Lori LuvsFossils Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 I'm planning to try my hand at catching fish near Green River WY this summer. Most of the fish I see are on plates, cut with even edges. To get them out of the field, is it necessary to have equipment (a saw of some sort) or will they chip up with cave man tools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 I'm planning to try my hand at catching fish near Green River WY this summer. Most of the fish I see are on plates, cut with even edges. To get them out of the field, is it necessary to have equipment (a saw of some sort) or will they chip up with cave man tools? It's my understanding that the quarries usually have a saw on premises for cutting down the slabs for packing/travel. Not sure if that is included in the day fee, or if it is an extra expense. Maybe one of the quarry frequenters will chime in on this. Regards, 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 yes, the quarries have a saw on the premise. They usually help you cut them to nice rectangles at the end of the day. you can also do it with caveman tools. I am not as much of a fan of the rectangle cut. I prefer a natural looking break, so here is what I do. I use a wood saw (hand saw). I put the plate down on the counter top...fish side down (and you may need some padding) and make a cut (cutting parallel to the plate surface about 2/3 the way through the rock plate. Then you can snap it on the counter top by holding the 'good' end and gently tapping the part you are cutting off on the counter top. You get a rough break (very natural looking) exactly where you want it. And then I avoid using that saw for wood. This works very well on split fish. I have never tried it on 18 inch layer which is a harder rock. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Sometimes you get lucky and find a fish that will have a natural edge when cut too! Check out this one I brought home from my last trip. P.S. I like to bring home the WHOLE slab. JP, I can do the same thing with my Dremel, cut about halfway through then break it off, again, never tried with the 18-Inch stuff, but give me a day and ill post a picture of my attempt! I have about 600 pounds in the garage right now! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 Hi Lori. You can also use what I call 'nippers' to trim up rock that is thin enough to 'nip'. Or once home and if the rock is hard enough you can polish the edges too. Good luck RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 RJB, that one on the right, did you grind and paint the edge? If so, what did you paint it with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 In case he doesn't see this..I think he polished it, not painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 it is quite interesting, I dont think I have seen that done before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Hey Fossildude. Like JP said, I polish the rock after I shape it the way I want. Takes a bit of time, but came out real neato lookin. RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDudeCO Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 yes it looks really nice! I like it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori LuvsFossils Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 Thank You , Thank You !! I'm getting really excited about this trip. You've all been a big help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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