Have done work on miniature and regular pigs (as opposed to irregular pigs)
generally with the jaws and teeth.
If you are looking at routine H and Es on paraffin, the determining factor
is not the surface area of the specvimen but rather the thickness. 1 cm is
usually quoted as the maximum but 0.5 cms is better and preferred. Several
ways to achieve this.

Please let us know what you want to end up with as this will usually
determine the smallest size that will be acceptable to you. Are you
intertested in the cortical bone, lamina dura etc.
Do you need to have an overall view of tissue.
Are you interested in frozen, paraffin sections, methacrylate etc.
Is time a constraint?
Do you wish to look at routine histology, IHC etc.
The sizes you are talking about are large, do you have appropriate
microtome and knives to cut these?
If it is easier for you please give me a call.
Barry

At 04:26 PM 6/3/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Dear Netters,
>
>I have read the comments on standing up to section and it started me to
>wondering about the size of specimens most of you work with. Mine need so
>much messin' about with that standing up seems impractical.
>
>I am a research tech working on pig parts, jaw joints, etc. that can run
>from 2.5 cm x 2.0 cm 
>to 4.5 cm x 4.0 cm.  They can be .3 cm to .8 cm thick.
>It would help me to understand the advice and information being given if
>I could put it into a proper context.
>
>Would you(s) let me know what the usual specimen sizes are that you deal
>with and if the sizes I am working on are unique?  Perhaps it will
>help me to ask better questions if I put my work into a better context
>too.
>
>Thanks for your time.
>
>Trisha 
>Orthodontics Research Lab
>U of Washington, Seattle
>
>
>