CompuServe Messages

Michael: >>several areas of Miocene/Oligocene marine sediments containing fossil crustaceans…All are found in concretions, and generally very hard to prepare<< I think those same formations (or equivalents) extend north into Canada. I've heard rumours about Tertiary, crab-bearing concretions in the Oyster Bay area, near Comox on Vancouver Island. I've had pretty good luck using a Dremel electric engraver (the vibrating type, with replaceable bits–tungsten carbide or diamond (expensive!)) on small mollusc shells in Cretaceous ironstone concretions. I prefer to do the work under a low-power stereo microscope. Admittedly, this takes a long time, but is quite precise, and a lot quicker than dental tools. These concretions are "harder than the hubs of hell" (one of my Dad's old sayings <G>), so may be comparable to your concretions.