Fossil Friday Ep 3 - Prepping An Ammonite!

[@JCinerea]

I used to volunteer as a prepper at UT. Carbide steel needles in pin vises are invaluable for fine work. We used air scribes for removing large amounts of matrix. Good ones will run you a few hundred bucks, plus your other equipment. I know that Harbor Freight sells cheapo ones for around $90. I also found that small sand bags are essential for absorbing the force of the prep tools.

[@almontepaolilli7531]

Great video. Your prep skills are improving. Yorkshire Fossils has great prep videos. Be safe and have fun.

[@trongod2000]

Nice job. Considering the tools, I think you did quite well. Felt you were very patient so it wasn't being in a rush that caused the large chunk to fall away.

[@trygvepet]

When you get some airtools (both abrasion and jack), you'll NEVER believe that you worked with anything else. It's the difference between a donkey cart...and a Mercedes. Keep up the good work!

[@LehgIII]

That is a screwdriver, but I imagine you know for now. That size was more common in the past, today less and less as per my little knowledge. Anyway, looks it has been used to stir paint. There are a set of little chisels some times you can find at Aldi or Lidl, but probable Screwfix also offers them. Good to see it can be done with everyday tools.

[@JCinerea]

Some of the classic Victorian era preppers used to use sharpened knitting needles for fossil prep.

[@GolemiTopurdaci]

I've cleaned brachiopods with a Dremel tool. You might find it easier to clean them up that way, and has less of a risk of hurting the fossil.

[@TJfossil]

Well done with the tools you had to work with. A burlap bag filled with sand is a good base for prep work.

[@nickvowles8762]

Hello great video.Small bolster chisel and a small hammer work great.And there's nothing wrong with you're prepping skills you got the job done and a great outcome.I fix some of mine or rebuild some of the broken profile with £1 exterior wood filler in a tube from proper job.When dry carve to shape with some wax carving tools also from proper job.Most of the ones I find are in limestone from the fields of Wiltshire and Somerset...

[@chereederry7939]

Watching this with my 4 year old daughter and she is fully absorbed! We just ordered her new Fossil Hunter Lottie Doll today and she can't wait for it to arrive!

[@EmGems]

Aww how sweet! I have a Barbie palaeontologist doll I got for my birthday a few months ago ☺️❤️

[@chereederry7939]

@@EmGems she got her Fossil Hunter Lottie doll last night and has been "digging and cleaning" ammonites from her Playdoh! She even got her camping set out and set up an "excavation site"! She has been asking to watch your videos so she "can do it right". ❤❤❤

[@terrymelnyk2205]

Omg thats awesome! I wish that this kinda exposure to this field was available when I was younger! My world would have been so different. Take care and keep on encouraging that wonderful daughter of urs

[@bobrussell3602]

You are a brilliant mum !

[@alcom3101]

Incroyable🎬🔬🙏

[@almontepaolilli4909]

I think you did well with the tools available. Enjoyed watching. Saw that you have several other videos. Will take a look at them.

[@outdoorsy01]

Love our jurassic coast

[@therockdr446]

Hi Em, For prepping fossils I try to use a dremmel tool (you can find them pretty cheaply). Also if you are interested in displaying the fossils I like to use clear nail polish, as it stops the oils from hands disolving the specimen. Keep on rocking! The Rock Dr

[@EmGems]

thank you for this! i will look into dremmel tools :)

[@alexandermelchers1497]

Yeah, I can second that: a Dremmel engraver is a very good and cheap alternative to an air scribe, having mostly the same characteristics. Also, I've started using a pillow (a cheap and smooth one, in my case from IKEA) to provide a stable surface when prepping the rock that moreover is perfect for absorbing the shocks of the prep-work.

[@alexandermelchers1497]

As another tip: try to collect any rock dust that might come off during prepping - especially the fine stuff. This can be mixed with glue to create artificial matrix and natural paint pigments that can come in handy when restoring fossils. If not the one from which the powder derived, then another prep.

[@KENKENNIFF]

Nice informative video, you could really see the difference between the natural weathering and the revealed detail which was much clearer

[@AdrielG.]

I think what you're working with is great ! Don't worry about your tools, you'll acquire more.But I 💕 what you're working with 👍 I've recently started Fossil and hunting myself and I came across some good ones. I'd love to send you one if you'd like .unprepared of course. That is if you're still prepping fossils or interested I hope you are.

[@Knights.of.Ni.]

You could try dremel multi tool for the fine work instead of a nail.

[@EmGems]

Ooo thank you I might look Into getting one!

[@thewatchmen9327]

Beautiful. Can you imagine a live one?

[@Fierfek1972]

I found a pack of six "probes" for £4 in a local shop, they look like the scrapers dentists use, currently using them to eke out various shells and a shark fin spine from sandstone I found on Sandown beach IOW.

[@Dannyg304]

Nice work and you are pretty smart.

[@carllewis166]

dental tools you can get them at the tool store and cold chisels at tools store, engrave tool and a dremimal tool next step unless you have few hundred dollars for air compressor and air scribe.

[@dr.shaman]

hahahah made me laughed so hard when it broke , thought was just one of a few weirdos who r into fossiles and never studied anything related to it. best rewards from peru

[@almontepaolilli7531]

Great video. Stay safe and enjoy life.

[@beaudoinsoss]

Awesome i live in southern alberta canada and we have super nice ammolite. Im currently cleaninup a piece right now ill try semding pictures of mine they are super gemmy

[@terrymelnyk2205]

I live in Central Alberta and am sooooo envious of you lol. Please put up pics or if u could put up ur own utube channel please please send me ur channel link. Take care and happy prepping!

[@beaudoinsoss]

@@terrymelnyk2205 I can't seem to post picture on this add me on Facebook [e-mail] Andrew Beaudoin I go along st.mary river and going to checkout the milk river too since it's uncharted for me. I even have a friend who found me me one in the South Saskatchewan river in Medicine Hat

[@alexandermelchers1497]

Not sure of either matrix or find frequency at the find locality, but wouldn't you normally crack an ammonite stone open along the narrow edge of the ammonite on location, so as not to collect and invest too much time in potentially worthless material?

[@EmGems]

I didnt want to risk splitting the ammonite down its centre in this case 😊 but yes many hunters do split them when they're in the field

[@earthling2007]

Awesome work! I think a Dremel tool would make life easier and do a smashingly good job too!

[@EmGems]

Thank you 💞 I might look into getting one 🙂

[@earthling2007]

Em Gems 💎 welcome.

[@Johnfor3]

You need to buy a cheap engraver they chip off stone real nicely

[@trygvepet]

BTW: I asked my dentist for some old dental tools. She gave me a bunch for free. And they are perfect!

[@wizeguiz]

Love Fossil Friday's! I still want one, so if you ever decide to sell a couple of small ones....please let me know! Best Wishes Emma! :)

[@luvmypaint1965]

i got one in blues aboout 15 lbs or mmore whats worth

[@martingimenez339]

Have you calculated its age? Ammonites are used to calculate rocks age actually and sometimes you can be handling some 400 million year old piece.

[@222foont]

Just crack it already!

[@macplastering]

nice find :)

[@GeoffPlays]

Yooo I have been wanting to learn fossil prep because it seems relaxing and I live in a place with a lot of fossil bearing limestone and I have long been fascinated by fossil prep work. Do you have any recommendations for ways to practice?

[@sultros]

I potentially have a tip on where you can find them. Where I live, it used to be part of the Western Interior Seaway they split North America. My state in particular was a shallow ocean bay during the Cretaceous period and when the comet hit, the sediment that landed here fossilized everything into what are called concretions. Basically 3d fossils. Those concretions, aka river stone, aka bull rock, are dug out of the river beds and dumped in dumped everywhere as landscaping stones. Apparently people here are so head up the butt clueless, yes you too geologists, nobody bothered to look. That includes me until recently. Unfortunately you’re going to have to wait until this pandemic is over to do dremel work. You’ll need a respirator if you plan on using a dremel. You don’t want to inhale the dust the diamond bits produce, especially when dealing with any fossils in iron oxide rich sediments. Borrow or rent a wet saw or tile saw if you want to confirm. Do your homework too on taxonomy and fossil identification or at the very least reference photos online. Let me know if you want more details.

[@miguelortiz8420]

Where would i be able to find fossils like that.???

[@EmGems]

The Jurassic Coast 🙌

[@carllewis166]

its still a decent find. you wont always get a complete fossil.

[@dinodadreviews2923]

I know you said you collected these for your dissertation; do you get to keep these for your collection, or did you collect them on behalf of an institution?

[@EmGems]

I get to keep them :) however the slabs and thin sections I may not

[@daneggo2437]

@@EmGems now thats a video I want to see, you using one of the thin sectioning machines ;)

[@zoobee]

think you should combine these kind of vids with a fashion haul. Fossils with summer dress and evening wear kind of thing

[@CletusVanDamme42]

That's cool!

[@AA1891]

10:12 before and after.

[@TheRICKY85]

I would have broken it a lot sooner.

[@josephstanley200]

Looks great but ya smaller tools lol

[@AgedBacon]

Ah, good, I wanted to see how it's done. EDIT: I think you'd need more appropriate tools. That might be a bit too expensive tho.

[@limoucheu8522]

A poor dremel engraver (engraver you need absolutely a percussion tool not rotary!) is about lesser than 30 euros (there is a better on at only 80 euros), a geologic hammer is more than 50. Than for occasional preparation there is no need of air scribe.

[@respectanimals2]

Brilliant, you did a excellent job , it looks superb , just a little wax and a polish on them ribs and you’ll have a gorgeous display piece , peace 💀😎👍🌴

[@amelcihuyaAmel1212]

Posil nya bagus

[@WeirdSide]

you look like my ex flatmate's little sister

[@j.d.taliaferrojr.9085]

Hi ?

[@amelcihuyaAmel1212]

Bagus cantik dan langka

[@aljuliosanchez4687]

Hi Em. I like your sedimentary rock