Permanently mount a Slide

[fibreoptix]

So I've been searching "How to create a permanent slide"

I'm seeing Fructose, Nail polish and a few chemicals in which I can't remember the names of.
How do you all create a slide? And is it expensive?

[mrsonchus]

Hmmm... That's a short question with a very long answer!

What is it that you would like to mount, and how 'permanent' would you like it (the slide) to be?

John B.

[fibreoptix]

Oh i see. Its not one size fits all?

Okay. Let me list off a few things...

1. Moth or fly wing.
2. Insect appendages.
3. Ants and other tiny insects as a whole
4. Onion skin.
5. Cross section of a flowers stem.
6. Dandelion feather(?)
7. Pollen
8. Blood

I tried to choose things based on moister and liquid absorbtion.

Oh and try to preseve it for as long as possible for a collection.

Thanks.

[mrsonchus]

Hi, an interesting selection to start your adventures. I'd say all except numbers 4 & 5 are suitable for you to mount 'dry' and where desired whole. I'd begin with one of the easier ones such as the fly's wing. This is an easy (relatively anyway) choice as specimen preparation before mounting is basically making sure the wing is perfectly dry before mounting in a resinous mountant, often improvised with clear nail-polish for starters.

For the fly's wing make certain it's dry then drop a drop of NP onto it and carefully place a cover-slip over it. Let it dry for about 12 hours and it should be quite stable. It'll be hard enough to view the slide (carefully) after about 20 minutes!

There are many experienced folk here that will add to this advice, my specialism is in fact plant tissue thinly sectioned and stained before permanently mounting with resinous mountant and cover-slip. Others here are far more qualified to advise you re the other subjects than I.

Good luck.

John B.

[KurtM]

Yep, a pretty broad subject, actually; different specimens require different means of mounting. And then some specimens can be mounted different ways, but must be prepared differently for each. Insect parts, for instance, usually require a series of steps to mount. I can vouch for the fact that permanent diatom mounts take a little doing. Check out this little presentation on diatoms, which is my area of particular interest, there are 3 parts to it, and part 2 is where all the slide making action happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp9ym5M0RUc&t=154s

If you're new to the hobby and haven't seen this vid before, I recommend it highly - it's kinda old, but golden:

https://archive.org/details/imaging_a_hidden_world

[fibreoptix]

Oh okay. So there are different permanent mounting techniques, wet and dry? Interesting. I thought dry mounting was just veiwing the specimen and throwing it out like pond water. So dry mount is a different type of permanent mount.

So i assume on a dry mount, the idea is to seal the cover glass around the edge and a wet mount is to submerge the entire specimen in a liquid that hardens over time like nail polish.

"resinous mountant" that sounds expensive

I will definatley watch that video. Thanks guys.

[KurtM]

Well, looks like you need a primer on terms. Generally speaking, a wet mount is a temporary slide; it's placing a cover slip over a drop of pond water on a slide to observe protists, drop of milk to see fat globules, etc. See this short video from this forum's Fearless Leader Oliver:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxTFgDe5CEE

Dry mounts may be temporary or permanent, here are a couple short vids quickly rounded up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7LVSdZ29lU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjQVQ8gT0A8

Resinous mounts are, and are not, involved and/or expensive. Canada balsam is easy to use and cheap. Study this web store to get an idea of possibilities:

http://www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk/micr ... tants.html

Though I'm in Texas, I have had excellent luck buying from Brunel (see above, and please note they're in England). Orders arrive quickly, and S&H is reasonable.

[billbillt]

Oh okay. So there are different permanent mounting techniques, wet and dry? Interesting. I thought dry mounting was just veiwing the specimen and throwing it out like pond water. So dry mount is a different type of permanent mount.

So i assume on a dry mount, the idea is to seal the cover glass around the edge and a wet mount is to submerge the entire specimen in a liquid that hardens over time like nail polish.

"resinous mountant" that sounds expensive

I will definatley watch that video. Thanks guys.

Hello,

I have used this one with great success.. Just a thought..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NC-5988-CytoSe ... 2269132084

[jimur]

Here is one of the best resources available for newbies and many old timers as well when it comes to mounting slides. Chek it out, you won't be sorry.

www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wd-articles.html

edited to repair link

[PeteM]

Here is one of the best resources available for newbies and many old timers as well when it comes to mounting slides. Chek it out, you won't be sorry.

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ind ... dpart5.htm

Link isn't working for me. Any key words we should search to bring it up on that site?

[bobm4360]

Scroll down, there's a link to home page.

[jimur]

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wd-articles.html

Sorry. This one seems to be working properly and I corrected the first one as well.

[Crater Eddie]

To make a permanent blood slide you must first learn to make a proper blood smear and then to stain it correctly. Otherwise there is no point. It isn't difficult, but it does take practice and careful work.
CE

[PeteM]

Jimur -- thanks for the link.

[fibreoptix]

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ind ... ount2.html

Great article thanks.

[mrsonchus]

Ahh, the late great Walter Dioni - it was by studying his magnificent articles that I started in the world of the permanent mount. You simply will not see a better example of how to do a great deal of very enjoyable exploration without the need for any of those so-hard to get professional reagents and equipment.
Walter D is simply the best!

John B.

[fibreoptix]

Out of curiosity how long would the mounting medium recipes last from Walter Dioni ? Are we talking months years or decades?

[Hobbyst46]

Out of curiosity how long would the mounting medium recipes last from Walter Dioni ? Are we talking months years or decades?

Walter Dioni himself was concerned with this question, and in one of his latest articles (I think it is named "after 10 years" or something like that) he looked back at his preferred mounting media again and commented on their "shelf-life" (or drawer-life)