HIST - Floating Sections

Created by Karen Darley, Modified on Fri, 3 May at 2:13 PM by Kathleen Patrick

How to stop sections from floating off the grid

People have dragged a grid held with old tweezers quickly through a flame. The grid should discolour a little and that often does the trick, causing better adherence of sections to the grid.

Very effective is a cellotape solution: Take a meter or two of clear cellotape (20 or 25mm wide), knurl that up and place into a tight jar that is impervious to chloroform. Add ~20mL of chloroform, shake a little. Leave in fridge overnight. Shake again and run through a small filter paper into vial with a tight seal.


For use, dip a grid into that solution, touch to the inside of the vial to lose the excess and then place on filter paper. This should be done on the day those grids are going to be used.

The used solution will assume a bluish colouring from copper grids - does not matter. The cellotape glue is 'permanently' sticky and will help to keep the sections on the grids. Use chloroform in a fumehood.


Was this article helpful?

That’s Great!

Thank you for your feedback

Sorry! We couldn't be helpful

Thank you for your feedback

Let us know how can we improve this article!

Select at least one of the reasons

Feedback sent

We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article