You have a lot of nice suggestions, I just felt the impulse to add my 2 centavos to the mix. Personally, I would be concerned with all the handling the puzzle might get, and also the extra care and worry one might have depending on who was handling it ... kids, me, etc.
So I would just have some fun making a reproduction of each individual piece. There must be some real experts on the list to do that. I would probably put them carefully in warmed shrink wrap (Saran), maybe carefully gently and vigilently warming afterwards to release tension, coat it in Turtle Wax and let dry, and then buy some plaster at the hardware store, use it moderately difficient in water, in a slick container, set it half way buried, then lay another level of saran or wax paper girdling the precious original's equator, and build up with plaster to make the top mold, applying enough pressure. Then I'd remove the original from the mold, and if all went well, paint the inside of the plaster mold with a sealant that can be waxed, an use clay or portland cement to make a copy. Then I'd be very proud of my puzzle cast from extraterrestrial material and everyone could play with the puzzle as much as they wanted to, and the original could be held for special handling and displayed in a sandbox, etc.
If the meteorite could be magnitized, or put on a strong magnetic base (sounds like these are not the right things to do, but an idea to ponder anyway for a 3-D magnetic puzzle copy, for example), that would be a real conversation piece and you wouldn't even need velcro...
Reassembling it, even in a very attractive exploded view like the example, which I would definitely do with the second one if I had two original puzzles, would be restrictive for my tastes on my only piece, since I'd want to study and enjoy it's inside conveniently. Actually, if it weren't my meteorite to study as long as I liked, I might even like to see it that way most.
There are probably experts here who will laugh at my thoughts on making the puzzle, if there would be a better way I'd like to be let in on it. I just hope that it is not too risky and of course it is just as easy to practice on a piece of concrete and asphalt first to hone in on the best course for the original.
Hope this helps. And if you become proficient and start selling copies, a signed puzzle for me would be great on an otherwise uneventful day:)
Saludos, Doug
Mexico
En un mensaje con fecha 01/15/2004 10:55:23 AM Mexico Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] escribe:
Asunto: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Puzzle
Fecha: 01/15/2004 10:55:23 AM Mexico Standard Time
De: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Para: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Enviado por Internet
Hi,
I recently bought a Gold basin meteorite puzzle. Should this be put back together with a permanent glue or is there somthing else to use . It would be nice to put back together, but once it's glued thats it.
Thanks Sonny
