Hot tip, nail polish dries faster if applied in thin layers. You also get a more even coverage. Also you can purchase fine detail nail polish brushes. Very nice video, thank you. :)
Perhaps 2 face tape film, around the edges, would be another way to create a space in the cover-slip center...and then the edges could be sealed with nail polish or epoxy resin. Maybe this would be a good way to preserve / view mushroom spores...which may even be viable for many years, and harvested for future cultivation?
Very informative videos Oliver. Keep up the great work. One question. In this video you mention micro organisms from pond water. Is it possible to preserve these organisms outside of diatoms?
Possible but difficult. They can be mounted in Glycrine Jelly, which turns semi-solid. It is a water-based mounting medium and therefore suitable for water organisms. The cover glass must be sealed off to prevent complete drying of the medium.
Because the new gel super glue is so thick do you think it would be a good seal for a cover glass on a dry mount I have not tried it yet but it dries fast and should not migrate under the slide.
What a great idea to use the cellophane tape to make a dry slide. I'm going outside to make some right now! Also, can you see dust mites under a microscope? And how would you obtain a sample and make a slide of them? Thx!
homeairguides.com/how-air-purifiers/dust/how-to-know-if-you-have-dust-mites-can-you-see-dust-mites/ You need to put some dust under the microscope and then hope that you find some (or hope that you don't find any....). They eat skin and so the dust should be from a place where there are humans (bed).
Thank you for this great video! Very helpful! I've been looking for a good source for Glycerol Gelatin (Jelly). Do you have a suggested/preferred source? I'm also in Germany so perhaps you know of a vendor here? Thank you!
Dankegon, Oliver! Mi havas amikon kiu, kiel mi, ankaŭ interesiĝas pri mikroskopado. Nun mi scias kion doni al li je lia naskiĝtago: boteleton da ungolako!
Hi Oliver. Wonderful instruction! My question is on using glycerin in a 1.5 inch/38mm wide, 0.75 inch/19mm tall clear plastic round petri-type container with clear cover for preserving a fatter/ thicker insect or spider.... I just did this over the weekend, without considering if/when the glycerin will harden. Right now, it works well for viewing under my 7x-45x Amscope stereo microscope, but it is not hard (yet). Is pure glycerin a suitable substance for dry-mounting a thick insect? If not, what is your recommendation?
Pure glycerine can be used for mounting but it will not harden. I have heard that it has been used for some specimens but becasue it does not turn solid, the slide must be stored horizontally (otherwise the specimen sinks). For this reason, one used Glycerine Jelly. This contains gelatin and it will turn semi-solid. Pure glycerine will cause some specimens to shrink as it pulls out water. www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/articles/ellstip.html www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artaug03/wdpart4.html Generally if the insect is thick, then one should place it into alcohol for a few days to preserve it and to remove water. As thick specimens do not allow light to pass, anyway, one will not be able to see much. For preserving large insects, I would simply make an insect collection (with pin) and then look at them under the stereo microscope.
Hi! Thank you for the information. I just want to ask, if I can use clear nail polish as mounting medium. I want to create whole mount microscope slides for my project in school. Is it possible to use Nail polish as mounting medium to mount specimen such as ticks, flies, and maggots?
Yes, but with reservations: It has been done before and I know someone who used it even in research. There are some problems and one of them is that it tends to shrink much when drying. Allow some of the solvent to evaporate before use to make it more viscous. The specimen should also not contain any water at all, so you have to put the specimen first into acetone. Maggots are not suitable as they are too large, you have to completely dehydrate them and then slice it into thin section. But small water-free specimens should work.
Hello, Microbehunter. I'm not having much success with slides at all. Simple things like dandelion seeds and sand, yeah, but I'm trying to permanently mount Siberian Ginseng powder and ground Cinnamon with no success at all. When dry mounting with a coverglass, the powder is so fine it seems to statically attach itself to the underside of the coverglass and completely spoils the view. Without any coverglass, both Siberian Ginseng and Ground Cinnamon look really awesome under the microscope at 20x, 30x and 40x, but best, in my opinion, at 30x. Although they look like very fine powder to the naked eye, magnified 20, 30, 40 x, they are very fibrous. These microscopic views have renewed my interest in both these substances and I would like to make a permanent specimen of them, but how? The specimen even in a concave slide is poor quality because of the coverglass. I was thinking about sprinkling some on a thin surface of wood glue like I did with the sand, but I suspect because of the organic nature of the Ginseng and Cinnamon they would perish. Help. Is there a permanent resin I could use instead, bearing in mind I wouldn't be viewing under a high power magnification - 100x at most. I wonder if purified pine resin would make a good preservative and good for mounting specemins in.
The coverglass issue surprises me becasue at low magnification (ie low numerical aperture) cover glass thickness should not play much of a role. What is the problem exactly? If the powder sticks to the cover glass then this is actually also OK, because it is still in one flat plane. How does the cover glass impair the image? To find the best mounting medium: add powder to water (wet mount) and then see if the water washes out any pigments. If so, then water-based mounting media are not so suitable (eg glycerine gelatin). Then try in solvent like alcohol. Check if shape changes due to dehydration (unlikely in dry powder) and/or if the alcohol dissolves pigments. If this is the case then mounting media containing an organic solvent might not be ideal.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopyHello. Thanks. Yeah, the powder of both the Cinnamon and S. Ginseng varies in coarseness, and it seems to be the finest grains of the powder which is adhering to the underside of the coverglass, preventing me from seeing the heavier fibrous stuff below it, which are the most interesting bits.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy I did as you suggested. the pigment doesn't change in the S. Ginseng in either alcohol or water. I haven't tried the Cinnamon yet. The wet mounts break up the density of the powder and allow me to see the cells of individual fibres at higher magnifications., which is good, but my own preference is to see the dry powder, for me it is more interesting. I'll try some other methods with a thin film of different types of glues to see how that goes. Thanks for your help.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy The best result I got was by using a thin film of wood glue on the slide and sprinkling some S. Ginseng over it many of the microscopic crystal-like fibres stood up and many lay flat. I'm going to leave one slide like that an see how time effect it. I did another one the same sprinkling over the wood glue and let it dry, but this time I added a drop of mountant over the top then placed a coverglass over it. This flattened the crystals but worked quite well, though I keep getting too many bubbles, which spoil it in a way. It is fun trying all these techniques, though. Prost.
whenever I click on a microscope video, Im always happy when I see you. You make it easy to understand, and fun!! Thanks as always!
Awesome, thank you!
Just found a deceased dragonfly and look forward to trying this with the wings with my kids. Very informative. Thank you.
Hot tip, nail polish dries faster if applied in thin layers. You also get a more even coverage. Also you can purchase fine detail nail polish brushes. Very nice video, thank you. :)
Thank u for jump starting my latest fascination I owe it all to u
Sir please do one video by explain different types of mounting media and cost characteristics and chemical nature.
EXCELLENT. As usual.
Perhaps 2 face tape film, around the edges, would be another way to create a space in the cover-slip center...and then the edges could be sealed with nail polish or epoxy resin. Maybe this would be a good way to preserve / view mushroom spores...which may even be viable for many years, and harvested for future cultivation?
Saw another video where they used sticky paper eyelets as a spacer then used nail polish to stick the cover slip in place.
Nice work again thx microbehunter!!
Great! Gonna try this out now!
Can you tell us a bit more about mounting and something about staining specimens please.
Can I just use UV rosin or crystal super glue? That’s all I have. I’ve been using scotch tape
Very informative videos Oliver. Keep up the great work. One question. In this video you mention micro organisms from pond water. Is it possible to preserve these organisms outside of diatoms?
I've wondered that, too. Is there a mounting chemical that will set and -freeze- immobilize them without destroying the delicate structures?
Possible but difficult. They can be mounted in Glycrine Jelly, which turns semi-solid. It is a water-based mounting medium and therefore suitable for water organisms. The cover glass must be sealed off to prevent complete drying of the medium.
Brilliant! Thank you!
Because the new gel super glue is so thick do you think it would be a good seal for a cover glass on a dry mount I have not tried it yet but it dries fast and should not migrate under the slide.
What a great idea to use the cellophane tape to make a dry slide. I'm going outside to make some right now! Also, can you see dust mites under a microscope? And how would you obtain a sample and make a slide of them? Thx!
homeairguides.com/how-air-purifiers/dust/how-to-know-if-you-have-dust-mites-can-you-see-dust-mites/
You need to put some dust under the microscope and then hope that you find some (or hope that you don't find any....). They eat skin and so the dust should be from a place where there are humans (bed).
Thank you for this great video! Very helpful! I've been looking for a good source for Glycerol Gelatin (Jelly). Do you have a suggested/preferred source? I'm also in Germany so perhaps you know of a vendor here? Thank you!
Thank u teacher
Dankegon, Oliver! Mi havas amikon kiu, kiel mi, ankaŭ interesiĝas pri mikroskopado. Nun mi scias kion doni al li je lia naskiĝtago: boteleton da ungolako!
Vizitu mian vendejon ĉe www.amazon.com/shop/microbehunter
Tie vi povas aĉeti ne nur mikroskopojn sed ankaŭ diversajn aliajn aferojn.
Hi Oliver. Wonderful instruction! My question is on using glycerin in a 1.5 inch/38mm wide, 0.75 inch/19mm tall clear plastic round petri-type container with clear cover for preserving a fatter/ thicker insect or spider.... I just did this over the weekend, without considering if/when the glycerin will harden. Right now, it works well for viewing under my 7x-45x Amscope stereo microscope, but it is not hard (yet). Is pure glycerin a suitable substance for dry-mounting a thick insect? If not, what is your recommendation?
Pure glycerine can be used for mounting but it will not harden. I have heard that it has been used for some specimens but becasue it does not turn solid, the slide must be stored horizontally (otherwise the specimen sinks). For this reason, one used Glycerine Jelly. This contains gelatin and it will turn semi-solid. Pure glycerine will cause some specimens to shrink as it pulls out water.
www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/articles/ellstip.html
www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artaug03/wdpart4.html
Generally if the insect is thick, then one should place it into alcohol for a few days to preserve it and to remove water. As thick specimens do not allow light to pass, anyway, one will not be able to see much. For preserving large insects, I would simply make an insect collection (with pin) and then look at them under the stereo microscope.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy Thank you! I'll seek out glycerin jelly locally for my purposes.
Hi! Thank you for the information. I just want to ask, if I can use clear nail polish as mounting medium. I want to create whole mount microscope slides for my project in school. Is it possible to use Nail polish as mounting medium to mount specimen such as ticks, flies, and maggots?
Yes, but with reservations: It has been done before and I know someone who used it even in research. There are some problems and one of them is that it tends to shrink much when drying. Allow some of the solvent to evaporate before use to make it more viscous. The specimen should also not contain any water at all, so you have to put the specimen first into acetone. Maggots are not suitable as they are too large, you have to completely dehydrate them and then slice it into thin section. But small water-free specimens should work.
Hello, Microbehunter. I'm not having much success with slides at all. Simple things like dandelion seeds and sand, yeah, but I'm trying to permanently mount Siberian Ginseng powder and ground Cinnamon with no success at all. When dry mounting with a coverglass, the powder is so fine it seems to statically attach itself to the underside of the coverglass and completely spoils the view. Without any coverglass, both Siberian Ginseng and Ground Cinnamon look really awesome under the microscope at 20x, 30x and 40x, but best, in my opinion, at 30x. Although they look like very fine powder to the naked eye, magnified 20, 30, 40 x, they are very fibrous. These microscopic views have renewed my interest in both these substances and I would like to make a permanent specimen of them, but how? The specimen even in a concave slide is poor quality because of the coverglass. I was thinking about sprinkling some on a thin surface of wood glue like I did with the sand, but I suspect because of the organic nature of the Ginseng and Cinnamon they would perish. Help. Is there a permanent resin I could use instead, bearing in mind I wouldn't be viewing under a high power magnification - 100x at most. I wonder if purified pine resin would make a good preservative and good for mounting specemins in.
The coverglass issue surprises me becasue at low magnification (ie low numerical aperture) cover glass thickness should not play much of a role. What is the problem exactly? If the powder sticks to the cover glass then this is actually also OK, because it is still in one flat plane. How does the cover glass impair the image? To find the best mounting medium: add powder to water (wet mount) and then see if the water washes out any pigments. If so, then water-based mounting media are not so suitable (eg glycerine gelatin). Then try in solvent like alcohol. Check if shape changes due to dehydration (unlikely in dry powder) and/or if the alcohol dissolves pigments. If this is the case then mounting media containing an organic solvent might not be ideal.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopyHello. Thanks. Yeah, the powder of both the Cinnamon and S. Ginseng varies in coarseness, and it seems to be the finest grains of the powder which is adhering to the underside of the coverglass, preventing me from seeing the heavier fibrous stuff below it, which are the most interesting bits.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy I did as you suggested. the pigment doesn't change in the S. Ginseng in either alcohol or water. I haven't tried the Cinnamon yet. The wet mounts break up the density of the powder and allow me to see the cells of individual fibres at higher magnifications., which is good, but my own preference is to see the dry powder, for me it is more interesting. I'll try some other methods with a thin film of different types of glues to see how that goes. Thanks for your help.
@@MicrobehunterMicroscopy The best result I got was by using a thin film of wood glue on the slide and sprinkling some S. Ginseng over it many of the microscopic crystal-like fibres stood up and many lay flat. I'm going to leave one slide like that an see how time effect it.
I did another one the same sprinkling over the wood glue and let it dry, but this time I added a drop of mountant over the top then placed a coverglass over it. This flattened the crystals but worked quite well, though I keep getting too many bubbles, which spoil it in a way. It is fun trying all these techniques, though.
Prost.
I like your accent
Sticky tape hardens in 10 years or so. It is not good for permanent slides.