Microtome specimen holder

[dustbug]

Advice needed!I have bought an old Cambridge microtome ( eBay ) and managed to get a cylinder connector,do I still need a specimen holder..if so where from? or can a wax embedded specimen be melted straight onto connector.

[hkv]

Pictures would help. Usually there are plastic or wooden blocks on which you mount the wax. Then you clamp the block to the microtome. At least that is how mine works.

[mrsonchus]

Advice needed!I have bought an old Cambridge microtome ( eBay ) and managed to get a cylinder connector,do I still need a specimen holder..if so where from? or can a wax embedded specimen be melted straight onto connector.

Hi Db' - I take it you have the shiny round end-piece that has many holes in the end (i.e. the face where a specimen will be). If this is so then you're fine - although it would be easier to have the end that has a clamp to take wooden blocks to which a wax-block (with specimen therein of course) has been attached by 'melting the wax and wood blocks together'.
Just treat the cylinder, specifically the end with numerous holes (which are there to aid the attachment of a wax-block as molten wax can enter the holes to make a good 'fix') as if it's a wooden-block and attach your wax-block to it by melting the lower surface of the wax (with a heated spatula or knife etc.) before immediately pressing it onto the hole-bearing surface - hold for about 20 seconds and let cool for about 5 minutes and you're ready to section!

I've much material re this in this forum and on my Youtube channel that details the entire process from start to finish with many pictures, video and of course text - check out my threads in this foruma as I started with a hand-microtome, then the Cambridge 'rocker' and finally I now use the 'Might Shandon' rotary microtome for all the sections you see of mine in this forum.

Here are a couple of links to some of my material that will definitely help you a lot my friend.

The grand arrival - seems like only yesterday - many articles and posts follow this that you may like to peruse old chap...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=687&hilit=microtome

Here's a video I made a while ago


See my Youtube link in my signature for more videos...

[billbillt]

Hi Friend John,
May I ask what tool that is that you used in your vid that had an "eye" on the end of it?...

Thanks!,
BillT

[mrsonchus]

Hi Friend John,
May I ask what tool that is that you used in your vid that had an "eye" on the end of it?...

Thanks!,
BillT

Hi Bill old friend - that little green thing with the loop is an 'inoculation loop' as used for 'wiping' bacteria across agar-plates etc for cultures etc.
They're ridiculously cheap to buy and I find their delicacy of construction to be useful in many operations in the lab. If I can find my purchase order I'll let you know where I got them - probably e-bay..

Nice to hear from you Bill.

[billbillt]

Hi Friend John,
May I ask what tool that is that you used in your vid that had an "eye" on the end of it?...

Thanks!,
BillT

Hi Bill old friend - that little green thing with the loop is an 'inoculation loop' as used for 'wiping' bacteria across agar-plates etc for cultures etc.
They're ridiculously cheap to buy and I find their delicacy of construction to be useful in many operations in the lab. If I can find my purchase order I'll let you know where I got them - probably e-bay..

Nice to hear from you Bill.

Thank you sir!.. You are a real gentleman!...
BillT

[mrsonchus]

Hi again Bill, these are the sort of thing, just plastic disposable - £1.98 for 40 in the UK...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/innoculation- ... funeVYIVWg

Handy also if you snap the loop off - gives a good disposable probe...

[dustbug]

Thanks chaps!John B is spot on..it is the shiny cylinder with holes,now off to find a suitable specimen.

[billbillt]

Hi again Bill, these are the sort of thing, just plastic disposable - £1.98 for 40 in the UK...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/innoculation- ... funeVYIVWg

Handy also if you snap the loop off - gives a good disposable probe...

Thanks my friend!...

BillT