ZPT-PG PRECISION GRINDER
The ZPT-PG is a modified dental grinder set up specifically for fossil prep. It runs straight off your compressor and gives you a level of control you just don’t get from percussive tools. Where an air scribe chips, this cuts in a smooth and controlled manner.
In practice, this is the tool you pick up when you’re working around fragile edges, thin material, or anything that won’t tolerate impact. It’s particularly useful on 3D prepping features like ammonite apertures, spines, fine ornament, and delicate ribs - the kind of details that can disappear in a second if you’re too aggressive. Because it’s a precision rotary tool, rather than percussive like an air pen, you get a constant cutting action instead of a series of tiny blows. That means less shock going into the specimen and far more control over how much material you’re taking off. You can ease into edges, refine shapes, and work right up to delicate features without the same risk of chipping.
Grinding is essential when working with fragile fossils, especially where the fossil is softer than the surrounding matrix and air abrasion is therefore not an option. It’s also useful when there’s no chemical difference between the fossil and the rock, ruling out chemical preparation altogether - sometimes even physical methods aren’t suitable either. Another example is where the use of an air pen will cause the color of the matrix to change. This is particularly evident when preparing hard quartzitic sandstones or heavily calcified rocks, where the shattering of the grains by a reciprocating stylus turns translucent particles into opaque, milky white fragments which, if the fossil contained therein is white or light colored, will obliterate any trace of contrast between the two.
It's ready to plug straight into your compressor, has a frontal exhaust to blow away the dust. With this in mind, you must have suitable dust extraction before attempting to use a grinder!
Maxmum Working Pressure (for most tasks): 2.5 Bar (36 PSI)
Maximum Air Consumption: 30l/min or 1 CFM
Noise: 69dB(A)
RPM: 280,000-350,000 RPM
Connection: 1.5m braided air hose + quick coupler
On/Off Mechanism: Ball Valve
Burs: ISO FG (Friction Grip 1.59-1.6mm)
Exhaust: Frontal
Head Angle: 45°
We supply a set of 6 burs with each grinder, selected to satisfy the widest possible range of challenges within fossil preparation for which the ZPT-PG grinder may be employed. We recommend the larger diameter burs to aid smoothing select areas of matrix, or to gently remove layers of rock until the specimen can be glimpsed. The smaller diameter burs are for use in confined spaces, or where larger diameters cannot be employed or on extremely delicate structures such as spines or thin scales.
This is the tool you pick up when:
- The fossil is already exposed but needs refining
- You’re working around fragile edges or thin material
- You’re trying to bring out fine detail without snapping it off
- You're sweeping through very thin layers of matrix trying to find the tops of spines, turbercles or other features that tell you where the specimen is
- You need to feather out, or texture the matrix
Useful for things like
- Ammonite apertures or mouth borders, or exposing thin keels
- Spines and fine ornament like tubercles
- Delicate ribs and growth lines with sticky matrix not responding to percussive tools
- Blending and texturing surrounding matrix
- Multiblocks with tightly packed fossils, where you need to remove matrix between them carefully and cannot risk chipping.
- 3D prepping and undercutting specimens which wouldn't be possible with pneumatic tools
Diamond Burs
What’s in the box? Precision grinder, fitted with 1.5m premium extra flexible braided hose, inline particulate filter assembly and 0.5-4 Bar pressure regulator with a male coupler (as per user requirements), blank bur, head cap wrench, spare turbine, 6* diamond burs (one of each as above), User Manual & Declaration of Conformity.
THE ZOIC PALAEOTECH QUALITY THAT YOU KNOW AND TRUST
We manufacture each tool right here in Dorset, and take enormous pride in our workmanship. Each tool is quality controlled before it leaves our workshop. Dependability, reliability, innovation and function are at the heart of what we do. We want for our tools to see you through whatever you may throw at them, and for you to enjoy using them. We want them to be as quiet as they can be, comfortable and a genuine pleasure to use. We design our tools to be low maintenance, requiring very little user input. If you look after your tools, they will look after you!
Warranty: 12 month warranty to cover manufacturing faults and defects. Does not cover normal wear and tear.
If you have any troubleshooting queries at any point during the lifetime of your tool, we are fully contactable. We will always do our best to make sure you are getting the most out of your tool, no matter how old or battered it is!
CE Conformable