We love it. The students find it novel enough that they don't mind cleaning
thousands of freshwater mussels. I have used it on several hundred marine
shells. Some of my observations:

It is not a pick. Most of the work is done with the curved surface.

Does amazingly well on most shells, but a few caveats:
         It seems to "pearlize" some trochids and calliostomatids very
easily by knocking off the outer layer.
         I cleaned a Cittarium pica and whole layers began to flake off.
         It will chip a thin lip unless great care is taken.
         Some "soft" shells, like some Coralliophila, may be easily
overcleaned.
         It is great on periostracum as long as the periostracum is not
brittle.. I recommend soaking the shell in water for a day or so prior to
cleaning.

But these are minor points. It does a remarkable job on most shells. It is
much less destructive than acids, dremels, and other dental instruments of
torture. I think this is the wave of the future for cleaning shells - I've
started going back through my collection looking for those "impossible"
specimens.



At 10:40 AM 2/6/2007, you wrote:
>Yes - read this article in my website
>http://www.femorale.com.br/articles/ucleaner/index.asp
>
>Marcus
>
>________________________________________
>
>I heard a report that ultrasonic dental scalers are effective at removing
>scale from sea shells
>without causing damage. Does anyone have experience to confirm this report
>to be accurate?
>
>Craig Latimer
>
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G. Thomas Watters, PhD
Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology
The Ohio State University
Museum of Biological Diversity
1315 Kinnear Road
Columbus, OH 43212  USA
v: 614-292-6170
f: 614-292-7774

Visit the Division of Molluscs at:
www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~molluscs/OSUM2

"Let me take you, baby, down to the riverbed
Gotta show you something go right to your head" - Spirit

So join the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society at:

http://ellipse.inhs.uiuc.edu/FMCS/

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