Post by SharktoothHunter on May 31, 2012 10:16:56 GMT -5
Stuff used to preserve fossils is evolving (get it... evolving... lol - anyway the point is not to crack myself up, or any fossils)
The go-to preservative used to be Butvar, then Vinac, now its PVA
- here's a link with a source if you are interested
(its supposed to be very transparent, unlike the milky butvar)
www.bhigr.com/store/product.php?productid=262
I dissolve the beads, then soak fossils in it (particularly porous stuff that is more brittle/fragile). I'll let them soak for a few hours to a couple days to let all the air bubble out. When I take out the fossils I wipe down any hard, shiny surfaces and put them on newspaper, paper towels, or tin foil to dry - you want to avoid having 'beads' dry, as with something you painted which runs a little. The result should be a more stable, durable specimen. Absolutely do this outside - the solvent is flammable.
Yes, some use elmer's glue on their fossils. Problem is it dissolves in water, so if you turn a shark's tooth in to a pendant, or keep the fossil in your pocket on a hot sweaty day, the moisture from your body, a pool, etc. can dissolve the glue (and not only make a mess, but if you gave/sold it to someone - their 'satisfaction level' would drop...)
The go-to preservative used to be Butvar, then Vinac, now its PVA
- here's a link with a source if you are interested
(its supposed to be very transparent, unlike the milky butvar)
www.bhigr.com/store/product.php?productid=262
I dissolve the beads, then soak fossils in it (particularly porous stuff that is more brittle/fragile). I'll let them soak for a few hours to a couple days to let all the air bubble out. When I take out the fossils I wipe down any hard, shiny surfaces and put them on newspaper, paper towels, or tin foil to dry - you want to avoid having 'beads' dry, as with something you painted which runs a little. The result should be a more stable, durable specimen. Absolutely do this outside - the solvent is flammable.
Yes, some use elmer's glue on their fossils. Problem is it dissolves in water, so if you turn a shark's tooth in to a pendant, or keep the fossil in your pocket on a hot sweaty day, the moisture from your body, a pool, etc. can dissolve the glue (and not only make a mess, but if you gave/sold it to someone - their 'satisfaction level' would drop...)
