Workshop on preparing crystal slides

Saturday 10th November 2018

Chris Thomas recorded Dennis Fullwood giving his introductory talk to the meeting in the Natural History Museum.  It is a popular subject, and lots of examples can be found in the Facebook Amateur Microscopy group.

Thanks to Joan Bingley for these photographs of participants and equipment:

Dennis Fullwood, Lewis Woolnough and Chris ThomasDennis Fullwood (left), Lewis Woolnough and Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas and Maurice Moss with a young visitorChris Thomas and Maurice Moss with a young visitor

Irma IrsaraIrma Irsara

James RiderJames Rider

The chemicals that Dennis provided included alum, ammonium chloride, L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), caffeine, citric acid, copper sulfate, magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), menthol, quinine disulfate, sodium thiosulfate, stearic acid, tartaric acid and urea.

Materials provided for the workshopMaterials provided for the workshop

Slides on a hotplateSlides on a hotplate

David Linstead used his Canon EOS M3 camera with afocal coupling to take photographs of the slides.

David Linstead with a Lomo polarising microscopeDavid Linstead with a Lomo polarising microscope

David Linstead with a Swift polarising microscopeDavid Linstead with a Swift polarising microscope

Thank to David Linstead for these photographs of slides prepared during the workshop. They were all taken with a polariser and analyser, and some with the addition of a retarder.

Copper sulfateCopper sulfate

Copper sulfateCopper sulfate

Copper sulfateCopper sulfate

Copper sulfate (with retarder)Copper sulfate (with retarder)

Menthol (with retarder)Menthol (with retarder)

Stearic acidStearic acid

Stearic acid (with retarder)Stearic acid (with retarder)

Stearic acid (with retarder)Stearic acid (with retarder)

Stearic acid (with retarder)Stearic acid (with retarder)

UreaUrea

UreaUrea

Urea (with retarder)Urea (with retarder)

Urea (with retarder)Urea (with retarder)

Urea (with retarder)Urea (with retarder)

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