When I was about 10 years old I got a Gilbert microscope kit for Christmas. That one gift provided me with years of enjoyment. Now 50 years later my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her I wanted a microscope and a T adapter for my camera.
Since it has been so long I need a refresher on the other tools that I might need such as vials, forceps, probes, stains, etc.
Can someone give me a list of minimal stuff I will need to be able to delve back into this hobby for me? Thanks.
Returning to amateur microscopy
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Charles Krebs
- Posts: 5865
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:02 pm
- Location: Issaquah, WA USA
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Welcome aboard!
Your "story-line" is a rather common one and not very different from my own microscopy journey.
It is not really possible to give a very detailed list unless you provide some idea of what your intended subject matter might be. For many people it is anything and everything that will fit on the stage! For a great many it is pond life and the microscopic plants and creatures found in water.
Some essentials would certainly include the following (some are naturally quite obvious):
-slides
-coverglass
-immersion oil (if you have, and are going to use an oil immersion objective)
-transfer pipettes
-small "petri"dishes of different sizes
-if you subjects are in water, a collection of assorted peanut butter, mayonnaise, and jam jars
-very fine forceps, tweezers, and scissors (search Ebay for "micro-scissors", "micro-tweezers"... )
- Exacto kniife, or scalpel, or (if you're really careful) straight edge razor blades
-high quality lens tissue
-quality lens cleaning liquid. (If you use oil immersion you may need something more "powerful"... let us know)
-mounting medium. Canada balsam is a good place to start. (But there is a huge variety out there)
Some things that are not specific to microscopy or subject preparation, but I always have around and use in many different ways:
-round wooden toothpicks (often sharpened with a razor blade)
-thin black crepe tape ("Graphic Art Tape" you can even get it at Office Depot)
- matte black card stock paper
I don't work with stains myself, but it is a huge subject and can get very detailed and complex. So I can't offer much in the way of suggestions.
There are some chemical liquids that are commonly used. Alcohol as a drying agent before mounting some subjects. If you do a great deal of slide mounting Xylene of Toluene may be needed for dilution of mounting medium or clean-up.
Your "story-line" is a rather common one and not very different from my own microscopy journey.
It is not really possible to give a very detailed list unless you provide some idea of what your intended subject matter might be. For many people it is anything and everything that will fit on the stage! For a great many it is pond life and the microscopic plants and creatures found in water.
Some essentials would certainly include the following (some are naturally quite obvious):
-slides
-coverglass
-immersion oil (if you have, and are going to use an oil immersion objective)
-transfer pipettes
-small "petri"dishes of different sizes
-if you subjects are in water, a collection of assorted peanut butter, mayonnaise, and jam jars
-very fine forceps, tweezers, and scissors (search Ebay for "micro-scissors", "micro-tweezers"... )
- Exacto kniife, or scalpel, or (if you're really careful) straight edge razor blades
-high quality lens tissue
-quality lens cleaning liquid. (If you use oil immersion you may need something more "powerful"... let us know)
-mounting medium. Canada balsam is a good place to start. (But there is a huge variety out there)
Some things that are not specific to microscopy or subject preparation, but I always have around and use in many different ways:
-round wooden toothpicks (often sharpened with a razor blade)
-thin black crepe tape ("Graphic Art Tape" you can even get it at Office Depot)
- matte black card stock paper
I don't work with stains myself, but it is a huge subject and can get very detailed and complex. So I can't offer much in the way of suggestions.
There are some chemical liquids that are commonly used. Alcohol as a drying agent before mounting some subjects. If you do a great deal of slide mounting Xylene of Toluene may be needed for dilution of mounting medium or clean-up.
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MuffinHead
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 2:50 pm
Thanks for the reply
First off, I visited your Web site and I must say that your images are stunning. Photomicrography is my ultimate goal.
Thank you so much for your input. The only things I do not know what their purpose is would be the crepe tape and the matte black card stock.
Fortunately I live just 30 miles from Carolina Biological Supply where I can pickup all of the supplies I need from there.
Thank you so much for your input. The only things I do not know what their purpose is would be the crepe tape and the matte black card stock.
Fortunately I live just 30 miles from Carolina Biological Supply where I can pickup all of the supplies I need from there.