Most of the Prehistoric Pals arrive unpainted with various stages of rust. Xiuhcoatl has paint that needs removing before I can address her rust issues. The wire brushing will remove loose paint and rust. The tools: an assortment of wire brushes, dusting brush, gloves – leather & blue nitrile, mask, eye protection & hat. The leather gloves are great for moving your Metal Pal around and the blue nitrile gloves provide more dexterity for working with the brushes. The blower is very helpful with clearing the area after wire brushing.
Xiuhcoatl’s remining colors have inspired the new choices to highlight her details. She even has twisted metal to represent fire coming from her mouth. Choose your paint stripping material carefully & be alert to all the warnings on the label for handling & disposal. Your Home Improvement / Hardware Specialist can help. Protective Gloves, eyewear and clothing are a must! The material can easily splatter when applying & rinsing. Mineral Spirits on a cloth can improve the removal process when cleaning up. Then soapy water to finish the job. Not all the paint came off, but it will provide a good base vs. using a great deal more stripping material.
Xiuhcoatl has been painted a couple of times before she came to the Park. A number of Turquoise accents have been revealed during the paint stripping process. Xiuhcoatl also translates to “Turquoise Serpent” or “Lightning Serpent”! So, the previous Turquoise paint discovery should not be a surprise. Next Step Acid Wash – again protective gear is a must! Let set overnight and rinse in the morning. Scrub off loose material from the wash and a towel to dry, which can also aid in removing loose material. I tilted Xiuhcoatl on the platform truck to assist with draining any water on the inside.
After completely dry, I applied Rust-Oleum’s Rust Reformer. It seals the rust and leaves a flat black finish. A Scary Cool Look! Xiuhcoatl the Night Dragon! Xiuhcoatl has scales and a number of other details I needed to make sure I covered. The tilting for drying also provided easier access to areas on the underside with the Rust Reformer. As You can see, the washings haven’t put out Xiuhcoatl’s ability to make fire!
Stay tuned for more on Xiuhcoatl’s Makeover as well as History on the Aztec Culture and other Dragons in their mythos!
Membership with the Museum. In addition to Supporting Their Valuable Work there are Benefits to You. Special Preview Events for Members Only as well as Virtual Access Exclusive for Members. For more information and access to general public eLearning check out the links below.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County www.nhm.org under Research & Collections / Digitized Collections will allow you to browse their Collections. Check out the latest Activities on their site.
The American Natural History Museum www.amnh.org You will find eLearning for Families, Students & Educators. Explore the Museum Virtually. Check Out SciCafe: Video Talks and Meet the Icons: Stories behind the Exhibits! There are Video Series covering Behind the Scenes at the Museum with Space & Dinosaur Explainers.
Chicago’s Field Museum www.fieldmuseum.org You can talk to “Maximo the Titanosaur” online, Yes Really! Visit Sue the largest T-Rex discovered! Check Out “Brain Scoop” with host Emily Graslie and the Learning Resources – many are also in Spanish.
Check Out Your Libraries eBooks. My local Library has over 900 eBooks on Dinosaurs! Many Libraries are offering “Curbside Pick-up. If you prefer the hardcopy, “Curbside Pick-up may be the option for you.
My First Book “Is a Metal Dinosaur the Right Pet for You?” is Available as an eBook on Kindle through Amazon.com
Only $3.99!
Included are two photos of Prehistoric Pals converted to black & white line drawings for You to express Your Color Imagination! Search online for print options on Your device. Print Screen, Cropping & Printing are available on many smart phones. Your smart phone may even allow You to email Your Print Screen to Yourself allowing even more options before printing. Kindle has an app for smart phones!
I would love to see Your Color Visions for Dominic & Raphael! Use crayons, pencils, pens, or watercolors! Attach feathers, glitter whatever brings them to life for You. Send a picture of Your Colorized Imaginations to: paul@paulsprehistoricpark.com It could be in a future post!
I will keep You posted with information on my Next eBook “The Shy Triceratops”. I hope to have Paperback versions available later in 2021.
Stay Safe & Well.
Please Remember to Wear Masks and Social Distance. Protect Yourself, Friends, Family & Everyone You Pass!
Thank You!
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
Your feedback is appreciated, comment below or email:
Thank you!