Permanent Slides - Procedure(s)?

[FatBassPlayer]

Does anyone know of any good but simple (beginner-level) instructional resources for creating permanent slides of various different types of specimens?

I'm looking for a step-by-step walkthrough covering everything; cleaning, slicing, staining, drying, mounting.... etc.

Are there basic procedures that are followed for everything, or is the process for a tiny insect completely different from that for a bacterial culture, or a plant section from a microbe?

Thank you!

[mrsonchus]

Walter Dioni's articles - truly excellent for beginners in the Home amateur context - 100% recommend his work.
Images all the way through too.

[FatBassPlayer]

Walter Dioni's articles - truly excellent for beginners in the Home amateur context - 100% recommend his work.
Images all the way through too.

Thank you, sir! This looks like exactly what I need.

[MicroBob]

Are there basic procedures that are followed for everything, or is the process for a tiny insect completely different from that for a bacterial culture, or a plant section from a microbe?

Completely different, sorry! This is one of the major hurdles when trying to make progress in microscopy: In most cases you need a completely different process for each object you want to work on. Different fixatives, stains, mountants, lab equipment. 50% of which is either not made any more, not allowed to be made any more, unobtailable, very expensive, dangerous or you are not supposed to have it.

So for a start it makes sense to either skip permanent slide making and observe fresh specimen or concentrate on one or two types of objects. Do you have something you are especially interested in?

[Microscopy_is_fun]

Different fixatives, stains, mountants, lab equipment.

I agree with Bob.

Nevertheless, I think botanical permanent slides are still the ones which are fairly easy to make for an amateur microscopist. There are several non-toxic stains available, isopropanol and ethanol (thanks to Covid ) have become household chemicals. Euparal as mounting medium is fairly easy to handle. The only somehow problematic chemical is the fixative (ethanol- 5% acetic acid - 5% formalin) which most people are using, and which needs some care when using it.

If you want to venture into histological slides or thin sections of insects, paraffin will typically come into play, and then things get substantial more "chemical".

[Hobbyst46]

... In most cases you need a completely different process for each object you want to work on. Different fixatives, stains, mountants, lab equipment. 50% of which is either not made any more, not allowed to be made any more, unobtailable, very expensive, dangerous or you are not supposed to have it.

[FatBassPlayer]

This is what I expected. In terms of any particular area(s) of interest. diatoms & microbes definitely. Otherwise I want to establish as good a "general foundation" knowledge as I can, then I guess I'll see where the road takes me....

Thank you all for your replies. Very informative!

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Diatoms are of an "intermediate" to "advanced" level, but I hear that mounting them is satisfying. I have been trying to extract storax gum from the trees in the property for some years but it's proving difficult!

[MicroBob]

area(s) of interest. diatoms & microbes definitely.

Making permanent slides of diatoms is an interesting occupation. There are two main techniques involved: At first you have to clean the frustules to the degree you want. There are simple methods and methods that involve cooking in harsh chemicals. It is important to honestly check how good ones lab knowledge and disposal facilities are. Then you have to mount them in a high refractive index mountant like Pleurax, Naphrax, Speedax, not so easy to obtain unfortunately.
But diatoms are also interesting objects to observe in living condition!

Bacteria are not interesting to observe since a light microscope can't resolve their finer detail, you only get dot, stick or snake shapes. Zooplancton is much more interesting to observe alive as the behauviour is very interesting.

So there are many objects that require no chemistry and lab work and I would suggest to start with them. Myself I like to make permanent slides but I have access to the needed stuff and the space to store and use it.

[FatBassPlayer]

Thank you Bob, very helpful!

Supply of chemicals, stains, mountants etc isn't an issue, but I want to learn what I'm doing first - to walk before I try to run, as it were!

I'm hoping that a (small) collection of permanent slides will serve as a record of my gradually improving technique and skill. Emphasis on "gradually"! Very, very gradually! I'm also imaging as much as possible to keep a digital record of my microscopic travels.