Looking for the ultimate in precision in a fossil preparation air pen? The Microraptor was designed primarily for the finishing stages of fossil preparation. Sick of seeing dink marks? This tool will make you the best preparator you can be allowing you absolute control.

Fantastic for detailed work and prepping fragile fossils. Complete with a 1.5mm tungsten carbidestylus, you’ll be able to do some of the finest work. Whether you're uncovering the delicate fin of a fish, the snarling teeth of an ichthyosaur, prepping the spines of a trilobite or removing calcite micron-by-micron from an ammonite, or working to the centre of your most prized piece; this is the tool for you.

The Microraptor is a genuine pleasure to use, and an essential tool in your arsenal.

1.5mm diameter extra-long tungsten carbide stylus
Complete with Air Cushion Technology to prevent kick-back and enhance feel
Hardened and tempered bushing and precision fit stylus (no stylus wobble!)
Ultra-grip knurled handpiece
Frontal exhaust ports to clear workspace (can also be fitted with diffuse exhaust by request)
Silencing mechanism
Extremely low air consumption
Exceptional results on all rock types

Designed for the final stages of fossil preparation, the ZOIC PalaeoTech Microraptor is best used with optical aid either by a magnifier or a binocular microscope. The level of vibration transmitted to substrate/matrix/fossil is very small, allowing the user to work right up to fragile structures such as spines, delicate vertebral process, teeth that are likely to spall with another tool, and free standing-structures. It can even be used to remove the thinnest crusts of matrix, small patches of ammonite shell without damaging the calcite underneath, or to clean each pore of a bone surface without air abrasives.

This tool uses a pusher-plate mechanism, which requires higher input pressure than some of our other tools, but achieves finer results and is excellent for delicate work. This tool is best used with minimal force - i.e. let the air scribe do the work! The stylus is very thin and delicate so that you can get the best results, but this also makes it fragile if not used correctly. The airflow is directed onto the fossil, keeping the surface dust free.

This small tool lends itself to the utmost control. With in-built Air Cushion Technology, this tool has a very soft and refined feel as it first touches the matrix, making it resilient to kick-back even on hard rocks. With an ultra-grip knurled handpiece, it sits perfectly and lightly in your hand.

The operational pressure of the MR is at the users discretion. 6.3 Bars (90 PSI) is appropriate for the majority of situations, but the pressure can be turned down to 4 Bars (60 PSI) for very delicate work. At 5-6 Bars, the Microraptor will not stall. At four bars, the pressure at which the tool will begin to stall if too much pressure is exerted by the user. This is a beneficial feature that encourages the user to be less 'aggressive' in their preparation, particularly when working with something that requires a great deal of patience!

Packaged in a wooden presentation box. Also in the box: 3 spare stylus pressure plate o-rings, silicone o-ring grease, air tool oil, user manual.

The ZOIC PalaeoTech quality that you know and trust

We manufacture each tool right here in Dorset, and take enormous pride in our workmanship. Each tool is quality controlled before it leaves our workshop. Dependability, reliability, innovation and function are at the heart of what we do. We want for our tools to see you through whatever you may throw at them, and for you to enjoy using them. We want them to be quiet, comfortable and a real pleasure to use. Your satisfaction means everything to us, and if you are not satisfied, we want to know about it.

We design our tools to be low maintenance, requiring very little user input. If you look after your tools, they will look after you! When you buy from us, we want you to know that you will always have the best service we can give you. Being unique products, it is important that you know we will be on hand for many decades to come with a full supply of spares.

Information for Beginners

If you are a beginner, this is typically not the tool we would recommend. The Microraptor is a very specialist tool for fine, finishing work in fossil prep. It is capable of working on all types of matrix, but you will find that matrix removal rates are slow and require patience (the tool is not designed for matrix removal).

However, if you budget will stretch to purchasing more than one tool to set up your kit, we highly recommend a combination of either the T-Rex or the ZOIC Chicago and the Microraptor. The Microraptor is not designed for fast matrix removal, but when another tool can do this job, it comes into its own giving your fossils the best finish that you can achieve. The better and more appropriate your tooling, the better results you’ll get.

Of course, there are some exceptions – we would recommend this tool to beginners as their only tool if they are exclusively working on delicate fossils without much matrix overburden. Contact us if you would like to discuss your requirements. Usually some photos and a brief description of the rocks/fossils you are working on and a description of what results you would like to achieve is more than enough for us to point you in the right direction.

How does the ZOIC PalaeoTech Microraptor compare to other fossil preparation tools?

Our raptor series of tools are pusher-plate driven. The Microraptor is a very fine tool, comparable in terms of power to some of the Microjacks although designed very differently. The consistent feedback that we get on the Microraptor is that it is an absolute joy to use. The ZOIC PalaeoTech features are optimal for fossil preparation, with usability front and foremost in mind. Our unique Air Cushion Technology gives the Microraptor a refined feel, where you can truly sense how the matrix is behaving at the point where the stylus and the rock meet. This Air Cushion Technology enhances control, prevents stalling and prevents ‘kickback’ (some brands of tool will jolt backwards if too much pressure is applied). The hardened stylus bushing has a precision fit with the stylus, meaning that your stylus will always be where you want it to (with no wobble); and you won’t see any wear for years and years to come. The stroke length is extremely well controlled and very dependable. The Microraptor has very low vibrations, remarkably low noise and exceptionally low air consumption (by far the lowest on the market for a pusher-plate driven tool). Learn more about how to choose an air pen and how the ZOIC PalaeoTech Microraptor fits as the most delicate of the ZOIC PalaeoTech tools here.

Declaration of Conformity

CE & UKCA conformable.

ZPT-VR Velociraptor Maintenance Pack

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ZPT-TB The Trilobite

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ZPT-MR The Microraptor