Specimens from the Legacy pockets as wrapped and boxed in the field. Pieces are boxed in the order in which they are found to help make finding fits easier.
be best left unrepaired.
Cleaning and Preparation. (These photos do not enlarge.)
Even though fit finding may be complete in a few days, or in the case of a very large pocket like the Legacy I, a few months, the chemical cleaning which removes the iron oxides and other discolorations can take many months. After mining, the Legend took 2 1/4 years years to prepare it for display. Tim and I did the initial washing and fitting. Afterwards, the piece was taken to Collector's Edge labs for the chemical treatment and final preparations.
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Specimens from the Legacy pockets as wrapped and boxed in the field. Pieces are boxed in the order in which they are found to help make finding fits easier. |
| Tim holding the main Legend plate prior to cleaning. | |
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| Pieces are soaked in a soapy solution to break up clay. | |
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| A water gun is used to spray off the mud and clay. | Every piece is carefully washed. There can be thousands of pieces. |
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| Washed pieces are laid out on tables like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Here Craig and Jon help Tim during a "fit finding" session. | Here are a couple of groups after finding their fits. |
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| Another couple of excellent
groups which fit but might be best left unrepaired. |
After all fits are cleaned through chemical baths, they are pieced together and permanently glued. This is the Legend as its being pieced back together. |
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| Pieces fitted but not yet glued. | Final minor repairs are made as the Legend approaches completion. |