Hi,
    Some of the treatments you are using may be part of the problem. Try keeping the molds in a paraffin bath at the same temp as the cassette's bath (or in the same bath). The other problem is probably that the blocks are cooling unevenly. Try orienting the pieces roughly in hot paraffin in the mold. When you have them about where you want them move the mold to the orientation platform to set
them on edge or flatten them down. If the paraffin cools too much at this point when the cassette and the rest of the paraffin are placed on top the new paraffin will not melt together with the piece in the mold. It will form two layers of cooling paraffin.
Amos Brooks

Kelly Pruitt wrote:

> Hi Histoland!  I need help.
>
> What can I do to keep my base molds from sticking to my blocks?  We clean them in xylene and then soap and water.  We air dry them.  We treat/spray them while they are clean with Histo Prep after they have air dried.  I give them a good coating when I use the Histo Prep.  The larger molds are usually good for one use.  On the biopsy molds, they stick every time.  It doesn't matter what I do.
>
> We have bought some of the plastic disposable molds, but they slow embedding down for me.
>
> Does anyone have a clue what the problem is?  Does anyone know what I can do?  Please help!
>
> Kelly S. Pruitt, HT (ASCP)
> Texas A&M University
> College of Veterinary Medicine
> Dept. of Veterinary Anatomy & Public Health
> Histology Laboratory
> College Station, Texas 77868-4458
> kpruitt@cvm.tamu.edu
> phone: 409-845-3177
> fax: 409-847-8981