Got My Microblaster!

futzman

Jr. Member
May 29, 2005
79
0
Tulsa, OK
Well, I received my Aubin microblaster last week and I'm really excited with the results I'm getting using this little micro "sandblaster".? Here's a couple of before-and-after shots showing what can be done with one of these little gizmos:

The first couple of pictures are of a rather insignificant fossil, some crinoid fragments from middle Pennsylvanian OK strat:

BEFORE
bx.site0.crinoid_before.jpg


AFTER
bx.site0.crinoid_after.jpg


Not a real exciting fossil but it shows what you can do with this fantastic little tool. Btw, the matrix was a shale/mudstone material so this only took me about 10 minutes to prep.

The second is a fossil I found Saturday in the middle Pennsylvanian Oologah (or Labette) limestone formation (I think anyway).? I chiseled this out of a huge limestone boulder then took it home for blast preparation.

BEFORE
ol.site8.brach_before.jpg


I didn't know what this fossil was until after blasting.? At first I thought it might be a trilobite, but then realized what it was:

AFTER
ol.site8.brach_after.jpg


This find became pretty exciting to me after using the micro-blaster because I realized it was a brachiopod internal mould showing the delicate spiral lophophore support structure.? This is something you could never resolve from the matrix using any other tool.

Btw, the one I bought is the Aubin 1400RC pictured here:

http://www.aeaubin.com/1400.htm

I bought the model that included the 1312 vacuum but if you're considering buying one I suggest not going this route.? Just buy the blaster and go to Lowe's and buy a cheap $30 shop vacuum.? The blaster plus the vacuum requires a MASSIVE supply of compressed air (about 12CFM) which is a pretty huge compressor.? My compressor only puts out around 6.5 cfm and it couldn't supply enough air for both the air pen and the vacuum, so I had to go the shop vac route.? A helpful addition to the shop vac is an auto-transformer (to control the vacuum speed) which I just happened to have laying around.

Richard
 

That looks like a lot of fun. I have a lot of fossils which need a "make over".I wonder if anyone has made a portable field version but I imagine the air supply would be the issue.

Have fun
George
 

Aubin makes a portable one (without the enclosure) so all you would need is a portable air compressor and a good dust mask (don't use without!). Gas-powered air compressors are common. Just check at your local Lowe's or Home Depot. I'd say for about $400-500 you could set up a portable version. Just don't forget the dust mask -- you really don't want to get silicosis, a deadly lung disease.

Richard
 

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