MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Does anyone know a source for round microscope slides, about 25mm glass?

Round coverslips are common, acrylic discs are common. I can't seem to locate glass slide discs.

They need to fit on a 25mm round SEM stub, after imaging with the light microscope...

Thanks!

Edit: This eBay listing offers multiple sizes:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274135982428?_ ... 1103.m3021

This US seller doesn't have your exact size, but can custom make for you: https://www.ebay.com/itm/113713893888?h ... XQfvlSgwwc

Orginal reply:

Will, maybe as a makeshift, you can cut a few regular slides down with glass cutter (in water), grind off their edges and use them that way?

Some people put samples on cover slips and double-side-tape cover slips onto SEM stubs, though that may not work with your samples and work flow.

Hobby craft stores may sell glass discs, but it may be hard to find them in flat, optical quality, at the right size.

If all else fails, you might try cheap UV filters for cameras? Around $4 could get you one with pretty flat glass and coatings in sizes (once pulled out of the threaded ring) around 2mm smaller than the stated thread size.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254002815427?h ... SwG25b~rFH

Esslinger sells round glass watch faces by fractional mm sizes.

Bram is correct. I use the watch crystals to make filters for my microscopes and they really work well and are of high optical quality at reasonable price.
Greg

Thanks all for the help. I've thought of using coverslips as slides... I've done that in the past for certain projects (I still have some mini-Coplin jars for staining coverslips), but these slides are going to get some rough handling- I don't thing coverslips will hold up as slides! The specimens will be embedded in epoxy and ground to thickness.
Watch glasses and camera filters might work out fine. I'll give it a try.
If it works, I'll post images.

Fan,
I like your idea of cutting down regular slides. Maybe I could cut small glass squares, and still tape them to a round SEM stub? It really doesn't have to match exactly (although round would look nicer). Squares would be so much easier to cut.

2x watch glass replacement...i also use 32mm ones to make filters