Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

Here you can discuss all microscopy-related accessories and equipment (microtomes, filters...)
Post Reply
Message
Author
l2oBiN
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:25 pm

Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#1 Post by l2oBiN » Sat Jan 20, 2018 1:32 pm

Hi all. I am looking for a good source of affordable #1.5 coverslips. Any ideas? I saw s lot of cheap #1 coverslips on eBay but not sure whether they would suffice for a 40x / 0.65 NA/0.65 objective.

User avatar
zzffnn
Posts: 3200
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2015 3:57 am
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Contact:

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#2 Post by zzffnn » Sat Jan 20, 2018 2:42 pm

NA 0.65 can tolerate #1 cover slips somewhat, as long as your water layer is not too thick. And you can use a micrometer to select 0.17mm or thinner (for thick water mount) from #1 cover slips.

#1.5 cover slips are on US Amazon, though not sure how good those are. I bought some from Zeiss, but they are kind of expensive and may not be worth it.

MicroBob
Posts: 3154
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:11 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#3 Post by MicroBob » Sat Jan 20, 2018 3:18 pm

No. 1 is 0,13 - 0,16 mm thickness (Marienfeld)
Normally there is in addition water or mountant between object ond cover slip so this thickness should be just fine.
My experience with cheap round cover slips from ebay was that they were up to 0,25mm thick, so completely useless.
Then I bought quality round cover slips from someone who can order them from a lab supplier over her employer.
Especially for permanent mounts it is advisable to use quality cover slips or check them with a micrometer.

Francisco
Posts: 625
Joined: Sun May 28, 2017 11:23 pm

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#4 Post by Francisco » Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:30 pm


User avatar
mrsonchus
Posts: 4175
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:42 pm
Location: Cumbria, UK

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#5 Post by mrsonchus » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:54 pm

Hi,

A really significant problem with permanent-mounting of the sections that I make. The thickness in my application isn't a huge factor - the cleanliness of the coverslip is! The internet is chock-a-block full of cheap and variously-packaged coverslips of No1, No1½ even No2 - but they all have the same critical problem - they're 'misty' when you hold them up to the light.....

I've cleaned then in just about every conceivable way, and yes they look pristine after cleaning, until they dry fully and the almost-frosted pitted look returns. This not only gives slides an ugly frosted look when the finished slide is held up to the light and is visible when the slide is on the stage as the light shines up through it - but is there to see as focus is moved through the slide.

The most serious problem of all however is the way in which these truly horrific creations compromise the flow of mountant across the slide and section during mounting (of coverslip). Instead of a steady progression almost 'wave-like' of the 'front' of the mountant across the slide and over the section, the mountant (in this post I'm referring to resinous permanent mountants like 'Numount' or 'Omnimount') will falter, progress unevenly and 'surround' areas under the slide in a haphazard pattern, trapping air-bubbles often large, mostly tiny, always ruining the mount!

I was ONCE lucky enough to buy several packets of Leica coverslips (size 1½ 22x50mm) on e-bay that were actually clean (or at least smooth) and perfect for use - but I have only very recently found a source for the main size I require, 22x22mm (size 1½) - from Cole-Parmer directly purchased - they will sell small amounts - I bought one pack of 160-ish - to a private (i.e. amateur) buyer. The cost - about £30 for one packet including P & P - which was about £15 for the std 'special' delivery as per such supplies in the UK. Personally the difference this has made to coverslipping has been well-worth the money - next time I'll probably buy 3 or 4 packets in a couple of sizes to save postal costs a little....

With these perfect coverslips mounting has become an incident-free and pleasurable process! No snags, air-bubbles, destroyed slides etc! It's now perfectly possible to permanently coverslip say 20 slides in as many minutes.

Having said that - I still use the awful 'pitted/frosted' coverslips for temporary mounts, water-mounts etc, where the preparation is not high-quality or permanent.

Packaging can be both suggestive of quality - as per the vacuum-packed looking packets that look 'professional quality' and very deceptive. I've tried so many different types - all with the same critical problem. In my experience the best factor to use as a guide to quality is the NAME - and Leica or Cole-Parmer are the very best that I've found.

For use with say water samples and temporary mounts however the Chinese coverslips will very likely be fine.

John B.
John B

einman
Posts: 1508
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:03 am

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#6 Post by einman » Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:43 pm

I purchased 10- 1 oz ( ~248 slips per oz)packages of Globe Scientific covers slips in both the #1 in 18x18 and the number 1.5 in 22x22. So I would say I am pretty stocked for now. I also have some from a company called Abron. Each 1 oz pack comes sealed in a foil laminate wrapping. I have had no issues to date. Although I have not been making permanent mounts with them. They are about $38 per box of 10 oz.

https://www.globescientific.com/cover-g ... 2_346.html

User avatar
mrsonchus
Posts: 4175
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:42 pm
Location: Cumbria, UK

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#7 Post by mrsonchus » Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:03 pm

einman wrote:I purchased 10- 1 oz ( ~248 slips per oz)packages of Globe Scientific covers slips in both the #1 in 18x18 and the number 1.5 in 22x22. So I would say I am pretty stocked for now. I also have some from a company called Abron. Each 1 oz pack comes sealed in a foil laminate wrapping. I have had no issues to date. Although I have not been making permanent mounts with them. They are about $38 per box of 10 oz.

https://www.globescientific.com/cover-g ... 2_346.html
Hi einman, how are they when you hold them up to the light? Do they show any sign of 'mistiness' or 'pitting' or 'frosting' at all? If they're perfectly OK I may well try to purchase some of those myself....

John B. :)
John B

einman
Posts: 1508
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:03 am

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#8 Post by einman » Sat Jan 20, 2018 9:18 pm

I looked at about a dozen randomly and they are not perfect. Although I would not describe any as being "misty" some did have varying degrees of what looked to be small dots which could be the "pitting" you are referring to, mostly towards the corners. They are not pre-cleaned either. So in short although I bought these at a discount perhaps I was a bit premature in recommending them.

einman
Posts: 1508
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:03 am

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#9 Post by einman » Sat Jan 20, 2018 9:25 pm

EMS sells cover-slips albeit very expensive ones. They claim their "gold series" are pre-selected and cleaned. They list for $49 for 1 oz or about 208 cover-slips.

https://www.emsdiasum.com/microscopy/pr ... cover.aspx

MicroBob
Posts: 3154
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:11 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#10 Post by MicroBob » Sat Jan 20, 2018 9:51 pm

Hi John,

clean cover slips are an interesting topic. Some things have more aspects than it is visible in the first moment and glass objects are among them.
For example it makes a difference when you move the clean coverslip through an alcohol flame, but this effect lasts only so long.
Glass is also not smooth for ever. There is an ageing effect that leads to a microscopic degradation of glass surfaces.

Bob

einman
Posts: 1508
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 1:03 am

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#11 Post by einman » Sat Jan 20, 2018 10:29 pm

Could explain why I saw an expiration date on a box of slides. I thought it curious.

User avatar
zzffnn
Posts: 3200
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2015 3:57 am
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Contact:

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#12 Post by zzffnn » Sun Jan 21, 2018 1:10 am

Sorry for my brain cramp on #1 cover slip range. I was able to select 0.17mm from my #1 slips, using micrometer though. I admit not doing so routinely, as I simply set my correction collar to 0.185mm.

Keep in mind that a compressed water mount is about 0.02-0.03mm (20-30 microns) thick, so to get to the ideal 0.17mm, you want cover slip of about 0.14 - 0.15mm, for water mount.

My AmScope cover slips are not quite clean. Zeiss / Marienfeld #1.5 slips are visibly cleaner, but I still like to wipe off those micro dusts on them (with silk/microfiber cloth).

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#13 Post by apochronaut » Sun Jan 21, 2018 3:21 pm

einman wrote:Could explain why I saw an expiration date on a box of slides. I thought it curious.
It's because soda lime glass, which is of the 3rd hydrolytic class ages and the glass can develop a film. I once bought a sealed N.O.S. box of very high quality slides and they were covered in a film and many were stuck together.

MicroBob
Posts: 3154
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2016 9:11 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#14 Post by MicroBob » Sun Jan 21, 2018 7:00 pm

It would be interesting to know wether this also applies to camera and microscope lenses. With very old cameras (~100 years) I had the impression that the surface of the lenses had suffered in a similar way.

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#15 Post by apochronaut » Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:22 pm

Lenses, unless they are really old ones or really inexpensive ones would be crown glass , crown and flint glass, or other glass formulas. All of them, I would think, would have much lower water soluble ion content and be less prone to degradation, than slides or window panes. I guess, since slides are considered a disposable item, the specification used in their construction of most importance is the n, not longevity. Some older lenses, with fluorite elements could be affected over time, due to the volatility of the fluorine. Fluorspar mines, do produce fluorine gas, so the fluorine is volatile to some degree and I have heard from sources related to telescope lens mfg. that fluorite is volatile. I have fluorite objectives, going back close to 100 years and their performance seems fine to my eye.
The fluorite elements in microscope objectives are usually buried deep in the barrel, where exposure to air is limited.

Deskguy
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:54 pm

Re: Where to buy affordable #1.5 coverslips?

#16 Post by Deskguy » Mon Oct 01, 2018 9:01 pm

For anyone who is still looking for #1.5 cover slips, I happened to find them at Zeiss' online shop.

The product code was: 474030-9000-000

In Canada, it was a package of 1000 for $47, with free shipping. Seemed like a great deal to me! They are 18mm square, a box with 10 little boxes of 100 each, they are pristine, and I haven't noticed any issues with them.

Hope that helps.

Post Reply