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MountainManDan
Stranger



Registered: 01/21/16
Posts: 298
Last seen: 4 years, 7 months
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X-Acto Knife Life Hack 1
#23441753 - 07/14/16 07:17 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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For those of you who use an X-acto knife for agar work give this a try and let me know what you think.
I have been trying to improve my sterile technique and have been getting occasional contams during transfers.
These contams are of two types:
1) Not getting my blade completely red hot. When dropping the transfer on the new plate I will get contams as I drop/slice into the receiving dish.

2) The handle of the X-acto touches the agar. (clearly there are numerous satellite contams as well but note the streak perpendicular to where I cooled the blade)

Problem: 1) I have a hard time getting the entire blade red hot. 2) To get the complete blade red hot the handle will in turn become hot and after 10+ transfers it must be cooled. 3) The blade is too short so I occasionally bump the handle down onto the media

Solution: Pretty complicated.... Pull the blade out a bit.  1) It allows the entire blade to get red hot easier and quicker. 2) Much less heat is transferred into the handle. 3) The blade length is increased which decreases the amount of non-sterile tool over the agar.

I would consider this just a Life Hack but if anyone things it would be useful to be labeled as a Tek let me know.
Anyways give it a try and let me know!
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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.... Trying right now, brb.
God damn it. 
Well the heat transfer is... still sorta going on, might just be the handle being too close to the torch. Will have to play around with only heating the tip of the blade, but holding it a bit longer.
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MountainManDan
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Inocuole]
#23441801 - 07/14/16 07:35 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Heat transfer to the handle is inevitable. I just find if the blade is positioned like this I can get more transfers in before the handle is too hot to hold.
Not the dreaded face palm
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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That's not the dreaded facepalm( ), that's the "well fuck I'm an idiot" facepalm.
I never heat the whole blade like you have in the pic though. Pretty sure heating a good portion of the tip transfers enough heat to the rest.
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Munchauzen


Registered: 06/22/11
Posts: 14,342
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Inocuole]
#23441817 - 07/14/16 07:43 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Inocuole said: That's not the dreaded facepalm( ), that's the "well fuck I'm an idiot" facepalm.
I never heat the whole blade like you have in the pic though. Pretty sure heating a good portion of the tip transfers enough heat to the rest.
yeah I dont have very many contams on transfers and ive been heating the tip like this for over a year or so. i used to use dabbing tools but the xacto holds wedges the best.
i still think ill try this.
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fatboyjeff
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Registered: 02/11/16
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Inocuole]
#23441831 - 07/14/16 07:47 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Good idea, iv just taken a old needle and hammered it flat. It'll heat up real quick but it sucks picking up the agar and trying to get it off. I'll have to give this a go for the next transfers
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Munchauzen]
#23441842 - 07/14/16 07:50 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Munchauzen said:
Quote:
Inocuole said: That's not the dreaded facepalm( ), that's the "well fuck I'm an idiot" facepalm.
I never heat the whole blade like you have in the pic though. Pretty sure heating a good portion of the tip transfers enough heat to the rest.
yeah I dont have very many contams on transfers and ive been heating the tip like this for over a year or so. i used to use dabbing tools but the xacto holds wedges the best.
i still think ill try this.
Yeah OP I think the problem you were actually having is that you thought you had to get the whole blade red hot. Granted, this is still a cool idea and I will be doing it because less heat transfer and more reach are always good.
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MountainManDan
Stranger



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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Munchauzen]
#23441866 - 07/14/16 07:55 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Inocuole said: That's not the dreaded facepalm( ), that's the "well fuck I'm an idiot" facepalm.
Glad to hear.
Quote:
Inocuole said: I never heat the whole blade like you have in the pic though. Pretty sure heating a good portion of the tip transfers enough heat to the rest.
Interesting, I always assumed you wanted the entire blade red hot but your the undoubtedly vet here!
Quote:
Munchauzen said: yeah I dont have very many contams on transfers and I've been heating the tip like this for over a year or so.
If it works it works. Let me know after you give it a try tho
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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I just the get the tip hot and run the flame along the cutting edge of the blade a little bit and I don't ever see any contams I can attribute to my tools. This undoubtedly helps me do that even further from the base of the handle.
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MountainManDan
Stranger



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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Inocuole]
#23441891 - 07/14/16 08:02 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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That's good to hear. Thanks for setting me straight regarding how much of the blade needs to be red hot.
Ya for the extension of the blade alone and the minimal heat transfer decrease I think this can still be useful. (Although if only the tip needs to be red hot the handle won't be heating up as quickly relative to what I have been doing.)
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
Loc: ★
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Lots and lots of small relative changes are how this shit moves forward.
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MountainManDan
Stranger



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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Inocuole]
#23441915 - 07/14/16 08:09 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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No doubt man. Thanks again
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zathras
Weirdo loser



Registered: 12/23/15
Posts: 124
Last seen: 6 years, 4 months
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I really like this idea, but couldn't this problem also be solved by insulating the handle? Again really cool idea, I may end up implementing it myself.
Edited by zathras (07/14/16 08:44 PM)
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Munchauzen


Registered: 06/22/11
Posts: 14,342
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: zathras]
#23442040 - 07/14/16 08:48 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
zathras said: I really like this idea, but couldn't this problem also be solved by insulating the handle? Again really cool idea, I may end up implementing it myself.
they sell those. the xacto precision knife, aka X2000.
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Snazz
Polymath



Registered: 11/24/15
Posts: 1,584
Loc: Canada
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Munchauzen]
#23442090 - 07/14/16 09:06 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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Here I was thinking duct tape :p
Must be some Red Green in me
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MountainManDan
Stranger



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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Snazz]
#23442138 - 07/14/16 09:24 PM (7 years, 6 months ago) |
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I have been thinking of using duck tape as well.
Although I like this method for the blade extension aspect more than heat transfer aspect.
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CannabisCures
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Registered: 06/22/16
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Munchauzen]
#23513482 - 08/05/16 04:53 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Munchauzen said:
Quote:
zathras said: I really like this idea, but couldn't this problem also be solved by insulating the handle? Again really cool idea, I may end up implementing it myself.
they sell those. the xacto precision knife, aka X2000.
Reviews say that xacto x2000 isn't worth it.
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Munchauzen


Registered: 06/22/11
Posts: 14,342
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Were the reviewers using it for mycology work? Doubt it. For the purposes described in this thread, it's perfect.
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: Munchauzen]
#23513543 - 08/05/16 05:07 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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if you dip your metal tools like x-acto in 91% iso first (not too deep or it fills up the tip where the blade goes and burns like a candle) then flame off the iso as well as get the blade hot. it also cleans off agar goo that might be on there that just chars on and makes blades go to shit twice as quick
I use a baby food jar with just enough iso to get up to the top of the blade. use fresh stuff each time since you dirty it up
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: X-Acto Knife Life Hack [Re: bodhisatta]
#23513556 - 08/05/16 05:11 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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http://www.jove.com/video/3064/aseptic-laboratory-techniques-plating-methods
click the one for 6:38
since you can't flame glass rods red hot and cool them down without shattering them they dip them in 91% and then flame it off, Usually I would do this twice before spread plating micro samples just to be extra sure. use this same technique with the scalpel blade but also get it red hot
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