THE USE OF LINEAR COLLAPSIBLE FOAM FOR MOLDING

ICHNOFOSSILS IN THE FIELD

Thomas C. Nolan1; Rob Atkinson2; and Bryan J. Small3

Abstract
Time is a valuable commodity and any method that shortens the time making an impression in the field or
copy in the lab translates to more time available for other tasks. Additionally, transportation of the materials to
a site can be difficult and burdensome. Current methods of creating impressions of ichnofossils entails the use
of liquid latex, Plaster of Paris, or silicon rubber that is poured or brushed into the impression, allowed to
harden, then removed. This often leads to residual material left at the site, damage to the fossil and expenditure
of long periods of time. The use of linear collapsible foam (the same foam used to take impressions of body
parts for orthotics) eliminates the residue, does no damage, is inexpensive, and produces a high quality
impression of the fossil within minutes. The foam has a density from .7 to 2.8 pounds per square inch and can
be ordered in various thickness and sizes. The cost of the foam is competitive with other molding materials
(~$.65/board-ft). The lighter density foam was deemed too friable to use, however, the denser foams proved
ideal for taking impressions. There are limitations using this method. Objects that have undercuts, even slight
ones, will not copy and the foam will be damaged when removed; transportation of the material must be made
in a single lid cardboard box to prevent damage to the impression; and large area footprints requiring large
sheets of the foam may require multiple people to compress the foam into the object. Once taken a master cast
of the impression is made using Plaster of Paris or Water Putty. At this point the foam impression is destroyed
removing it from the hardened cast. Organic based casting materials can not be used because of absorption of
the liquid into the foam and possible reactions with the foam. Once made, the master copy retains the details
and sharpness of the original fossil. This method produces a copy of the subject within a few minutes in the
field and the materials are easier to transport into the field and back. This foam can also be used to make onetime plaster casts of simple fossil bones in the lab producing a medium-fidelity copy of the bone in a few
hours.
Keywords: Ichnofossils, Footprints, Molding, Silicon Rubber, Rapid Curing Latex, Linear Collapsible Foam
1.Western Interior Paleontological Society/Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature and
Science, Denver Colorado, 80205, tomcnolan@q.com
2. Western Interior Paleontological Society, rob_atkinson80@hotmail.com
3. Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Colorado, 80205,
bryan.small@dmns.org

Nolan, T. et al. 2009. The use of linear collapsible foam for molding ichnofossils in the field. In:
Proceedings of the First Annual Fossil Preparation and Collections Symposium, pp 87-92. Brown,
M.A., Kane, J.F., and Parker, W.G. Eds.

METHODS IN FOSSIL PREPARATION

Introduction
Often while surveying an area for fossils one will
come across ichnofossils that would be of interest but
would be too difficult and time consuming to remove.
These are generally footprints but also include plant
impressions, trace tracks and burrows. Current
methods for copying these trace fossils involve
layering latex over the impression, allowing it to dry,
then pouring a plaster mother mold. Once hardened
the mother mold and latex is removed (Baird 1951;
Goodwin and Chaney, 1994). Another method
involves the use of silicon rubber to create a mold of
the object. Both methods involve the expenditure of
time and the carting of heavy materials and/or
equipment to and from the site. Removal of the latex
or silicon rubber can damage the fossil by
inadvertently pulling up loose pieces. Cleanup of the
area is also problematic as often plaster or latex is left
behind. Even using the rapid curing latex method
(Hamley and Thulborn 1993) is still time consuming.
Linear collapsible foam is an ideal alternative for
making molds of trace fossils in the field. It reduces
the time required and eliminates the disadvantages of
current methods.

Material and Methods

The linear collapsible foam used is a less dense
version of the foam that florists use to create
arrangements and is used in molding body parts for
creating orthodics (Fig. 1). The density ranges from
.7 to 2.8 pounds per square inch and can be custom
ordered in various sizes and thicknesses. The lighter
density foams were found to be too friable to be used
breaking off into small pieces of foam on the edges
that made a mess to clean up. Foams in the range of
1.5 to 2.0 were ideal as they were easily collapsed but
did not break up into pieces. The cost of the foam
(~$.65/board foot) is competitive with other molding
materials.
Directions to make a mold of an ichnofossil in the
field are:
Step 1: Clean any debris out of the fossil.
Step 2: Measure the fossil and cut the foam to size. We
recommend the block of foam be cut 2 inches wider and
longer and 1/2 inch deeper than the fossil (Fig. 2).

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FIGURE 1: A 20" X 20" X 3" block of the linear

collapsible foam.

Step 3: Place the foam over the fossil centering the

fossil on the foam.
Step 4: Place the press board over the foam and
evenly press the foam firmly into the fossil (Fig. 3) .
Step 5: Remove the foam by carefully lifting the
foam straight out of the fossil. Any side movement of
the foam could damage the foam when removed.
Step 6: Place the foam carefully back into the
carrying box.
You now have an impression of the original fossil
(Fig. 4).
These steps work regardless of the pitch of
the ichnofossil including upside down.
Once back in the lab a dam is created around the
foam impression and plaster of Paris or water putty
is poured over the foam to make a permanent copy.
The foam is removed from the hardened casting
material, destroying the foam. A soft brush or air
gun can be used to clean the remaining foam from
the cast. Organic based casting resins or coatings
can not be used on the foam as they are absorbed
into the foam and react with it rendering the foam
useless. Silicone mold release is also absorbed into
the foam and does not aid in the removal of the
foam from the casting material (Fig. 5).
This material can also be used to make
medium fidelity one time casts of fossils in the lab.
Fossils such as leg bones, ribs, and foot bones are
ideal candidates since they rarely have undercuts.
In this application two pieces of the foam are used.
Again, the foam should be two or more inches wider
and longer than the fossil. A pouring sprue and vents

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FIGURE 5: A dry brushed plaster cast of crocodilian footprint taken from linear collapsible foam mold.

will need to be attached to the fossil and square key

blocks made to realign the foam for casting. The fossil
is laid on the foam with pouring sprue and vents
extending to the edge of the foam. Alignment keys are
pressed slightly into the foam and the second block
placed on the top. Press the top block down until it
touches the bottom block then press
to 3/8 inch
more. Lift the top block off and remove the fossil,
pouring sprue and vents making sure they are clear to
the fossil and the edge of the blocks. Place both
blocks back together and hold them together with
boards and clamps making sure not to further
compress the foam. Pour the casting Plaster of Paris or
Water Putty into the mold and allow it to set. Remove
the cast using a soft brush or air gun to clean the cast.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are several advantages to using this material. The
light weight of the material and minimal equipment to

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use it makes it easier to carry it to the site than heavy

bags of plaster, buckets of latex, mixing trays and
materials to create dams to hold the latex and plaster
in place. Operational time is considerably less as this
method requires less than 10 minutes to create the
mold verses several hours to make latex molds.
Cleanup after the fact is also easier as the foam
leaves no residue. There are several disadvantages.
The foam must be carried in a single lid box that will
not damage the impression while being transported.
This method can not be used on ichnofossils that
have undercuts as the foam will not flow into these
undercuts and will be damaged when removed. Large
area impressions may require more than one person
to crush the foam into the impression
The only equipment required is a brush or other
cleaning tool, a long sharp knife to cut the foam to
size, and a board to press the foam into the
ichnofossil. A satisfactory press may be fabricated

NOLAN ET AL.MOLDING ICNOFOSSILS IN THE FIELD

from a sheet of plywood or other suitable material,

cut to size, and fitted with a handle.

Conclusion
Although not applicable to every situation, these
processes, offer a simpler, faster, and cost effective
way of copying ichnofossils and fossil bones than do
the current methods. The material may be obtained
from manufactures of linear collapsible foam for
orthopedic use.

Acknowledgments
We thank Joe Temple, Executive Director, Dinosaur
Ridge, Morrison Colorado for allowing the initial
testing of the process at his facility; Bruce
Schumacher, Rocky Mountain Region East Zone
Paleontologist, USDA, U.S. Forest Service, for
allowing field testing at Comanche National
Grassland and his encouragement to produce this
paper; Lou Taylor, WIPS, for his photographs and
encouragement; Mark Ludwig, President, Ludwig
Inc., Waldo Arkansas, for the data on the foam and
for his generosity in supplying various foams for
testing; and Steve Miller, WIPS, for allowing the
testing during the 2007 CNG survey project. Thanks
to David Slauf for providing a review of this paper.

Literature Cited
Baird, D. 1951. Latex molds in paleontology. The
compass of Sigma Gamma Epsilon 28 (4):
399-345.
Goodwin, M. B., and D. S. Chaney. 1994. Molding,
casting, and painting. p. 235-284 In: P.
Leiggi, and P. May (eds.), Vertebrate
Paleontological Techniques, Volume 1.
Cambridge University Press.
Hamley, T., and T. Thulborn. 1993. Accelerated
curing of latex peels. Revue de Palobiologie
7:101-103.

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