Oh, yeah - it's mammoth , baby!

February 11, 2008 3:17 PM

What is Paleobond, and can I get a MUCH cheaper substitute?

What is this stuff:
http://www.paleobond.com/Products.htm

Specifically, what is the the "PENETRANT AND STABILIZER (PB002)", for use in an application like this:
FOSSIL IVORY REPAIR: We have considerable experience from the paleontology field and the knife making circles that the Penetrant and and Stabilizer (PB002) works wonders. When ivory looses its moisture, it shrinks, hence the cracking. The PB002 seals and bonds the fine openings and cracks and stabilizes the ivory. Just apply PB002 to the complete tooth or tusk and let it soak in.

Is there a substitute that does not cost an arm and a leg? Say, in a 30 gallon drum...

posted by juliewhite to science & nature (4 comments total)

You know when I read your question, saying something snotty like "I Am Not A Paleontologist" immediately came to mind because of how esoteric it is.

I'm pretty certain that you're more likely to find the info you want if you go to a forum that specializes in this type of information.

Like any of these.

Not that I want to discourage cool questions like this on the green. I just want you to get your answer.
posted by SlyBevel at 4:16 PM on February 11

Try the taxidermy forums as well. They talk materials a lot.
posted by sebastienbailard at 6:32 PM on February 11

I used to hang out with some amateur paleontologists when I was much younger, and I still have a few bones they gave me. Their prefered method of preservation was a mixture of glue and water. Most of their finds cameout of the Kansas River, and had a tendency to dry out without this slurry. Some bones still developed cracks, but their success rate was alot higher with the glue.
posted by piedmont at 7:38 PM on February 11

Paleobond is awesome, and there is nothing quite like it that I have encountered. The closest substitute might be superglue, but superglue is more acidic and wouldn't be good for artefacts or fossils, in my opinion as a former digger and museum worker.

Thinning out some sort of archival glue with water might be your best bet. If you are sure what you have is completely fossilized then you could use a wider range of glues (Elmers etc won't matter as much when you are holding rock together instead of something organic). This site may offer a little insight on preservation.

My dad once broke his two front teeth on a dig in Montana, glued them back in with Paleobond as a temporary fix, and didn't actually get them fixed until 2 years later because the glue worked so well.
posted by rmless at 7:40 AM on February 12