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What is your microscopy history? What are your interests? What equipment do you use?
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bill2penn
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Location: Philadelphia, PA
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New to the board

#1 Post by bill2penn » Sun Dec 25, 2022 10:23 pm

Hello all,
I am new to this board but have been a member of several microscope groups on the old Yahoo site. I have been interested in microscopy for maybe 25 or 30 years. I was heavily involved in diatoms for many years but lost interest for the last 8 or 10 years. I've recently retired so I am revisiting my former hobby/obsession. I used to produce diatom mountants (Pleurax and Zrax) but stopped doing that 10 years ago. Twenty years ago I made a batch of micromanipulators based on Klaus Kemps' design but I no longer have access to a machine shop. I've still got a number of cleaned diatom samples on my shelves and may start cleaning again. It seems there is not a lot of interest in mounting and arranging diatoms these days. I used to have a webpage on all of this, but gave that up maybe 10 years ago. I just started a Weebly page that you can check out if you'd like. I have some downloads available, and have a page on the Oamaru diatomite locations which I visited in 2004. You can see my new page here:

http://diatomsamples.weebly.com

I'm happy to correspond with anyone who wants.
Thanks
Bill Dailey
http://diatomsamples.weebly.com
Leitz Orthoplan and Ortholux (and many others....)

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zzffnn
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Re: New to the board

#2 Post by zzffnn » Mon Dec 26, 2022 1:07 am

Very nice work, Bill. Welcome to the forum. I would like to buy some cleaned Frustulia rhomboides or Amphipleura pellucida, in both loose and mounted forms, please. I will send you an email or message through your web site. Thank you.

Dennis
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Re: New to the board

#3 Post by Dennis » Mon Dec 26, 2022 1:44 am

Bill,
Welcome to the forum !

Hobbyst46
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Re: New to the board

#4 Post by Hobbyst46 » Mon Dec 26, 2022 11:03 am

Welcome, Prof Dailey.
Diatom mounting at home is a fascinating occupation. However, a large part of it is really more difficult than how it looks like in the literature. May I share here my personal experience.
First issue is the diatom adhesive for arranged slides. Gelatin and Polyacrylamide do the job, but the aqueous solutions are unstable over weeks, and results are often not reproducible.
Second, Naphrax and Pleurax are not really convenient in use. Naphrax requires harmful toluene or xylene, Pleurax smells like phenol and hydrogen sulfide. Boiling resin on the slide often dislocates the cemented diatoms on the slide. Pleurax sometimes only solidifies after many days or even weeks, so immersion oil microscopy must be carried out very carefully.
Because of the unpleasant fumes, mounting must be carried out in open air, so using a controlled-temperature hot plate is difficult. Yet, for proper mounting in Pleurax, controlled heating is a must. Alcohol burner improvisations are possible but very inconvenient.
Slides older than about a 0.5-1 years sometimes tend to contain tiny crystals, from either the adhesive or the resin. These are mostly disturbing under darkfield.
Norlands 61 glass cement can be used, but sometimes it does not penetrate the frustule well, leaving air-filled cavities inside.
It seems that better, modern mountants exist or are being developed, but are not on the shelf yet. Also, Norlands cements are very expensive and their shelf-life is short.

Dennis
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Re: New to the board

#5 Post by Dennis » Mon Dec 26, 2022 2:28 pm

Bill,
First glance at your forum name I knew you had to be from Philly or at least PA.

(William Penn) Who's statue is on top of City Hall.

viktor j nilsson
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Re: New to the board

#6 Post by viktor j nilsson » Mon Dec 26, 2022 4:56 pm

Those photos from the Oamaru diatomite sites are amazing, many thanks for sharing, and welcome aboard!

charlie g
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Re: New to the board

#7 Post by charlie g » Tue Dec 27, 2022 3:30 am

Welcome, hello again, happy holidays Prof. Bill. Decades ago, you kindly mailed me a vial of your mountant...for no cost. You asked that this mountant be used for diatom slides at the bench..you are so kind.

I sent this vial to an accomplished diatomist in UK...he ( Michael/ The Old Cogger/TOG, his then yahoo forum title)...studied the marine diatoms which wash into Three Tree Island UK saltwater marsh parks.

I treasure the Three Tree Island diatom slides Michael shipped to me...useing your fabricated mountant, Prof. Bill.

Again, hello, welcome to Oliver Kims forum. charlie guevara, finger lakes/US

GerryR
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Re: New to the board

#8 Post by GerryR » Tue Dec 27, 2022 5:48 pm

Welcome aboard, Bill. I am particularly interested in the micro manipulators, as I have a small shop, and would be interested in any plans you might have for their construction. Being mostly retired, I'm always looking for interesting projects to occupy my time. Again, welcome, and I am looking forward to your contributions to this forum.

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