Mark K
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,816 
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Post by Mark K on Mar 12, 2013 20:50:11 GMT -5
Anyone know who sells them at a reasonable price? I mean small size, not the big ones used for cars. I mean for fossil prep.
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riverbendlapidary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,058
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Post by riverbendlapidary on Mar 12, 2013 21:36:22 GMT -5
harbor freight
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 13, 2013 8:47:37 GMT -5
Harbor Freight has a couple of different sizes.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 13, 2013 9:47:27 GMT -5
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,816
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Post by Mark K on Mar 13, 2013 13:31:55 GMT -5
That will do the fossils?
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 13, 2013 13:48:12 GMT -5
I wouldn't advise it for fossils unless they're well agatized. For small or softer specimens I'm going to use this.  The larger soda blaster is great for minerals that are Mohs 7 or above, but the nozzle orifice is too large for the pinpoint accuracy needed for most fossils. The Pasche Air Eraser will work with soda, and will give pinpoint accuracy. |
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,816
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Post by Mark K on Mar 13, 2013 17:18:30 GMT -5
Ya, I'm looking at fossil prep.
Lots of opportunity for me, but I want to make sure I have the right tool for the job. I am at the point in my life that if I can't use the right tool, I will probably just wait until I can.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 13, 2013 17:24:58 GMT -5
LOL. That's my attitude towards it. Actually, if you have a compressor, the Pasche Air Eraser is cheaper than the larger soda blaster.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,816
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Post by Mark K on Mar 13, 2013 21:32:29 GMT -5
I did notice that too, but cheaper is not always better.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 13, 2013 21:40:38 GMT -5
Pasche has been business making air brushes and the like longer than I've been alive, and I'm an old goat. They make top notch equipment. Of course if you really want the best, there are several makers of pencil blasters for the dental labs. That is if you don't mind paying well over $1,000.00 for a unit.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,816
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Post by Mark K on Mar 13, 2013 22:20:49 GMT -5
So the dental units would be a better tool for this use, you think?
I have seen them at a reasonable price.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 13, 2013 22:43:23 GMT -5
The dental units are what the professional fossil prepers use. But they make a living off of preping fossils. They can afford the fancy tools. At 71 years old, I probably don't have many more years left to play with fossils and minerals, so I'll settle for second best. If you're serious about playing with fossils, you might want to invest in an air scribe too. It'll help remove large amounts of matrix material in a hurry. Leaving more time for the fine work. Also a good set of dental scrapers and something like a Foredom flex shaft tool with a good selection of diamond bits.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,816
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Post by Mark K on Mar 14, 2013 11:11:23 GMT -5
I have a scribe I am watching right now.
I have seen the dental ones for a good price. Naturally asw soon as I said that yesterday I couldn't find them, but I will eventually.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 14, 2013 11:24:45 GMT -5
Some small clay modeling tools are handy for fossil prep too. As are a good selection of soft and hard bristled brushes. I'm using a clay modeling tool right now to clean a fossil fern.
Sometimes when you buy fossils from old collections, you'll find that the previous owner had attached a label to the specimen with a rubber band. The rubber over years will rot and stick to the specimen. That's what I'm facing right now. Cigarette lighter fluid on a Q-Tip will soften the rubber. A sharp sewing needle set into a handle can be used to clean away the rubber.
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