NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

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mrsonchus
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NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#1 Post by mrsonchus » Fri May 19, 2017 9:08 pm

Hi all, I just bought a sliding-microtome - a Shandon 200! This will make a fine sibling for the 'Mighty Shandon' rotary microtome that already occupies my tiny lab....

The big stopper for me acquiring a sliding 'tome has ('til now) been the issue of the blades - the sliding 'tome as-is uses the traditional steel blades (knives) that require sharpening - a definite no-go for me. Anyway I have been extremely lucky in finding a sliding microtome - a Shandon 200 - that comes complete with 2 - yes 2, complete Feather (the disposable microtome blades manufacturer) blade holder-kits! Each kit contains not only an adapter that is able to take 2 blades - great to use one for roughing and the other for sectioning proper without changing-out the blade...., but a box of (50) 'S35' blades - the same as I use with the rotary.

This sliding 'tome should enable me to section larger and also much harder tissues - wood-sectioning here I come :D )....

It also includes 2 tissue-cassette carriers, both of the quick-release kind - one for the std-sized cassettes that I use for all my sectioning at present, and as an amazing piece of luck, a so-called 'mega cassette holder' for the extra large and extra deep tissue blocks!

Here are some pictures....

Here's the whole package,

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Here are the two cassette-carriers, the std and the 'mega' - looks like fun!
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The disposable blade kits....
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This has been an amazing find as the seller was kind enough to accept my offer which was 1/3 of the asking price - it was all I could afford but thought I'd try - after all "if you don't ask...." as they say.. Anyway, the seller was very kind indeed and accepted my offer! Sooooo, my tiny lab will soon have this beauty to contend with!

Can't wait to give it a try - it'll be really interesting to compare the two Shandons, the rotary vs the sliding, great fun to be had!

I'll post reports as I set-up and begin to put this beauty through it's first paces - I've never used one before but have plenty (dozens in fact) of ready-to-section tissue-blocks in my collection. Finally of course I'll run some proper comparisons and trials - but that may be a while away yet - I've a great big learning-curve to travel with this beauty!

Lots of fun to follow I think!

I'll keep you posted! :D :D :D :)
Last edited by mrsonchus on Fri May 19, 2017 10:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
John B

billbillt
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#2 Post by billbillt » Fri May 19, 2017 9:29 pm

Congratulation old friend!... I am pleased for you with you new find!... Will be glad to get a full report on this new addition...

Warmly,
BillT

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Crater Eddie
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#3 Post by Crater Eddie » Fri May 19, 2017 9:29 pm

Very interesting! Is this "Armstrong" powered?
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#4 Post by billben74 » Fri May 19, 2017 9:58 pm

Wonderful news.
Can't wait for wood sections
Saffarinin first?

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75RR
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#5 Post by 75RR » Fri May 19, 2017 10:25 pm

Solid looking "Golden" microtome - congratulations
How much does it weigh?
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mrsonchus
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#6 Post by mrsonchus » Fri May 19, 2017 10:34 pm

billbillt wrote:Congratulation old friend!... I am pleased for you with you new find!... Will be glad to get a full report on this new addition...

Warmly,
BillT
Thanks Bill - can't wait to get this running alongside the Mighty Shandon (1)! :D :D
John B

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mrsonchus
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#7 Post by mrsonchus » Fri May 19, 2017 10:35 pm

Crater Eddie wrote:Very interesting! Is this "Armstrong" powered?
CE
Hi Ed' - it certainly is - should be interesting - lots to learn for sure.... :D :D :)
John B

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mrsonchus
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#8 Post by mrsonchus » Fri May 19, 2017 10:39 pm

billben74 wrote:Wonderful news.
Can't wait for wood sections
Saffarinin first?
Aha Bill - yes, wood should be quite a challenge - difficult to soften I suspect.... Hmm, Safranin, maybe, or perhaps Toluidine blue, which I've found tends to give really good ranges of metachromasia with LS fiber-rich tissue such as the toughie Sunflower-stem sections I made a while back - usually get the whole gamut from the blue-shades right into the rich purple-almost reds...

Must learn how to use the beauty first! What fun! :D :D :)
John B

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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! THE Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#9 Post by mrsonchus » Fri May 19, 2017 10:42 pm

75RR wrote:Solid looking "Golden" microtome - congratulations
How much does it weigh?
Hi 75' - not sure of the weight, but I'll look it up and post it here. I like the sound of "golden microtome" - sounds grand! :D :D :)

Hopefully it'll arrive next week sometime, it's in the UK and has postage-included thank goodness! :D :D :)
John B

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Pat Thielen
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#10 Post by Pat Thielen » Sat May 20, 2017 3:23 am

Very cool, John! I do hope they get along; siblings often have rivalries and will compete for your attention.

:lol:
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#11 Post by hkv » Sat May 20, 2017 8:01 am

Great find! Can't wait to see the wood sections under the scope!
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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#12 Post by charlie g » Sun May 21, 2017 1:24 am

Congrats on the same disposable blades for both your Shandons, Mr.Sonchas! I'd rather polish a mirror optical flat than again deal with microtome blade sharpener setups...and both chores are so tedious.

Your industry is a nourishment for all our forum microscopy,John B., thank you. charlie g

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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#13 Post by MicroBob » Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:10 am

Hi John,

how is your base sledge microtome doing? I'm asking because a Leitz 1300 base sledge microtom waits to be picked up by me. I wasn't looking for one but was offered it for a good price, found a remaining space for it in my room and said "Yes". It looks whether I will be able to pick it up in two weeks.

Bob

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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#14 Post by photomicro » Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:26 am

mrsonchus wrote:
This sliding 'tome should enable me to section larger and also much harder tissues - wood-sectioning here I come

Are you familiar with 'A guide to Wood Microtomy : Making quality micro slides of wood sections' by E Ives, 2001 ?

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Re: NEW SLIDING MICROTOME! The Mighty Shandon has a sibling!

#15 Post by MicroBob » Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:42 am

For many it is the wrong language but this is a recent and highly respected book on wood sectioning:

http://www.ihwverlag.de/index.php/allge ... 106-detail

It is not too expensive and the methods do work.

Bob

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