@theodore-gray    Frankly, they all look alike to me.  However, I suggest you obtain a copy of Collector’s Guide to Texas Cretaceous Echinoids by William W Morgan, Schiffer publishing, 2016.  He’s got all of them covered.

@samantha-ocon , @sadie-mills  I have an answer for you.  I got the following information from one of the prep lab people who actually use these tools:

The normal tool we use is Chicago Pneumatic scribe which comes in any number of sizes depending on what you want to use it for.  Paleo Tools has a wide selection of the Chicago and also se…[Read more]

@samantha-ocon I could check to see what they use in the Cincinnati Museum prep labs.  Maybe that will help.  I am laid up with a foot injury so I’ll have to get one of my friends to check.

Jack

@sadie-mills@carl-lewis  A lot depends on the preservation material for the trilobite.  Most will be calcitic and will be adversely affected by any chemical cleaner that will dissolve limestone.    To remove loose or soft shale or mud a toothbrush with water and an optional mild detergent will help.  If the limestone matrix is covering part of t…[Read more]

@jbauer@bheimbrock  I could put a plea in the next DD bulletin but it won’t come out until mid-September.  My only other option is a mass email to DD members ahead of that.

@bheimbrock Hey Bill! Don’t be trying to replace me as Dry Dredgers bulletin editor.  I like doing that  🙂

@jbauer  @bheimbrock Bill is the only Dredger I know who has the talent to do this.  I don’t know about his availability though.  Maybe Bill can suggest others.

Jack