Date sent:      	Wed, 26 Apr 2000 09:32:28 -0500
From:           	"Kelly Pruitt" <kpruitt@cvm.tamu.edu>
Subject:        	*#@!sticking base molds  HELP!
To:             	<histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>

> 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.  
Kelly,
 Sounds as though you are spending a lot of time cleaning your 
molds and this may be your problem. The metal does tend to 
"tarnish" after a lot of treatment/washes and allows the wax to bind 
to the non polished surface and as you say, the smaller molds are 
the worst. Unfortunately many of the embedding centres that store 
the molds are not hot enough to remove residual wax and 
sufficiently "clean" them. When "we" have finished the embedding 
the molds are placed on a paper towel in a melamine tray and into 
the 60oC oven to remove the wax then back into the embedder at 
the end of the day.
Is your cold plate cold enough! If you are in a hurry then transfer 
the heat from the block (on the cold tray) by placing a "cold block" 
on top of the cooling block/mould.