Shell "Celt" eBay

[tomclark]

This auction is over. Not mine of course. Looks OK to me from the pics. Notice it's shiny, that's bad preservation, like it was sprayed with craft spray. A lot of interests, many bids...... I don't think it got what it's really worth, shell artifacts rarely do, at least hammers and adzes that are whole. Still, the winner got a shiny artifact with writing on it, LOL.

Very Fine Authentic Florida Whelk Shell Celt | eBay

 

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[Edmundruffin]

Shell artifacts from middens here in West Tennessee have to be coated with something of they will dry out and crumble away. I lost a string of drilled periwinkle shells "beads" after storing them in a padded display case. I use a mixture of Elmers glue and acetone to seal the shell and bone artifacts. Are the shell items from Florida not fragile, crumbling, chalk - dusty when dried?

 

[GatorBoy]

The same applies here... also those things are scattered about... no telling where that was found.....there is much better ways to go about it. a suspension of duco cement in acetone is about the best way someone without access to something like butvar can actually stabilize an artifact like that. it penetrates completely through the object. something sprayed on the outside will continue to deteriorate on the inside. An elmers glue mixture with water is best used on unstable bone. mixing elmers glue that is water based to begin with with a drying agent like acetone would completely destroy the properties of the elmers glue. so you really didn't preserve those items at all. unfortunately you just helped them crumble.

 

[GatorBoy]

Tom.. that is a pretty nice Shell celt. I can't believe someone wrote directly in the center of its best side.

 

[tomclark]

Edmund I hear your pain. For years I did not preserve my shell artifacts, well they were put away anyway.... Years went by for some items and I went to find 'em to show and dayum they were getting chalky!@!!! Not like when I found them!
Any shell artifact I get now, any important looking sherd of pottery, any fossil, any bone artifacts all get the Duco-Acetone preservation. It's the absolute best and it has saved mine and other's collections. Dr. Gomer gave us that recipe. I can post it again if you need it or I can email it boom.
IMHOP ButVar ruins the piece making it too shiny (most of the time), not retaining the original look. The wrong concoction will coat the surface and not penetrate and degeneration continues under the coating. DucoAcetone penetrates fully whatever it can.
I just don't like writing on artifacts but I can understand it. Merely putting "Florida" is not very much info. If you gotta write on something at least put the county on, too.

 

[Tnmountains]

In the fossil forum Harry would always talk about the Duco and Acetone for some cave bear teeth I have. I am sure it would work on shell. Yeah Florida does not look good on that. Maybe (fl)

 

[catherine1]

All the shell I find is chalky and will fall apart in your hand. They must have used something to preserve them. Or the shell was from out of my area.