Re: DIY phase contrast annulus

Posted by Leoncio Vergara-2 on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/DIY-phase-contrast-annulus-tp7584253p7584259.html

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Seems a lot of high salaried personnel spending time on a relatively cheap
microscope accessory ($80?)... just sayin ... don't want to ruin the fun

On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 5:54 AM, Guy Cox <[hidden email]> wrote:

> This all seems really over the top.  I made one simply by drawing it with
> Indian ink on optical glass.  I cleaned the pattern off an old one which
> didn't match any objective I had, and used a Rotring pen to draw the inner
> and outer circles with a compass, then inked in around them.  Of course it
> took care, but microscopists are surely used to delicate work.  Cost -
> zilch.  This was 35 years ago -  I still have it and anyone is  welcome to
> visit and try it.
>
>                                        Guy
>
> Guy Cox, Honorary Associate Professor
> School of Medical Sciences
>
> Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis,
> Madsen, F09, University of Sydney, NSW 2006
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
> On Behalf Of JOEL B. SHEFFIELD
> Sent: Tuesday, 29 September 2015 11:29 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: DIY phase contrast annulus
>
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>
> We have made Hoffman condensers using aluminum foil.  I see no reason that
> you couldn't do something similar, using the mask that you have generated,
> to carefully cut out the ring in a sheet of aluminum that is already tacked
> down to a piece of glass.
>
> Joel
>
>
>
> Joel B. Sheffield, Ph.D
> Department of Biology
> Temple University
> Philadelphia, PA 19122
> Voice: 215 204 8839
> e-mail: [hidden email]
> URL:  *http://tinyurl.com/khbouft <http://tinyurl.com/khbouft>*
>
> On Mon, Sep 28, 2015 at 8:56 PM, Rusty Nicovich <[hidden email]>
> wrote:
>
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> posting.
> > *****
> >
> > Ben,
> >
> > You could use chemical etching to reproduce your printed annulus on a
> > piece of copper or brass.  Electronics DIYers make PC boards by laser
> > printing a pattern onto glossy paper, using an iron to transfer the
> > toner to a piece of copper-clad PC board, and the ferric chloride to
> etch away the copper.
> > Same principle will work on brass.  Takes some trial and error and a
> > few nasty chemicals, but is a great way to get high-resolution parts
> > out of sheet metal.
> >
> > Another option is to have the annulus laser-cut.  Shouldn't cost more
> > than
> > $20 for something annulus-sized.  Usually you need to supply the
> > operator with an Adobe Illustrator or other vector drawing format but
> > you already have the drawing.  The cutter here is run by the
> > architecture design school and their cutter has a resolution of ~300
> > microns.  Should be able to get stainless steel or even powder-coated
> > aluminum cut without too much hassle.  This would be my preference
> > since it requires less OH&S work on my part.
> >
> > Rusty
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 9:53 AM, Smith, Benjamin E.
> > <[hidden email]
> > >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > *****
> > > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > > Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
> > posting.
> > > *****
> > >
> > > Hey Microscopists,
> > >     A lab here has a nice phase objective but no annulus, so I
> > > decided to see if I could make one for them.  I measured the phase
> > > plate diameter at the focal plane, and printed out an annulus that
> lined-up perfectly.
> > > However, too much light gets through the ink to be of much use, so I
> > > was wondering if anyone had experience with an easy way to make a
> > > fully
> > opaque
> > > annulus.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >    Ben Smith
> > >
> > > Benjamin E. Smith, Ph.D.
> > > Samuel Roberts Noble Microscopy Laboratory Research Scientist,
> > > Confocal Facility Manager University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019
> > > E-mail: [hidden email]
> > > Voice   405-325-4391
> > > FAX  405-325-7619
> > > http://www.microscopy.ou.edu/
> >
>