Homemade Well Slides

Homemade Well Slides

After playing around with the well slides from the Tasco well slide kit, I began to wonder if I could create my own.

I tried model clay, making a thin loop, placing it on a regular microscope slide and then laying the cover slip on it. This does work and works well. And is very inexpensive.

Nylon Washer

As can be seen in the pictures above I tried metal washers and nylon washers. For the nylon washer I used clear nail polish to glue it to the slide. These also work. These well slides are good for making hanging drop slides.

Now I have 3d printed my wells and I was able to print different shapes and sizes. Then mounting them again with clear nail polish. With this I found them to be water proof. This allows me to create many different environments to experiment with. For example adding wires to see how electricity affects the environment. Creating mazes to see if micro-organisms will follow them to food sources or retreat from certain chemicals, etc. These can be seen in the photos below.

Well Mounted on Slide With Clear Nail Polish

Different Shape and Sizes

Maze Slides and Electrified Slide

As you can see by creating your own wells you can do many different experiments.

Dark-field Microscopy

Dark-field microscopy is when the light from under the specimen is partially blocked. The light does not pass directly through the sample being studied. Instead light is reflected off the specimen, making it appear to be emitting light. Dark-field image may first appear to be a negative of a bright-field image. It works well with live organisms.

 

A simple method is to use a dime placed in the middle of your microscope filter just below the microscope condenser. I recommend putting the dime or dime sized stop(made of thin cardboard coloured black) on a clear piece of plastic to protect the filter from being scratched. If the clear plastic is rigid enough you can replace it for the filter all together. Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1

 

Figure 2

 

Since I have access to a 3D printer I decided to 3d print them. As can be seen in figure 3, I 3D printed my stops to fit in place of my filter on the microscope. I printed 2 different size stoppers 8 mm and 15 mm.

Figure 3

 

In figure 4 this is a regular image, in figure 5 I use the 8 mm stop. You can see the difference between the 2. The 8 mm stop shows more detail than without any stop. With the 15 mm stop it darkens the field way to much. Figure 6.

Figure 4

 

Figure 5

Figure 6

A very simple and inexpensive addition to many microscopes.

Shaker

Shaker

Image 1

 

 

Visiting another second hand store I found this shaker. I have been thinking of making my own for quite sometime and I will still try to make my own at a later date. As can be seen (Image 1) it needed a lot of cleaning outside and in. It worked as is but seemed to struggle to get started. After taking it apart I saw it was full of grime and dirt. Once I cleaned that up it works really  well.

 

 

Image 2

 

Image 3

The platform holds 15 ml conical tubes. The platform comes off very easily so I am going to build different platforms to hold different types of tubes, flasks, beakers and jars. But in the mean time I 3D printed these holders (Image2) for 50 ml conical tubes, 250 ml flasks and 500 ml mason jars. I also printed a yellow tab (Image 3) that fits in the platforms holes to hold these holders in place(Image 4). This is until I can build new platforms to hold each item. I also want to build petri dish holders for it to.

 

Image 4

 

Again a second hand find turns out real well. You do have to visit many different second hand stores to find something you might need or can use. Many times I do not find anything that I can use, but I see things that gives me ideas of what I might be able to build or use.

Spectrometer Version 3 Continued

Figure 1

I have been continuing the build for version 3 which holds the sample inside the container. In figure 1 you see the 3D printed sample holder, here I have a test tube but it does hold cuvettes as well. Next to the holder on the right you can see an LED. This one is a bright white LED. I intend to use a RGB LED so I can choice different colours or wavelengths. It will also be removable so I can use IR and UV LEDs.

Figure 2

Figure 3

In figure 2, I use a 3D printed slit holder and then mount 2 single edge razor blades which are adjustable. With the other 3D printed parts I hold the slit mechanism in place within the spectrometer. This allows for removal of the slit so it can be adjusted. In Figure 3 you can see the unit put together.

Figure 4

And in figure 4 you see allthe components put together with the sample and slit holder, LED source, diffraction grading and web cam all in one box.

This is all put together in a wooden box I found at a dollar store. I still intend to make this smaller so I can easily carry with me. I do have access to a 3D printer so it was easier for me to print the parts I needed. But all the parts could be very easily cut from foamboard.

Spectrometer Version 2 and 3

I have continued working on my spectrometer. I focused on 2 types, one that places the sample on the outside the spectrometer between the light source and the slit. The other where the sample is placed within the housing in a sample holder.

Version 2 Image 1

Here in the first version (image 1) you can see the camera and the diffraction grating are mounted on the right side at a 30 degree angle. Both camera mount and grading are 3D printed but can easily be made by using metal or plastic 'L' brackets.

Image 2

In this image (image 2) you can see how I mount 2 single sided razors to create my slit for the light to go through to the diffraction grating and then to camera. The razors have a very sharp edge and I am able to make very fine slits for the light to pass through. There is a small notch in the razors that the screws go through that allows for adjustment of the blades to increase and decrease the width of the slit.

Image 3 Version 3

In this 3rd image I am still working on this spectrometer. There is a camera holder with a 30 degree angle positioning, next going to the right is going to be a grading holder (the hole has been drilled to hold it in place). From there we go to the slit and then the sample holder. All these I have 3D printed. On the right side of the box you can see the hole drilled out to mount my LED light. I intend to use different light sources that have - white LED, RGB LED for different colours, UV LED, IR LED and different lasers, red and green for now.

Both cases are painted black on the inside. All 3D printed parts were printed in black PLA. I am using the Theremino spectrometer software.

I am also looking at building a nano-drop spectrometer more on that later.

Spectrometer

fig. 1 Public Lab Spectrometer 3.0

fig. 2 Inside of Public Lab Spectrometer

fig. 3 Spectrometer I am Putting Together

Spectrometer

I am trying to build a spectrometer. The first figure you see of the spectrometer that was purchased from Public Lab by friend that he has let me use. It works well uses a DVD for a diffraction grading. The biggest concern with this product is the camera inside is always coming loose (fig 2) and there is no place to put the sample that you are testing. Need to make a sample holder.

https://publiclab.org/wiki/desktop-spectrometry-kit-3-0

In the third figure (fig 3) you see I am using many of the holders from my optical bench except I picked up a magnetic white board to hold these holders. It is larger and being white I can see measurements on the red ruler much easier.

I 3D printed a slit and a sample(cuvette) holder and used my own diffraction grading that I purchased from Amazon. For the camera I am trying a PS3 camera that I found for $3. For the software I am using Theremino spectrometer. There website has plenty of information about spectrometers.

https://www.theremino.com/wp-content/uploads/files/Theremino_Spectrometer_Construction_ENG.pdf
 
I will be continuing the spectrometer build using different web cams and enclosures. I will keep posting as I build it.

A Simple Optical Bench

A Simple Optical Bench

All the parts for holding lens and filters

Testing the different parts

With a metal cookie tin, first surface mirror, clear CD holder(beam splitter), laser pointer or other light source (LED), magnetic tape strips and 3D printed holders I am able to put together a very simple optical bench.

The first surface mirror which I found at a surplus store is made into smaller pieces. If you can't find a first surface mirror an old hard drive plater will work fine. A first surface mirror has mirroring on the front glass surface and not on the back side of the glass such as most mirrors.

I am lucking that I have access to a 3D printer. It is one of the best tools for making things you want to build with out having a metal or wood working shop.

I 3D printed holders for defraction grading film, polarized film, laser pointer or LED light source, light slit, mirrors, beam splitter, camera, etc. I use magnetic tape strips and mount them on the bottom of the holders so they hold on to the flat metal surface of the cookie tin. I super glue the magnetic strips to the 3D printed object. I am finding the tape strip is not holding very well to the plastic.

If you don't have access to a 3D printer you can use metal "L" brackets or Lego parts or even plastic that has 90 degree angles to make your holders. Even flat plastic can be bent using a hair dryer to shape the holders.

I built this because I am going to try and make a spectrometer. I will talk about this later.

3D Printing

Electrophoresis Chamber

Dremelfuge

Vessel Holders

3D Printing

3D printing is becoming more accessible to the average person. Maker spaces usually have one or two that would allow you to use. 3D printing is another good way to make lab equipment, here are a few items I have printed:

                   

In the top picture you will see a electrophoresis chamber made from a soap dish and 3D printed gel chamber and comb. I could have printed the whole chamber but I used a soap dish that I already had to save on plastic.

In the next picture I printed the dremelfuge which I have talked about in an earlier post. I printed both with chuck and with-out. So far I only used it with a drill. I still do not feel safe using it with a Dremel without enclosing it in some sort of housing to protect myself.

The last picture shows vessel holders for beakers, flasks and jars that I will attach to a shaker machine. I will talk about this in a later post.

You can find these items at :

http://www.thingiverse.com/

There are many other sites you can get 3D objects from.