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Pins, Bases, and Pucks
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
- SER-CAT supports ALS-style bases; these have NO shoulder, as shown in the diagram above.
- ALS-style bases can be purchased from Hampton Research (HR4-779).
- A CAD-diagram, as supplied by Hampton Research and listing all dimensions of the ALS-style base, is also available.
- Micro-tubes should be glued FIRMLY into the base with epoxy blue; inadequate adhesion can lead to many varieties of grief - do not skimp on glue!
- Use a micro-tube of 18.0 mm length and make sure it is inserted all the way to the botttom of the cavity drilled into the ALS-base; doing this means that approximately 11.9 mm of micro-tube will extend above the top surface of the ALS-base, or that the top of the pin will be approximately 18.0 mm above the "ledge" of the base (CAD-diagram, from Hampton Research, lists precise dimensions).
- Loops - of any material - can act like a sail in the wind, if large enough to be caught and twisted about by the cryo-cooler's stream of 100K gas. Keep the neck of your loop SHORT AND STURDY, reinforcing with epoxy glue if necessary. When freezing crystals, it is generally advisable to match the loop size approximately to your crystal size.
- SPINE pins may also be used; a SPINE pin CAD-diagram is available.
SUGGESTED VENDORS:
- A CAD-diagram, as supplied by Hampton Research and listing all dimensions of the ALS-style base, is available.
- ALS-style bases can be purchased from:
- Loops for freezing crystals can be purchased from:
- Pucks for holding and shipping frozen crystals can be purchased from:
- Several of these vendors have web-page sections devoted specifically to CryoCrystallography (supplies, tools, dewars, shipping containers, and useful information such as suggestions for cleaning your loops):
