I’m trying to make my first permanent slides (insects). My biggest problem is the withdrawing of the euparal after some hours, leaving a big air buble on the side of the cover glass. I prepare the insect with 3x24h alcohol, 70-95 and 99,9%.
Any tips ?
Mounting medium withdrawing
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- Posts: 608
- Joined: Mon May 24, 2021 1:19 pm
- Location: Devon UK.
Re: Mounting medium withdrawing
Center the subject a little better, the slip is at an angle.
3 spacer/shims can help to keep it level. Fiddly job.
It's possible to ring the slide as a spacer, let the ring dry and scratch away a small part to allow the excess to escape and draw back in.
Leave the excess around the edge until it's set, touch a drop by the bubble,it should draw in.
Leave it for a few days at least before ringing if you intend to.
With a relatively thick subject I'm not confident it can be done without heating the mountant either to the point of boiling the solvent or at least hot enough for long enough to keep it polymerized.
There are phone screen removal hot plates that are a good investment, even work for removing screens.
I've tried them with the vacuum feature under a cover but that didn't make a big difference.
3 spacer/shims can help to keep it level. Fiddly job.
It's possible to ring the slide as a spacer, let the ring dry and scratch away a small part to allow the excess to escape and draw back in.
Leave the excess around the edge until it's set, touch a drop by the bubble,it should draw in.
Leave it for a few days at least before ringing if you intend to.
With a relatively thick subject I'm not confident it can be done without heating the mountant either to the point of boiling the solvent or at least hot enough for long enough to keep it polymerized.
There are phone screen removal hot plates that are a good investment, even work for removing screens.
I've tried them with the vacuum feature under a cover but that didn't make a big difference.
Re: Mounting medium withdrawing
Some useful tips Phill. Thanks !
Re: Mounting medium withdrawing
Yes, withdrawing mounting medium is a common issue.
With a tick mount, like insects, I usually put a drop of Euparal on the subject and wait 1-3 minutes to make the IPA evaporate from the mounting medium before I put the coverglass on.
Splinters from a coverglass around the subject help to keep the coverglass even / parallel to the slide.
Best, Maarten
With a tick mount, like insects, I usually put a drop of Euparal on the subject and wait 1-3 minutes to make the IPA evaporate from the mounting medium before I put the coverglass on.
Splinters from a coverglass around the subject help to keep the coverglass even / parallel to the slide.
Best, Maarten
Re: Mounting medium withdrawing
Bedankt Maarten,
Gone try this withmy next slide. Meanwhile I managed to let some more euparal been sucked in. Keep my fingers crossed….
Gone try this withmy next slide. Meanwhile I managed to let some more euparal been sucked in. Keep my fingers crossed….