Last year we connected with Morne Mamlambo of Mamlambo Fossils (check out his entire YouTube channel!) — he’d been wanting to try a sandblaster for a tricky crab fossil he’d been working on. Morne was using an air scribe, but was worried it would damage certain details.
So we sent him a shiny new Mobile Problast, and he made a video of his maiden voyage with it!
Timeline:
0:57 – Morne takes us through his compressed air setup, which is VERY anti-moisture, much more than the average user, which we definitely appreciate (moisture is one of the most common causes of blockage in a sandblaster, and can be a big problem).
1:32 – The nozzle slips readily into his dust collection cabinet.
2:11 – He also makes his own 63-100 micron dolomite blasting media, here’s a quick look at that process.
3:14 – First look at the crab! It’s covered in seemingly random growths – coral, bryozoan, something? A very small detail on a difficult fossil to work on.
3:35 – The process of matrix removal with a microabrasive sandblaster.
4:11 – Results! After only 20 minutes of work at about 70 PSI, this beautiful crab fossil is well exposed.
“If you enjoy pressure washing, you’ll love working with a micro air abrasion setup — and it’s giving SUCH good results!”
Morne Mamlambo
6:24 – Finishing touches: B72 paraloid to consolidate and protect the fossil.
