Dear Abbe,
We recently purchased a mini-SEM and are having trouble finding the parts for it. Do you have any idea where to find them?
Searching in Saskatchewan
Dear Searching,
Göttlich objektiv gewebe! Mini SEMs? No wonder you are having trouble finding parts for it! I have trouble just seeing the letters on the page in my advanced age, much less looking for missing parts from a mini electron microscope. That's why I have an attractive personal assistant whom I trust explicitly. With all the advances in miniaturization, I had a bad feeling that it would someday influence microscopy. First all the samples started getting smaller and now the instrument! What's next? Micro TEMs? Nano-confocal laser microscopes? Table-top Hadron colliders? Soon we'll be developing imaging equipment to look at our microscopes! Where does it all end? Where is my nightcap?
Dear Abbe,
What tricks/tools do people suggest for unscrewing objectives from the turret when you cannot loosen them by hand?
Dave from Connecticut
Dear Dave,
Many people have ideas for removing stuck objectives from the turret. Some may suggest a rubber strap, others may say wearing finger cots helps, and a few may be so bold as to resort to a hammer and channel lock pliers. However, I use a much more satisfying method. After extensive conversations and a few Fliegender Hirsches with my good friend Al Nobel, I was able to convince him to share some experimental formulae. He was working on various types of explosive chemical combinations beyond basic dynamite. Many were precursors to C4, for example, but were never fully developed. We came up with a method of small plastic charges placed at intervals that, once set off, would create a torque in one direction thereby shearing off the offending lens. So very satisfying! Of course, Semtex is a bit more reliable than C4 in my experience. The only downside I can think of is having to remember to wash your hands thoroughly before air travel.
Have a problem in your lab? Let Herr Abbe have a crack at it. Write to Abbe in care of his faithful assistant who can be reached at jpshield@uga.edu.
