Homemade Microtome

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GerryR
Posts: 183
Joined: Sun May 22, 2022 11:44 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Homemade Microtome

#1 Post by GerryR » Sat May 28, 2022 4:10 pm

I had some time on my hands, so decided to make a microtome (I have a small machine shop.) Nothing fancy. Fabricated out of aluminum with a hardened steel top and steel “plunger" with a 3/8-32 thread for a 0.03125 per revolution advance. I had an old Weck straight razor that uses the longer, single-edge, hair-shaper blades and am going to use it for the slicing. I made a coring tool for 5/8" diameter cores (diameter in the microtome) out of a piece of scrap tubing and use a 5/8” wooden dowel to push the core from the tool, at least that's the theory; I haven't tried it yet. The aluminum "plug" goes into the top of the coring tool to help with the pushing to prevent contact with the tubing. Just thought it might give others some ideas. Fun little project, especially if it works!

I was thinking of using paraffin wax for the core plug. Is that what is mostly used (I saw carrots being used on a youtube video; does it make any difference?)
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Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Homemade Microtome

#2 Post by Greg Howald » Sat May 28, 2022 11:50 pm

The different it makes is whether or not you want to work with chemicals to eliminate the parafine from the specimen, and whether or not you can get good results with aCarrot. So if I were you I would start with a carrot because that's easy, and go from there.

GerryR
Posts: 183
Joined: Sun May 22, 2022 11:44 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Homemade Microtome

#3 Post by GerryR » Sun May 29, 2022 11:06 am

Greg Howald wrote:
Sat May 28, 2022 11:50 pm
The different it makes is whether or not you want to work with chemicals to eliminate the parafine from the specimen, and whether or not you can get good results with a Carrot. So if I were you I would start with a carrot because that's easy, and go from there.
Thank you Greg, I'll start with carrots; a lot to learn and relearn to get back into this hobby!

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