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Microscope Slides


pwr

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Does anyone have any experience of using microscope glass slides as a basis for windows. I have some but I can't find a way to cut the glass. A normal glass cutter won't work, it's not accurate enough and the glass seems to tough.

 

Any ideas please

 

Paul R

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Place the slip cover on a hard surface rather than a cutting mat. Cover the section you want to remain intact with a steel rule and scribe/cut with a narrow blade and you should get above a 50:50 hit rate.

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And for safety and shrapnel containment put a piece of thin plastic bag (as you get at supermarket provision counters) over the work so that if it does shatter the mess is contained. If it does vacuum up immediately (not brush) as glass shards can be painful. And vacuum your work area after you've finished. (I have a little rechargeable jobbie for this purpose)

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The windows below were cut from those 2"x2" glass slithers sold for mounting transparencies/slides. This was in the 70's, and I'm certain I managed to use an ordinary glass cutter. May have backed the glass with draughting tape or something like that... but all I know is my 'tools' were always the most basic! They're in an unfinished 7mm 'lineside hut... and the stone is the real thing.

 

post-11262-0-32358100-1389526901_thumb.jpg

 

post-11262-0-34857600-1389526912_thumb.jpg

 

 

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Didn't want to hog the topic!.. but just to say...

 

It was a one-off, Andy, and I never got round to adding a roof, although I'd made most of the slates... natural ones, of course!  Swapped the thing (along with other O gauge stuff) for an N gauge Peco Jubilee and a pile of wagons... which have subsequently been exchanged for OO stuff! 

 

The 'hut' came back to me recently as the guy who had it never got round to making a roof. It really needs 'another' home to go to!!

 

The stone I mentioned was collected from a 'limestone-chippings' path alongside the River Dart below Totnes. I'd take a walk lunchtime and fortunately there were never very many people about.  I can always remember being over the moon when I found a nice right-angled piece for the corners and window/door openings! Stuck together using polyfilla. Absolute Nutter!!!

 

Here's 'the whole thing'

 

post-11262-0-26062400-1389529752_thumb.jpg

 

post-11262-0-52379400-1389529740_thumb.jpg

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Several threads on "Building O gauge online" about using microscope slides glass.

 

I'm a little unsure about coverslips....when I used them in teaching, they were only about 20mm square and about 0.3mm thick, if that. I'm unsure if they would cut, and in use would break when cleaned.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-New-Microscope-Slides-1x3-100-Coverslips-20x20mm-/230297179143?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item359ec81407

 

 

The above refers to slides seen at top, and cover slips, seen in the little box beneath.

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An article in the latest MRJ on this subject.

A contribution which I was able to make - in a nut-shell, cover slips normally being so very thin, break far too easily, both in fitting and in service - but if you laminate two layers together, the thickness is still very slight, but its strength and resilience increases enormously, making it entirely viable.

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  • RMweb Gold

Several threads on "Building O gauge online" about using microscope slides glass.

 

I'm a little unsure about coverslips....when I used them in teaching, they were only about 20mm square and about 0.3mm thick, if that. I'm unsure if they would cut, and in use would break when cleaned.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-New-Microscope-Slides-1x3-100-Coverslips-20x20mm-/230297179143?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item359ec81407

 

 

The above refers to slides seen at top, and cover slips, seen in the little box beneath.

My department uses zillions!

 

Still available in all sorts of sizes and thicknesses

 

See http://www.richardsonsofleicester.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=coverslips&x=0&y=0 for stock sizes

 

Phil

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...a U.S. modelling buddy was using these 

 

http://www.tedpella.com/tools_html/54410.htm

 

when I was last over there...he swears by them for marking cover slips ready for shaping and has mailed some samples to me...I'll post again once I've had the chance to experiment. 

 

Dave

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  • RMweb Gold

How would one laminate cover slips, but keep them transparent?

 

And would you laminate before cutting, or cut, then laminate?

 

Use DPX - is styrene dissolved in xylene with plasticiser added

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-two-DPX-MOUNTANT-100ml-Microscope-slide-mountant-xylene-bargain-sale-/111188851382

 

 

Phil

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How would one laminate cover slips, but keep them transparent?

 

And would you laminate before cutting, or cut, then laminate?

I use super-glue - preferably the type intended for glass.

 

The trick is to cut one piece to the correct size and shape, then glue it to a larger un-cut piece. Once dry, cut round the original, giving you your laminated piece the correct size. You'd be surprised how very much stronger it has become, while remaining very thin. If you have any excess glue on the surface, you can scrape it off with a blade.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am pleased to report that having obtained the scriber mentioned in the posts above, cutting the slips turns out to be very painless with a clean break obtained. thanks for the advice given.

 

The problem I am now having is that having glued the plastikard frames to the glass with butanone (plasic weld), after a couple of days the window bars separate from the glass. Those attached at the side are ok because they also adhere to the supporting frames but the glazing bars are proving problematic. Can anyone recommend a better glue?

 

Paul R

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