Hi Follow the Fossil Collector's Code when collecting your treasures - get permission, use the right equipment, do it safely and leave some for others.
Steps: 1. Research the area by going to the local museum and looking at its collection, studying geology maps at the library, and talking to local fossil collectors. 2. Get permission to hunt a site once you locate one. 3. Pack the correct equipment. See "eHow to Create a Fossil Collectors Kit" under the Related eHows. 4. Tell someone where you will be searching and, if you are searching the beach, check to see when high tide will be. 5. Make a note or take a photograph of the fossil before you remove it from its location. 6. Wear safety glasses when chipping at a rock surface. 7. Remove larger pieces of rock encasing the fossil with larger tools such as a pick or shovel, if needed. 8. Use smaller tools such as trowels, small hammers, brushes and dental tools to remove the last 2-3 inches of rock around the fossil. You can do more detailed cleanup at home. 9. Brush on or spray on clear glue if the fossil is crumbling as you try to remove it. 10. Label the fossil with the location and how it was located in the rock bed or beach. 11. Wrap the fossil in burlap or paper towels and pack in a box or bag to transport it home. Tips: Good fossil-hunting places are old quarries, the beach at low tide, cliffs along a stream or the sea, plowed fields and where a road was cut through the side of a hill. Fossils allow us to step back in time to study the world and its inhabitants. You can start with the basic tools and add to them as your hobby grows. Steps: 1. Use a strong bag such as one made from burlap or use a sturdy backpack to carry your tools. 2. Begin with the basic tools - rock or masonry hammer, safety glasses, leather gloves, large and small rock chisels (not wood chisels because the metal is too soft), a couple of dental picks for detail work, plastic freezer bags, newspaper or paper towels, masking tape, and felt markers. 3. Add a point-and-shoot camera to record the location of the fossil. 4. Include a notebook to keep records of your fossils. 5. Throw in a good fossil identification book such as the "Familiar Fossils of North American." 6. Choose one or two special items to include in your kit if it is a gift such as an insulated water bottle, sweat band or a cool cap. Tips: Heavy-duty tools such as a shovel or pick ax can be added as you need them. . Screw cap pill bottles for teeth and other small specimens. 2. Super glue, epoxy, white glue (any fast drying kinds), for quick fixes when the hammer slips. 3. Knee pads. Inexpensive and a blessing after being on your hands and knees for an hour or so. 4. Work gloves, safety glasses (goggles are too cumbersome in the heat). 5. Old paint brushes and old toothbrushes. 6. A hard hat if anywhere near potentially falling rock, which is usually unavoidable. 7. Chisels with hand guards. Not much more costly and well worth the safety feature. 8. Old crowbar or lug wrench. 9. Roll of bathroom tissue or sheets of packing foam for wrapping delicate specimens. 10. Homemade first aid kit-appropriately stocked with items most likely needed. 11. Small tool set with nut picks, nails, tweezers. 12. Old garden hand spade. To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The New Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following Address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the new archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
