Equipment for the microscopy hobby

[Scoper]

I would be interested in hearing what associated equipment and lab layout others find useful in regards to their microscopy pursuits.

Lists of equipment and pictures of your lab layouts would be especially of interest.

Thanks

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Good forceps

[Scarodactyl]

A good, solid table is very important, especially for photography at high magnifications. I don't have any fancy vibration isolation, but a nice solid table with a cherry top and metal legs on carpet. Works great up to n.a. 1.4 as long as the washing machine isn't running.

[Scoper]

Thks for responding..anyone else?

Thks

[zzffnn]

Good forceps

For some tiny subjects, such as foraminifera, a jewel picker with sticky ends works better.

[Sure Squintsalot]

Thks for responding..anyone else?

Thks

a good microscope

[Phill Brown]

Slide ringing table.
Heated LCD screen separator.
Label printer.
Desk with box section cupboard and drawers is more stable than legs.

[Scoper]

Why a Heated LCD screen separator.?

[Phill Brown]

Why a Heated LCD screen separator.?

It's easy to control the temperature for permanent mounting.
Also has a vacuum, I put a glass staining jar over a couple slides and heat them.
No bubbles.
Might need to flat the container edge on some good sandpaper to get it to seal.
It's been suggested it's not a strong enough vacuum but you can't get the container
off for at least 30 seconds after the pump is switched off.

[zzffnn]

If you photograph opaque subjects under a microscope, then things that hold the subjects and lights, light sources, backdrop material, and how you place each item in relation to others would be important too.

[dtsh]

An acceptable microscope....often available in the US for less than $100 for a serviceable instrument from yesteryear.
A solid desk/workbench
Small bottles with flip-top lid for dispensing drops of alcohol, distilled water, etc. I use 100%, 95%, 91%, 70% and another for distilled water.
Coverslips and slides
Kimwipes/lens tissues
Forceps
dissecting probe or a needle jammed into the eraser of a pencil (for manipulation of specimens)

For the stuff I tend to do which includes providing veterinary care, none of which I would acquire unless actually needed....
hemacytometer
McMaster slides
centrifuge (there are plenty of workable alternatives if one needs a centrifuge but can't afford the price or space, see whirligig centrifuge, for example)
analytical balance or at least a reliable scale that can measure accurately to the scale of what you work with
Stains as needed (for me, mostly gentian violet, methylene blue, and eosin).
a graduated cylinder or other vessel capable of measuring in small increments and a capacity of at least 100ml
a selection of syringes, 1ml and 10ml being most useful to me.

I find that standard household trash of pill bottles, glass bottles, jars, and other such items are frequently quite usable at much lower cost where applicable.

[charlie g]

Hello, scoper, buried in this forums archived threads is a wonderful and very specific thread on: 'bench setups'..I got as far back as 8/1/17 thread "My microscope set up", by Moose. In PM's, moose explained to me that he was using microscopy of

large mammal dung to follow specific plant diets...by ID of fragments of plants consumed.

Please go further back for a great thread on numerous forum members 'microscopy bench'..lots of images, lots of specifics.

All the best, charlie g.