Re: Immersion oil on high dry objective

From: Ouroboros Rex (c-bee1_at_uiuc.edu)
Date: 11/07/04 

Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2004 03:22:44 GMT

Kevin Cunningham wrote:
>
> Try www.edsci.com. This stuff is really not necessary, Windex, fake Windex,
> alchol and KimWipes work great.
>
> Kevin Cunningham

  At the research microscopy facility where I work, we use chloroform to
remove oil and Sparkle (a purple window cleaner in a "windex-like"
bottle with a yellow spray top) for routine cleaning.

  Our Zeiss rep prefers ether, but will recommend acetone for us
non-etherials. I'm told the key with all solvents is to use pure cotton
wooden-stick swabs dipped, then the stick is rapped against the table
about 6 times. This almost, but not quite, dries the cotton, which
prevents lens cement damage due to soaking.

  I did finally learn to always clean objectives under a stereo
microscope. For at home I have an old operating microscope on a tripod.

  For the users we set out a bottle of 1/2 sparkle, 1/2 distilled water.