Starter wet slide kit?
Starter wet slide kit?
I just picked up a microscope from Craigslist and need to get a starter kit with slides, cover glass, eye dropper, etc.
I’d like to start looking at pond life.
Suggestions would be appreciated!
I’d like to start looking at pond life.
Suggestions would be appreciated!
—Rick
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Best to begin cheap and cheerful until you feel your way. As you are doing with your Amscope T490B for $220
So collecting jars (old jam jars), old toothbrush (to brush stones to collect diatoms) turkey baster (to collect samples), pipette (to place sample on slide), tweezers, slides and cover slips.
Don't worry too much at this stage about cover slip thickness, it's only especially critical on high magnification dry objectives.
So 0.13 - 0.17 will do fine.
So collecting jars (old jam jars), old toothbrush (to brush stones to collect diatoms) turkey baster (to collect samples), pipette (to place sample on slide), tweezers, slides and cover slips.
Don't worry too much at this stage about cover slip thickness, it's only especially critical on high magnification dry objectives.
So 0.13 - 0.17 will do fine.
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
That was helpful, thanks!
I need to order some slides, cover glass,and pipette.
I need to order some slides, cover glass,and pipette.
—Rick
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
The seller called me back, he found some slides and cover slips and is mailing them to me.
—Rick
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Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Some useful microscope supplies when making wet mounts are a couple boxes of Kim wipes, essentially Kleenex for optics, and the best lens cleaner. You can make the best lens cleaner at home with a plastic water bottle. Drink 1/3 of the water and fill back up with rubbing alcohol 70 or 91, don't waste the reagent grade stuff just regular rubbing alcohol. Then a pinch of clear, unscented dishwashing soap. I use a push pin to poke a hole in the cap so I can squeeze out a jet. Also you can shake it up and squeeze foam out of it to get picked up with a cotton swab .
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination
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Re: Starter wet slide kit?
oh yeah and go ahead and drop $30 on a nice pair of tweezers. They're expensive, but they act like your hands would. My preference is for fine-tipped curved forceps style, but there are a lot of different styles to choose from.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Thanks! Any suggestions on where to buy these things in the United States?
—Rick
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Re: Starter wet slide kit?
All the usual massive online retailers should be able to supply some Kim wipes and good tweezers. If you want to have some fun checking out an overly-comprehensive selection of microscopy tweezers I would check out Electron Microscopy Sciences. They will also sell chemicals to residences generally. I haven't used Newcomer Supply but I might try them sometime-- their prices on formalin can't be beat!
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
https://www.joann.com/jewelry-tweezers- ... 51274.html
They are in no way the best ones, but while I figure out if I’ll be in the microscope hobby for the long run, they have served me well.
Like mentioned before.... start cheap
They are in no way the best ones, but while I figure out if I’ll be in the microscope hobby for the long run, they have served me well.
Like mentioned before.... start cheap
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
There have proven to be very good:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Titanium-Forcep ... nav=SEARCH
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Titanium-Forcep ... nav=SEARCH
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Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Haven't tried the titanium ones, but stainless steel forceps are relatively easy to reshape with a diamond sharpening stone. You can make the tip narrower, and you can make new tips if you accidentally drop it and bend the tips.
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Re: Starter wet slide kit?
I have had good luck getting them from staples.com of all places
https://www.staples.com/Kimtech-Science ... uct_808376
Gerard
https://www.staples.com/Kimtech-Science ... uct_808376
Gerard
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
I have slides and covers now. Any suggestions of how to separate slides that are stuck together right out of the box?
—Rick
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Soapy water
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Many microscopists reuse slides, some also reuse cover slips. You want them to drip dry afterwards: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2332
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
That is creative, thanks!75RR wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2020 7:01 amMany microscopists reuse slides, some also reuse cover slips. You want them to drip dry afterwards: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2332
—Rick
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
The slides's glass attracts moisture. The moisture tends to react with the glass and leave a pitted surface. So it makes sense to check slides before using them for permanent preparations. Apparently this degradation only takes place in packs of slides, on on slides that sit separated in slide boxes.
Re: Starter wet slide kit?
Thanks!MicroBob wrote: ↑Mon Jun 08, 2020 7:42 pmThe slides's glass attracts moisture. The moisture tends to react with the glass and leave a pitted surface. So it makes sense to check slides before using them for permanent preparations. Apparently this degradation only takes place in packs of slides, on on slides that sit separated in slide boxes.
—Rick