Mosasaur Skeleton

[-AnThOnY-]

I posted this a LONG time ago when I originally pulled it out of the creek in North central MS. A little back story, it was under an 1" of water during removal so I did quite a number on it getting it removed.

Anyway, after 5 years I have finally mustered up the courage to get to work on it. I am in need of assistance on a course of action to begin. I finally purchased some butvar and have used a turkey baster to bathe some of the larger block with it (figured out I would need 10 gallons of acetone to soak the larger block, no deal). The largest block has at least 6 smaller blocks that flip over and fit onto exposed bone, a major concern of mine is how to affix these for prepping? Should I glue the entire contact surface and then deal with the glue once I get through the back side? Or should I, on the bigger pieces of bone, prep them free standing before I glue them in place? I do plan on fully soaking all that I can in butvar.

I am currently planning to make this somewhere in the range of a 4'x4', 4'x6', 3'x5' block once completed, using filler pieces of Demopolis Chalk to make it coherent.

Note: the white stickers show chunks that fit together. Sorry for the lack of scale. The main block in the center (slightly right) is about 24x24"

Approximate list of what I have identified are 15-20 verts, 10-15 teeth (think I located a large jaw section), a smaller currently isolated jaw section and some ribs. Hoping there are some skull chunks in the big block that I can work out. Also, a large percentage of these bones are pyritized so I think that will be awesome when its all prepped up and I can blast it to a nice gold sheen.

Edited March 30, 2016 by -AnThOnY-

[JarrodB]

This is very cool. I'm sure someone on here will be able to help you.

[JohnBrewer]

Wow, that looks super daunting. Best of luck. Would be great to see your prep stage by stage

[Xiphactinus]

Here's how I would do this....

Build a frame including a bottom...make a shallow box. Put the puzzle back together in the box. If you can, glue the pieces together tightly without gaps.

Pour plaster into the frame and let it flow around the pieces of the mosasaur puzzle. Prep away with dental tools....

Edited March 30, 2016 by Xiphactinus

[Darktooth]

Wow this I a project I wish I could witness first hand! Can't wait to see the outcome!

[RJB]

Wow! Have you got a job on your hands! Looks like a really good and fun challenge. Looks like Xiphactinus has a really good idea. I do wish you the very best of luck and am really looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

RB

[-AnThOnY-]

Here's how I would do this....

Build a frame including a bottom...make a shallow box. Put the puzzle back together in the box. If you can, glue the pieces together tightly without gaps.

Pour plaster into the frame and let it flow around the pieces of the mosasaur puzzle. Prep away with dental tools....

I really like this idea, actually...I think I am going to work in that direction. I need to start laying things out aesthetically and figure out how big of a frame I need.

The question I pose with that technique is, what would the method be in making the plaster take on the Demopolis look? My original plan was to get some additional Demopolis chunks and cope them into existing blocks and fill the gaps with ground up chalk and glue/plaster. I guess I can still do this but I need to get the chunks before I pour the frame.

[Ludwigia]

This is going to be a very challenging project! Good luck to you!

[Xiphactinus]

I really like this idea, actually...I think I am going to work in that direction. I need to start laying things out aesthetically and figure out how big of a frame I need.

The question I pose with that technique is, what would the method be in making the plaster take on the Demopolis look? My original plan was to get some additional Demopolis chunks and cope them into existing blocks and fill the gaps with ground up chalk and glue/plaster. I guess I can still do this but I need to get the chunks before I pour the frame.

Does the Demopolis dissolve in water? When I'm prepping in the Niobrara chalk, I save all my pieces from prepping and put them into an old plastic coffee can. I smash it up into tiny pieces and add water. After it sits for awhile, it makes a pretty good thick slurry of chalky water. I use that to "paint" the plaster. Since it's the exact same material as the fossil matrix, when it tries you can't tell plaster from matrix.

[-AnThOnY-]

I am almost certain that it would. Ill keep that in mind, although in my head I would like to keep the inverts that are associated with it present and I am not sure if the "painted" areas would contrast with the original because of the lack of invert 'debris'.

Does the Demopolis dissolve in water? When I'm prepping in the Niobrara chalk, I save all my pieces from prepping and put them into an old plastic coffee can. I smash it up into tiny pieces and add water. After it sits for awhile, it makes a pretty good thick slurry of chalky water. I use that to "paint" the plaster. Since it's the exact same material as the fossil matrix, when it tries you can't tell plaster from matrix.

Edited April 1, 2016 by -AnThOnY-

[-AnThOnY-]

I have decluttered the pile and laid out a 3x5' rectangle to start arranging and getting a feel for whats going on. I have discovered 5 more teeth that are barely poking out in various places and pieced together what appears to be at least 14" of jaw section. Here is where it stands now, all of the pieces in the rectangle fit together.

Edited April 1, 2016 by -AnThOnY-

[-AnThOnY-]

This is the section of jaw discussed in the last post. The dotted area is 14" long and along the split line was of course a tooth which split through the root thankfully and not the enamel. Now I just have to figure out where it attaches to the main block.

[Xiphactinus]

Looking good! Take lots of pix of the progress, please!

[FossilDudeCO]

wow, looks like a tough one! good luck to yah! cant wait to see the process!

[-AnThOnY-]

Whipped up 3.5 gallons of Butvar solution this weekend, and managed to soak all the mosasaur and everything in my collection that needed it. Also made a little more progress with the 3d double sided puzzle. Found 2 more teeth and a partial tooth.

I was trying to start laying everything out to see how it will look complete but I am thinking I will need to prep most of this down to a single plane before I will get a good idea about what its going to look like. I normally use the harbor freight electric engraver and it works well on this material but I will have a good bit of bulk material I need to move so I am purchasing a 8315B scribe from All Air and will give that a shot.

FYI. It appears that I got lucky with this Ziplock storage container (Walmart), it has a foam seal around the rim that is not allowing acetone fumes to escape. Woo for long term storage, especially since I probably have a gallon or two left over. And the little metal office tray worked great for loading up with smaller fossils to do in batches.

[Xiphactinus]

Whipped up 3.5 gallons of Butvar solution this weekend, and managed to soak all the mosasaur and everything in my collection that needed it. Also made a little more progress with the 3d double sided puzzle. Found 2 more teeth and a partial tooth.

I was trying to start laying everything out to see how it will look complete but I am thinking I will need to prep most of this down to a single plane before I will get a good idea about what its going to look like. I normally use the harbor freight electric engraver and it works well on this material but I will have a good bit of bulk material I need to move so I am purchasing a 8315B scribe from All Air and will give that a shot.

FYI. It appears that I got lucky with this Ziplock storage container (Walmart), it has a foam seal around the rim that is not allowing acetone fumes to escape. Woo for long term storage, especially since I probably have a gallon or two left over. And the little metal office tray worked great for loading up with smaller fossils to do in batches.

20160402_094655.jpg20160403_212730.jpg

Anthony - If the foam seal starts deteriorating due to the fumes, I've had great luck storing Vinac (I assume Butvar would behave the same) in old laundry detergent bottles. They seal well and usually have a little spout which aids in pouring.

I think you are right....you're going to have to prep that down some to get a better "lay of the land". Good luck!

[-AnThOnY-]

I accidentally spilled some acetone on the foam a couple of times and it showed no reaction, so I think I am in the clear. If that fails, what about storing it back in the Acetone tins?

[Xiphactinus]

I accidentally spilled some acetone on the foam a couple of times and it showed no reaction, so I think I am in the clear. If that fails, what about storing it back in the Acetone tins?

That would work, but make sure you mark it clearly that it's not acetone. It will smell like it and easy to make a mistake about what's in the can.

[Ptychodus04]

Whipped up 3.5 gallons of Butvar solution this weekend, and managed to soak all the mosasaur and everything in my collection that needed it. Also made a little more progress with the 3d double sided puzzle. Found 2 more teeth and a partial tooth.

What is the reasoning for consolidaing the blocks prior to preparation? That usually makes the process more difficult. Am I missing something? I only consolidate when needed as the bone is exposed. Once the prep is done, everything gets a final PVA treatment before gluing the pieces together.

My preference is to prepare the bones completely free of matrix and fabricate a stand for the bad boy out of steel.

[Ptychodus04]

Anthony - If the foam seal starts deteriorating due to the fumes, I've had great luck storing Vinac (I assume Butvar would behave the same) in old laundry detergent bottles. They seal well and usually have a little spout which aids in pouring.

I think you are right....you're going to have to prep that down some to get a better "lay of the land". Good luck!

I do this as well. In fact, I have a new one with a push button spout in the garage that needs to be cleaned of detergent and filled with PVA!!!

[-AnThOnY-]

What is the reasoning for consolidaing the blocks prior to preparation? That usually makes the process more difficult. Am I missing something? I only consolidate when needed as the bone is exposed. Once the prep is done, everything gets a final PVA treatment before gluing the pieces together.

My preference is to prepare the bones completely free of matrix and fabricate a stand for the bad boy out of steel.

Just preference, I have a lot of smaller pieces that show only the edges of bone and figured they would not handle being prepped free before mating with their counterparts. I started picking at a few things last night with dental picks (a tooth, and root) and the matrix is still separating about as easy as it was before soaking. Plus this bone is rather crumbly, so any help I can get to keep it solid is benefit from my view.

I wish that I thought this thing was in good enough condition to prep freely and mount it in 3D, but I do not thing that is the case. I could definitely be wrong and be pleasantly surprised when I get into this main block but I plan on keeping my hopes low for that haha.

My scribe from All Air should be here on Thursday so I can get started doing some damage!

[amour 25]

Nice deal will keep checking in on it.

[-AnThOnY-]

Not the best picture in the world but it shows progress on the jaw section discussed on the first page. I knew the whole tooth was present due to it being in cross section along the break line and just happened to find the other one poking around. Issue is that I cannot make heads or tails of where these teeth are in the jaw. I am not seeing any evidence of more teeth going to the left, but maybe if I keep going at it I can find some distinguishing features on the bones to the left. Best I can figure is that it is the back of the lower jaw?

Species is looking like M. conodon, waiting for confirmation.

[Xiphactinus]

I wonder if you have a premaxilla? (Disclaimer, other than a lot of wishful thinking, I don't have much mosasaur experience.)

[-AnThOnY-]

Interesting, certainly the best shot at it so far. The trouble I was having is that the teeth weren't obviously in a row they are rotated which would match up with your suggestion.

I like it! That would mean it would be sitting on its side though, or rolled clockwise right?

Note: Hard to tell in this particular pic but there is another tooth at the top of the picture slightly right. Its in rough shape though

Edited April 8, 2016 by -AnThOnY-