just happen to park right next to three tile sample boards and and picked up some two dollar Loctite stickum to make this..... Ooops ... File Too big

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There we go!! I encourage more of you guys to post some of your display ideas and lastly I've tried going the acrylic resin route but found it was far too expensive for the ideas I had. Bar top perhaps???

 

post-19134-0-34592100-1458951428.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...