MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Hi
I need to glue the upper lens from condenser. I have tried to do this using the nail polish but this failed after a while. As i use this with polarization it need to by stain free. That sholuld I use?

What exactly are you gluing?
Glass to glass? Flat or curved?
A picture would probably reveal all.

ChrisR wrote:
What exactly are you gluing?
Glass to glass? Flat or curved?
A picture would probably reveal all.

Glass to glass all flat surface. Upper part (with N.A 1,4) unscrewed from the condenser.

Lenses are usually glued together with Canada Balsam. At least that’s how it was done in the past, they may have some new high tech adhesive now.

Norland makes a wide selection of glass glues that cover a range of refractive indices. They are cured with light - blue or UV. the glue might be permanent, I do not know if the glass elements can be separated later if the need arises.

How would you determine if it was strain free? If it was empirically, and you found your repair not to be , then you might be happy to have chosen to use a cement that is relatively easy to dissolve and clean. Balsam would be a good choice for that, since ethanol works well and is fairly easy to come by.
However if it was one of the modern, possibly Norland cements then it can only be separated with a methylene chloride based solvent, and it becomes a more complicated situation.


I would determine first what the likely original cement was.if you could. If it was an older condenser, then balsam as previously mentioned is a likelihood and it also would mean that the refractive index of the cement required is around 1.52. That helps choosing a synthetic cement , if you choose to do that.

wporter has some experience using Norland....any advice wporter?