Needing a couple of quarter and full wave plates, I can buy plastic sheet and cut it up, but
I notice that even humble purpose-designed ones are in wee rotating mounts.
For qualitative assessment of bits of rock, how critical is the angle? If I make one that's about right, for a given microscope, is it just a question of turning the stage and polariser to align suitably?
If my orientation is say NE/SW, can they be flipped over for NW/SE?
(Of course if anyone has a Berek compensator lying around in search of a home... ??)
It still eludes me why Leitz (used to?) make such a huge range of polarising parts. Why for example a 1/10th lambda plate ?
Wave plate orientation
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Wave plate orientation
Chris R