Dear Cheryl,
the brass pieces you refer to have been around I suspect a lot longer than
any of us and are known as Leukardt or Leukert frames. My mentor had a set
(all of various sizes etc) and he used them on a sheet of plate glass, these
he explained he last used circa 1956 while at the time of demonstration
(1970) he was still using his Cambrige Rocker along with bunsen burner,
spatula and celloidising sections all the while smoking a pipe overfilled
with spilling ash. Old Robby served his assistants apprenticeship under
Prof. Carleton in the late 1920's and thirties(Author of Carleton's
Histological Technique). In those days a heavy load was 20-30 blocks a day ,
all processing being manual.
If you intend using the "L" shaped pieces, you will need to have the bunsen
to periodically flame the top to prevent setting while handling multiple
pieces, as I seem to remember he often blocked out multiple cases in the
same plate of paraffin, which was later scored and cut with a small hand
saw, then trimmed up with an old heiffor knife or barbers cut-throat razor
ready for mounting on block holders.
I'm sure you can do without the pipe and beware of risks of explosion.
regards Mike Rentsch
-----Original Message-----
From: Cheryl Crowder <crowder@vt8200.vetmed.lsu.edu>
To: HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu <HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Date: Saturday, 3 October 1998 1:48
Subject: Large embedding molds - reply


>Thanks to all of you who responded to my "memory failure" about large
>embedding molds.  I will call Zeiss and see what I can get. We embed whole
>cow eyes (and other species), making our own molds, and just thought there
>may be a more effiencient way to do it.
> TO DON HAMMAR:  I have embedding L's and use them- but they are brass, not
>lead.  You're older than I am or maybe your supplies in drawers have just
>been around longer.
>
> Have agood weekend everyone - Cheryl
>
>