A clean, dry rock surface is an essential prerequisite to any form of visual examination. The time spent preparing fine-grained rocks is amply rewarded by the many details revealed ([[:file:M91Ch6FG47.JPG|Figure 1]]). A list of tools and supplies we recommend for preparing fresh rock surfaces and describing mudstones in outcrops and cores is given in Table 1. We recommend the following tools and approaches for preparing mudstone surfaces for visual examination: | A clean, dry rock surface is an essential prerequisite to any form of visual examination. The time spent preparing fine-grained rocks is amply rewarded by the many details revealed ([[:file:M91Ch6FG47.JPG|Figure 1]]). A list of tools and supplies we recommend for preparing fresh rock surfaces and describing mudstones in outcrops and cores is given in Table 1. We recommend the following tools and approaches for preparing mudstone surfaces for visual examination: |