Dry fusing diatoms to cover slip.
Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2021 10:47 am
Did a search of this forum and didn't find this reference.
I am new to forums in general but like many here didn't hatch recently.
In a book from 1873 by Frederick Mills Dry mount method is attributed to an earlier book by a Mr Davies, that book is reprinted and available but the author is unlikely to be Mr Davies microscopist as apparently he was not given to writing.
Diatoms are added to a cover slip in a drop of water and allowed to dry.
No mention is made of arrangements but that should be possible?.
The cover slip is placed on a small platinum disc attached to a handle and held in the spirit lamp until a dull red.
This fuses the diatoms to the glass.
A mountant of choice can then be added without the diatoms moving and the cover slip mounted to the slide.
My musings are stainless steel could be substituted for platinum?
Oxide will contaminate the cover slip so platinum with 1600°c melting point may be optimal.
I have not tried this as I do not have access to cleaned prepared diatoms.
UK law PPE license required for H2O2 above 12%. Also Sulphuric above 15%.
I do not qualify for the PPE license so will need to work around it.
Any help with this issue would be a most welcome but should be a different thread. I could contribute by making precision parts in exchange.
I have attached a picture of a cover slip holder I made. Easy to clean the cover slip,top part is a drop on fit that turns freely. Can rotate the cover slip under the microscope without moving the slide. The other,I place the cover slip into the circle which is centred. The cover slips either end are stuck with double sided plastic to space and align the slide.
I am new to forums in general but like many here didn't hatch recently.
In a book from 1873 by Frederick Mills Dry mount method is attributed to an earlier book by a Mr Davies, that book is reprinted and available but the author is unlikely to be Mr Davies microscopist as apparently he was not given to writing.
Diatoms are added to a cover slip in a drop of water and allowed to dry.
No mention is made of arrangements but that should be possible?.
The cover slip is placed on a small platinum disc attached to a handle and held in the spirit lamp until a dull red.
This fuses the diatoms to the glass.
A mountant of choice can then be added without the diatoms moving and the cover slip mounted to the slide.
My musings are stainless steel could be substituted for platinum?
Oxide will contaminate the cover slip so platinum with 1600°c melting point may be optimal.
I have not tried this as I do not have access to cleaned prepared diatoms.
UK law PPE license required for H2O2 above 12%. Also Sulphuric above 15%.
I do not qualify for the PPE license so will need to work around it.
Any help with this issue would be a most welcome but should be a different thread. I could contribute by making precision parts in exchange.
I have attached a picture of a cover slip holder I made. Easy to clean the cover slip,top part is a drop on fit that turns freely. Can rotate the cover slip under the microscope without moving the slide. The other,I place the cover slip into the circle which is centred. The cover slips either end are stuck with double sided plastic to space and align the slide.