The EK Fossil Mount was an exciting bronze turning and milling project completed for two close friends. They had been given a beautifully preserved jet specimen collected on the Jurassic Coast near Whitby. The fossil was most likely from a cousin of the Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) dating to the Toarcian age – approximately 182 million years ago.
The mount was composed of an insert connected to an upstand by threaded rod. The upstand itself was secured to a 10mm bronze plate with a screw. The underside of the plate was pocketed to allow for a leather sole which prevented scratching of whatever surface the assembly was placed on. The visible components were finished with a rich, dark patination, which was then hot waxed for preservation.
Given the simplicity of the design, the fabrication process was quite straight forward. Firstly, the specimen was core-drilled using a ceramic tile drill bit on a milling machine, which allowed for excellent control and accuracy at a low speed. The upstand components were turned on the lathe with the insert piece (to be glued into the fossil) fitted to a tolerance within ~0,5mm. The plate component was squared up from rough stock, pocketed, drilled and countersunk on the milling machine. Visible components were then finished up to a mirror polish before being patinated and hot waxed.
