MikeD Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpbowden Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Nice! MikeD is that you? Looks like you been pumpin' that iron, or maybe a crayon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh-Man Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Did you all come across the Africanized-bee beehive??? Killer bees are not your friend either!!! AND it would really suck having to run up that hill to get away from them... What is geology? "Rocks for Jocks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Heres the monster after about 2 hours cleaning. Shes gonna need A LOT more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Jax that's a beauty in the rough! You have to work your way through the double cheese to get that mac. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Heres the monster after about 2 hours cleaning. Shes gonna need A LOT more. That is huge, can't wait to see it finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobC Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Jax--what do you clean your with? Do you ever soak them in vinegar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Jax--what do you clean your with? Do you ever soak them in vinegar? I usally start by soaking in water, then scrubing with a stiff (plastic) brush. Then picking at the thicker stuff with a dental pick. I do use vinegar. I usally dip the brush in it, and scrub the thiner limestone, that seems to break it up. I soak it for short periods in vinegar then scrub and pick again. I found with other pieces that soaking in vinegar too long seems to bleach them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarthacensis Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I usally start by soaking in water, then scrubing with a stiff (plastic) brush. Then picking at the thicker stuff with a dental pick. I do use vinegar. I usally dip the brush in it, and scrub the thiner limestone, that seems to break it up. I soak it for short periods in vinegar then scrub and pick again. I found with other pieces that soaking in vinegar too long seems to bleach them. You could used the KOH , it's very good for this type of stone Sarthacensis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh-Man Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 You could used the KOH , it's very good for this type of stoneSarthacensis Just make sure you have something to neutralize the KOH with... What is geology? "Rocks for Jocks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobC Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Okay--I'll bite--what is KOH? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobC Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Is the fact that vinegar bleaches things bad? I've had people tell me that echinoids are supposed to be white so I thought I was doing the right thing. I am so confused... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Jax, you be sure to mention who you were hunting with when you found that beast Man, that thing is looking awesome already.....way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarthacensis Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 KOH is potassium hydroxyde, dangerous substance (no more than acid), like "soude caustic" but very good to clean some type of fossils Like these echinoids from Texas's cretaceous : Hemiaster & Tetragramma By sarthacensis By sarthacensis Sartha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobC Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Wow--those guys look great! Do you soak them in that stuff or just apply it with a brush? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted May 14, 2009 Author Share Posted May 14, 2009 Is the fact that vinegar bleaches things bad? I've had people tell me that echinoids are supposed to be white so I thought I was doing the right thing. I am so confused... Some of the ones I found have a blue tint, some are more white. I like to keep that blueish color to them. I have some that have came all the way back to the original white color. I have never used KOH, but hearing from many others who have, it works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanceH Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I've used heavily diluted Muriatic acid (which itself is 5% Hydrochloric acid, 95% water) to clean echinoids BUT only the ones with just a lime haze, not any that need physical removal of matrix. I soaked them first in water as a buffer, then dip in the acid a few seconds (with my hands ) and then rinse. It burns off the haze real quick. Edit: I just do this on the large Macraster-Hemiaster heart urchins, not the bumpy ornate ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarthacensis Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Hello Bob - Take the KOH carefuly - protect outside the cleaning zone - put on the matrix humid (and only on the matrix) the KOH , pellet by pellet - waiting up to KOH disappeared completly - Clean with water and waiting for 2 or 3 days in water By sarthacensis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobC Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 sounds scary! I am just now getting comfortable scrubbing my little guys with a brush! Thanks for the tips guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synechodus Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I met Snakekeeper at a top secret quarry ( )for some hard core Echi huntin. As we pull in the rain started, and had us both worried. The weather held, and the high for the day was about 75 with a nice breeze. So we dove into the pit, and Barry spots an ammonite in the wall. That was the first of many nice finds to come. As we rounded the corner the Echi's started to just pop out at us, and they were big. I doubled back on a section to give it a second look, and I found the king of all heart urchins. It still has a bunch of limestone on it, but is perfect under that. Its 3.5 in tall, 3.5 in wide, and 2 in thick. A MONSTER! Tons of small ammonites were found, Kingena wacoensis were pretty plentiful as well. We each ended the day with a few perfect Echi's which made the trip worth while. Barry has a bunch of nice ground shots, and my monster shots on his camera. Stay tuned to the finished product after I get that big boy prepped. J Killer find(s), Justin, way to go! How far are you on that Macraster right now? Those pictures of that quarry do stike a raw nerve, though. If only my US-colleagues would be in need of this Dutchie once more .... imagine you and me hunting there one more time, for old time sakes....... Just to retalliate : some pics of one of my latest outings... "And the men who hold high places, Must be the ones to start To mould a new reality, Closer to the Heart" (Rush, "Closer to the Heart" from the album "A Farewell to Kings") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Those are nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted June 10, 2009 Author Share Posted June 10, 2009 Killer find(s), Justin, way to go!How far are you on that Macraster right now? Those pictures of that quarry do stike a raw nerve, though. If only my US-colleagues would be in need of this Dutchie once more .... imagine you and me hunting there one more time, for old time sakes....... Just to retalliate : some pics of one of my latest outings... I havent gotten much more matrix off. Since I started back to work I dont have as much time to work on it. I wish I could just send it off and have it cleaned Maybe someone will want to clean my echi for me. The back side is pretty thick, I have gotten a bunch of that off with the engraver. But this is by far the biggest and best Echi I have found. It would be fun to hit the quarry again, and speaking of prep pics, im wondering how that monster ammonite is coming along??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synechodus Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 It would be fun to hit the quarry again, and speaking of prep pics, im wondering how that monster ammonite is coming along??? Well, I have been saving up to hit NC with a friend next year or the year after, but I may just have to reconsider and come over to Texas for a few weeks. Pfeeew, tough call...... Just knew you would bring up that monster Mortoniceras Well, it is still waiting patiently until I have some more time and the proper equipment. Being a dad yourself, now, I am pretty sure you have your hands full too. Hey, did I read that well? You got the job? Congrats, man! That must be a relief in these difficult times. Take care, Paul "And the men who hold high places, Must be the ones to start To mould a new reality, Closer to the Heart" (Rush, "Closer to the Heart" from the album "A Farewell to Kings") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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