Jason,

Buy some disposable plastic molds (Tissue Tek cryomolds) and some tissue
cassettes. Melt paraffin at correct melting temperature of paraffin you
prefer to use,  pour into mold, add cassette and remove mold (disposable
are very easy to remove).  To harden the paraffin, sit the mold/cassette on
a block of ice. Cheap and easy.   Fisher has these as does VWR, they are
NOT expensive and you can get them in various sizes for your needs. 

 At 07:35 AM 1/23/2004 -0800, you wrote:
>does anyone have any advice on making a perfect 'blank' paraffin block in 
>the lab (not a pathology lab). This block will be the recipient for a tissue 
>array. How do you avoid internal cracks and how do you get the block out of 
>the mold? also how do you make sure it is strongly attached to the 
>cassette?... any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>thanks
>J.
>
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Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology 
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367 (lab with voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)



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