Lara Broecke wrote: I'm writing in a personal capacity as a paintings conservator with no knowledge of natural history conservation. I have several very friable, small, fossilised fish in laminated limestone, dug up (legally!) in Fossil Butte, Utah, for those that know it. I wondered if there was something that I could easily do at home to 'fix' them so that I don't have to worry about them flaking. The sort of spray fixative used for charcoal drawings crossed my mind, but I have no idea whether or not that would be appropriate in this situation. The fossils are in no way rare or valuable (literally millions exist from the same site) but they are of personal interest and value to me. I'd be grateful for any suggestions from those with expertise in this area.
Reply: Paraloid B-72 works very well for consolidating flaking and fragile fossils. I would recommend 5 and 10 % solutions of B-72 in 90:10 acetone:ethanol. Start with the thinner solution and apply the thicker solution on the more open/lifting areas. You can apply it using a soft brush or by pipette. With this low a concentration, you should not have any shiny surface or excess on the surface. Stephen Koob Chief Conservator The Corning Museum of Glass One Museum Way Corning, NY 14830 ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to consdistlist-le...@cool.conservation-us.org Searchable archives: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/