Dear Kay,

Thanks very much for the information. The carrot method sounds
wonderfully simple but I am sure that the elderberry pith is not
available here. But still, perhaps there are other piths which are - so
that's also useful. The nut & bolt microtome sounds brilliant and I
would love to receive more details. The inventor shall be duly
acknowledged! It is also good to be reminded of what the world of
Botany has to offer. Could you perhaps recommend suppliers of teaching
aids such as microscope preparations of plant fibres?

with thanks and best wishes,

Jennifer Barnett
historical textiles research & consultation
Oude Looiersstraat 65-67
1016 VH Amsterdam
Netherlands
tel/fax ** 31 (0)20 427 18 27
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On Jan 21, 2004, at 9:42 PM, Kay Lancaster wrote:

> On Wed, 21 Jan 2004, Jennifer Barnett wrote:
>
>> I am looking for inexpensive equipment for making cross sections, in
>
> What sort of things are you sectioning?  Have you ever done freehand
> sections?
>
> If the material can be freehand sectioned, it's pretty easy to support
> it with elderberry pith or carrot so you can get nicely thin slices.
>
> Also, a friend, a plant anatomist, developed a pretty good hand
> microtome for biological specimens, made mostly of a large nut and bolt
> with fine threads.  If this is useful, I'll see if I can get him to
> write it up.
>
> Kay Lancaster  [log in to unmask]
> (stray botanist)
>
>