Smellyhobbit said:

stagger said:

kind of the same thing here too Smellyhobbit.
Essentials : PC, SAB, 2 exactly knives, extra blades, mini rounds, quart wide mouths, shoeboxes, monos, swabs, thermometer, vacuum seal, media bottles , maybe 1 or 2 other small things. 

Have had the material to build a hood but haven't gotten to that yet. 

Would like to find something new to make cleaner transfers, currently it's the 2nd exacto knife and its a really a horrible practice. 

Quick question, how often do you all change your blades ?

---

Given the low price of 100 sterile single use scalpel blades, I change them every time I use them. Sometimes if I’m doing different kinds of blade work, like taking tissue samples from a fruit and then doing agar transfers, I’ll swap the blades out between tasks.

---

Myc Hunt said:

stagger said:

Quick question, how often do you all change your blades ?

---

Pretty much when it’s too dull to cut the agar accurately. Few months for me.

---

stagger said:

Myc Hunt, a few months is impressive.  There is not mich warping or damage from the flame sterilization ?

---

Nichrome said:

If it turns red it's sterile. If it will boil agar it's sterile. Thicker steel you don't even need to get red. steel shouldn't be porous enough to need to get all the way hot in the middle.

---

stagger said:

damn, I can definitely cut back some too.  There's gunna be a lot to work through there

---

Smellyhobbit said:

Bro id rather over flame my blade any day. I’m paranoid about cutting into my agar when it’s too hot.

---

Yeah, I agree.. better safe than sorry.. I like knowing for a fact my blade is clean. since you're using a SAB, just use a cooling plate..

Working in front of a hood makes it a lot easier.. I just flame 3 blades and set them on a jar to cool while I unwrap the plates I'm transferring from/to and then start with the first blade I flamed, it gives it more than enough time to cool.

Smellyhobbit said:

Bro id rather over flame my blade any day. I’m paranoid about cutting into my agar when it’s too hot.

---

Nichrome said:

Test plates, combined with critter brain reset, should result in a no fear /no anxiety scenario. Takes a few times to develop a comfort zone.

---

Rotnpins said:

Smellyhobbit said:

Bro id rather over flame my blade any day. I’m paranoid about cutting into my agar when it’s too hot.

---

Yeah, I agree.. better safe than sorry.. I like knowing for a fact my blade is clean. since you're using a SAB, just use a cooling plate..

Working in front of a hood makes it a lot easier.. I just flame 3 blades and set them on a jar to cool while I unwrap the plates I'm transferring from/to and then start with the first blade I flamed, it gives it more than enough time to cool.

---

Myc Hunt said:

Rotnpins said:

Yeah, I agree.. better safe than sorry.. I like knowing for a fact my blade is clean. since you're using a SAB, just use a cooling plate..

Working in front of a hood makes it a lot easier.. I just flame 3 blades and set them on a jar to cool while I unwrap the plates I'm transferring from/to and then start with the first blade I flamed, it gives it more than enough time to cool.

---

That’s a sweet work surface, where’d you get it? Currently in the market for something similar.

---

If you do a search for "monitor stands" on Amazon, there are a bunch of options.

I'm pretty sure these are the ones I went with.. I got 4 of them (they come in sets of 2) and I took 2 of the legs off of the one on the end so it would fit on my table and give me a workspace across the whole length of my hood

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQMC2RB