6/18 dive trip report

[AeroMike]

Well, we had another amazing dive. This was definitely Lee's day but I will let him share that with you, I am just glad I was there for it.
Phill is like a dang magnet to the big teeth and this trip was no exception. He pulled up a nasty big ol tooth with a wicked curve to it. You can not tell from the photo but that tooth is almost shape like the letter "J".

Volume-wise this trip out did last week and I have a whole variety of finds from a Benedini tooth I found right at the boat ramp, a partial Gomphotherium tooth, whale tooth, vertebra, petrified wood, megs, angy's, mako's, sand tiger, saw tooth, ray, you name it, i was finding it and I remembered to place a quarter in the pics so you'd have something for size comparison.

Please enjoy~!

 

[Lee Taylor]

Amazing. Simply amazing. Did not realize the shear volume of your collecting yesterday. I see some really good ones in your photos. I took lots of photos of the Gomphotherium I found. I am hoping to find some advice, information, and or suggestions on cleaning it. It is very rare from what I am reading and quite valuable in fossil circles. The Gomp, or prehistoric elephant tooth, is from the Miocene or Pliocene period, 2 to 23 million years ago. I saw some photos of one that was cleaned and it had a shine like a ground and polished whale ear bone. In other words, it was mirror black.

Mike


Gomphotherium


Bottom view






4" Meg / Petrified Wood / Gomp

 

[pond skipper]

Very nice Gomp tooth. Nice find and it is in good shape. I'd like to see it when it is all cleaned up. Good going!

 

[Lee Taylor]

I don't know where to start with the cleaning. Any ideas?

 

[AeroMike]

Lee, I was cleaning some of the teeth that where jet black with build up on it like your tooth with a scotch brite type material on the dremel with fantastic results. If you want, I can see if this would work on your tooth. I would try it on the underside of course to see the results but I bet it will come out.

I will see if there is any more teeth that are black and try to post some before and after pics for ya tonight okay.

 

[Lee Taylor]

Thank you for the offer Mike. I am not sure I want to try the dremel as of yet. I have a dremel and have tried it on fossils with not good results. I am looking at air abrasion with tiny glass beads. I am having some people tell me the Gomp is actually a Mastodon. I am sure that will play itself out as time passes. Are you going to do the Copper with Phill the second weekend of July?

The more I read the more it sounds like the classic hobby store air eraser using glass beads is the ticket. We are going to have to get us one.

Classic air eraser

 

[scubadaddee]

Thank you for the offer Mike. I am not sure I want to try the dremel as of yet. I have a dremel and have tried it on fossils with not good results. I am looking at air abrasion with tiny glass beads. I am having some people tell me the Gomp is actually a Mastodon. I am sure that will play itself out as time passes. Are you going to do the Copper with Phill the second weekend of July?

The more I read the more it sounds like the classic hobby store air eraser using glass beads is the ticket. We are going to have to get us one.

Classic air eraser

Lee did you use the little buffing pad on the dremel? I,ve had good results using mine with jewellers rouge.

 

[AeroMike]

Lee, here is the before and after results with the brown scuff pad on the dremel. What I like about this pad is it wears down before it damages the tooth. However you decide Lee, make sure you start the cleaning on the underside so that any non-wanted results will be limited. Oh, and definitely post pics!!!!!!

Set 1, man I really wished the tooth on the left was whole, it has what looks like two cusps.

Set 2

Set 3

 

[Lee Taylor]

Lee did you use the little buffing pad on the dremel? I,ve had good results using mine with jewellers rouge.

I did use the little buffing pad but did not use the Jewelers rouge. I am going to pick up some jewelers rouge and a post grinder and a LARGE buffing wheel. Also going get an air eraser from the hobby shop. I spend enough time and money diving and fossil hunting that I need to develop some cleaning processes that are fast and effective. I will probably go with you on the Cooper. I am pretty stoked right now, after finding the Gomphothore/Mastadon tooth. (Most forum identification votes are leaning towards Gomp).

 

[Lee Taylor]

Thanks for the photos Mike. The results you are getting look good. I can't stop thinking of that green tooth Phill had. I really need to get a photo of that one. I don't think I will see another like it in my lifetime.