I bet this is the basis of the Tissue Tek mold release, cheap and easy!!
Glad you brought this back to us, into my file!!


>
>What my lab has used in the past is a solution of 50ml of glycerin (from the
>drugstore) in 1L of 95% ethanol.  Pour about 250ml (or enough to submerge
>10-15 molds) in a dish and keep your working molds in it as you embed.  No
>need to heat molds (in fact, dangerous because of the ethanol).  Drain each
>mold well before using, place on the hot spot of your embedding center and
>allow the ethanol to evaporate, add paraffin and embed.  The block face will
>never be as smooth as using uncoated molds, and you have to be careful that
>your tissue doesn't project into a 'bubble' of glycerin on the bottom of the
>mold.  You can reuse this solution after filtering until it gets thick (as
>the ethanol evaporates).  Our blocks always popped within minutes, often
>even before the paraffin in the cassette top was solid.
>
>I was taught to embed using this dip, but I have ceased using this method,
>as have all 3 other techs here. The block faces can be horrid if you go too
>fast, and it is difficult to get good quality multiple-tissue blocks (which
>we do a lot of).
>
>Anyway, Hope this helps.
>
>Regards -
>Carol
>*****************
>Carol B. McCollough, HT(ASCP)
>Diagnostics & Histology Laboratory Manager
>Maryland Department of Natural Resources
>Fisheries Service
>Cooperative Oxford Laboratory
>904 S. Morris Street
>Oxford, MD 21654
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kelly Pruitt [mailto:kpruitt@cvm.tamu.edu]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 10:32 AM
>To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
>Subject: *#@!sticking base molds HELP!
>
>
>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
>
>
>
>
Gayle Callis
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-4705
406 994-4303