Thursday, July 18, 2013

Discover The World Of Rocks Through Thin Section Bearings

By Carmella Watts


Thin section bearings are the foundation of carrying out the study of petrographic properties. Without it, classification of minerals and rocks would have never been possible. The study dealing with the classification of rocks and minerals using this thin section is known to be as petrography. Petrographic or polarizing microscope is used in distinguishing the properties of minerals.

Thin sections are small cut of rocks glued with the use of epoxy to a glass slide. Generally, it measures an inch by two, but it depends on how big or how wide you want it to be. It will be ground to zero point zero three millimeters before it could be observed in the microscope. Creating a thin section is very costly, time consuming, and requires a great deal of patience. But if you love to take the challenge, read below the tips.

Slab saw, trim saw, grinder, cut off saw, are the main tools needed so they shall be prepared. Also, do not forget the glass slide, epoxy, and marker. But if you do not have any marker, a pencil can do. Before you read step one, make sure that you can handle the hard work and patience. Also, make sure that you do not have hand tremors. Those are the ingredients that will complete the dish.

Mark your rock using a pencil or marker. This will be your guide on which side you are going to cut a slab. After marking the stone, let the slab saw do the work for you. Super strength is not needed since all you have to do is turn the machine on, and guide to which side you want to be removed.

Reduce the size and polish the slab. Use the trim saw in cutting the chip. Reduction of size to one inch by two inches is needed since giant microscopes are not yet invented. To remove the marks, grind the chip using the grinding wheel.

You have prepared your rock, now it is time to prepare the glass slide. Grind the corner of it on the wheel. Spin the two hundred forty grit grinding wheel to frost your glass. This is done to flatten out and roughen the surface. The epoxy will not bind well if it is not roughen.

Bind the them together using epoxy. Before binding them though, make sure that it is mixed well. Combine the content from the small and large bottle together. Stir it in one direction until well mixed. When the epoxy is well mixed, scatter a few drops on the glass. Not too much, and not too less. Place the chip on it and lightly squeeze to get rid of extra epoxy.

Remove the chip from the slide. This will be done by cranking up the cut off saw and grinding the slide slowly. Take most of the chip off but leave enough for the observation later. Add a cover slip for the clarity in the microscope.

With all the rocks in the vicinity, no wonder mining is too mainstream. However, just practicing how the real petrographer does their job would not hurt a bit. After reading the tips above, it is now time for you to discover the rocks in your backyard by making thin section bearings.




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