Hello from Maine

[amu]

My history with microscopes has to do with parasitology in animals. I had a gap in time of not using a microscope but quickly picked it up again. I have many questions on techniques especially with insects, clearing the exoskeleton, making permanent slides and pollen I want to make a collection of the different pollens in my area.

I have several microscopes the oldest being an American Optical 50 and the newest being an Omano OM36. I just got a microscope on Ebay that does phase contrast which I know nothing about yet. I also have some monocular scopes I lend when I teach classes on parasitology.

I just got the book Safe Microscopic Techniques For Amateurs by Walter Dioni it has some good techniques I want to try.

[mrsonchus]

Welcome back!

I'm gradually learning how to collect, process and permanently mount pollen too! I've the very start of a collection - a couple of varieties of Sow Thistles (Sonchus) that are a pesky weed in the UK. I've learned an awful lot from WD's little book, all his material including everything in the book is also available on the website, here's the link - http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/ind ... icles.html

Palynology is the way ahead!

Best regards and good luck with your adventures, from the UK

[vasselle]

Bonjour et bienvenue sur le forum
Cordialement seb

[charlie g]

Hello, AMU, and welcome! Regarding clearing of insects...Ohio grad student: ZL"Kai"Burington swears by a combination of: sodium hydroxide,acetic acid, and lactic acid ( her blogg mentions this on 1/2/15.). Google her name+clearing agent.

Before this 'improvement, "Kai" swwore by 80% lactic acid: 'the specimen can be passed through glycerin, and returned again to the clearing solution.'. with this lactic acid clearing solution:'membranes and weakly sclerotinized structures are retained, while muscle and fat are dissolved.'. 'KOH, or lye, and sodium hydroxide are too caustic...they keep on destroying the specimens after you wash and mount the specimens'.

I intend this coming year to sample song bird parasites , avian malarial parasites...I have 'kill sites' by my winter bird feeders where raptors leave behind blood and tissue fragments of their prey...last year I did simple wetmounts for microscopy.

This year I intend to do smears/the fixing and staining is simple. I'll look for the usual three Haemosporidians...Leucocytozoon ( the largest), Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus.

Enough of my projects...welcome to forum,Amu! charlie guevara, finger lakes/US

[Rodney]

Hello from Southern Georgia U.S.A., As a hobby I love all forms of biology, science and microscopy. I use several older microscopes and really enjoy them. My interest are rather broad which can make for a very interesting evening. I also like looking at trace micro-fossils with my stereo scope which takes you back into the distant past.

Rodney Brightwell

[gekko]

Welcome, Rodney, to this forum. I hope you will consider sharing some pictures of your fossils, etc. with us.

[Rodney]

Thanks, Will do Gekko, i`m down in Georgia. I hope to get another round of those going soon.

Rodney Brightwell

[JimT]

Welcome both Amu and Rodney. Amu, I hope you are keeping warm
Look forward to images from both of you.

[Dale]

Thanks for the link to WD's book and site, truly awesome. Not knowing about micro-fossils I found this:http://www.kgg.org.uk/index.html
The process for getting the fossils from mud to slide seems laborious, but the results......!
Dale

[Crater Eddie]

Welcome to the forum!