Zeiss Rotating Stage

[keithstout]

A question for Zeiss gurus.

I'm picking diatoms on my 1969 Zeiss Standard model 18. It is a phase contrast scope. If I had a rotating stage, I think I could improve my diatom arranging skills. But did Zeiss ever make a rotating stage that fit this scope?

Please help me, Zeissbewan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

[PeteM]

Yes, two types. One circular in form. Another that looks more like an x-y stage but will rotate. Just make sure it's not Zeiss Jena and has the same four hole mounting points as your current stage, when viewed from underneath.

[Charles]

There are three Carl Zeiss circular rotating stages. Two are show below:
The one on the right is more common, is less expensive, has a smaller stage area and the x-y controls are on the side.
The one on the left tend to be more expensive, has a larger stage area and the x-y controls are on top of the stage.
The third, not shown and generally used for inverted scopes, is a round gliding stage, less common and is manipulated by pushing, pulling and rotating the stage by hand.

But with all the stages available, I would recommend getting the largest stage, circular or rectangular, and manipulating your glass slides by hand, which will allow you a lot more freedom of movement and can be very precise.

Zeiss Circular Rotating Stages.jpg (40.95 KiB) Viewed 2558 times

Here is Klaus Kemp's stage with micromanipulator:

Klaus Kemps Manipulator.jpg (74.6 KiB) Viewed 2552 times

[Phill Brown]

I'm not a ziess guru or any other type of guru for sure.
If you are applying diatoms to a cover slip it's only the cover slip that needs to be rotatable.
If you are applying them to a slide, I'll just get my coat.
I made a rotating cover slip holder,but it's for 16mm round only.

[keithstout]

Thank you all so much for your response.

Hey Phil, I never thought about making a rotating stage for the cover slip only. Can you post some pics of it and write a bit about how you built it?

[Phill Brown]

IMG-20230116-WA0000.jpg (50.15 KiB) Viewed 2442 times

IMG-20230116-WA0001.jpg (53.26 KiB) Viewed 2442 times

I'm a clockmaker in the UK.
From bar stock, shallow recess in the top part to hold the slip, fits with only gravity in the lower with a rim to guide.
It's low profile,has a knurled edge (too fine to show on poor image) and a cutout for lifting the slip out.
It's very smooth to rotate, I have a small watch dial that fits in the bottom but that blocks the light from below.
It's not difficult to sandwich reference grids between 2 slides but not something I've done for this.

[MichaelG.]

That’s very neat, Phill

MichaelG.

[Phill Brown]

Thanks for the compliment Micheal.
As much as anything, holding the slips securely to clean is the most useful function.
It's diverted the topic,a rotating table is such a useful feature also.
I don't recall if the lower part is held with Canada balsom or a low melting point glue used for bonding the tips of aluminium arrows.
I fix well slide rings by placing a slide on a screen removing hotplate.
Melt a thin layer on one slide, drop the ring onto it and allow to heat to avoid stringy threads then place on another hot slide.
It's also easy enough with shellac, button polish is liquid shellac which also seals well and isn't soluble in water.
I've also made well slides less than .1mm deep that hold a cover slip with the same basic method.
Rotifers have enough room to behave naturally.

[keithstout]

Very clever, I would never thought of this. It looks like the slip is rotated by hand into desired positions. Correct?

[Phill Brown]

Very clever, I would never thought of this. It looks like the slip is rotated by hand into desired positions. Correct?

It's a low tech solution yes.no oil, just a good fit.
I've made watch bezels so it's the same method.
Fine knurl is rolled by hand on the edge of a coarse file fixed in a vice.
No self respecting Victorian horologist would have been able to leave it there but it works.

[keithstout]

There are three Carl Zeiss circular rotating stages. Two are show below:
The one on the right is more common, is less expensive, has a smaller stage area and the x-y controls are on the side.
The one on the left tend to be more expensive, has a larger stage area and the x-y controls are on top of the stage.
The third, not shown and generally used for inverted scopes, is a round gliding stage, less common and is manipulated by pushing, pulling and rotating the stage by hand.

But with all the stages available, I would recommend getting the largest stage, circular or rectangular, and manipulating your glass slides by hand, which will allow you a lot more freedom of movement and can be very precise.
Zeiss Circular Rotating Stages.jpg

Here is Klaus Kemp's stage with micromanipulator:
Klaus Kemps Manipulator.jpg

Charles, this rotating stage looks like the stage on the right of the pic you sent.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/144791954753
The 4 screw mount pattern on this ebay unit looks like mine. I wish I knew the pattern was identical to mine, but there's no way I can be sure. I do know that the ebay unit has a dovetailed support bracket that is not like mine at all. The ebay unit is not a Zeiss Jena, which is a good sign. Were all Zeiss 4 screw mount patterns identical? Thanks so much, Keith.

[Charles]

Yes, that rotating Zeiss stage will fit the screw pattern on a Carl Zeiss Standard.