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Whiskers as a Pedestal for a Micromount
You are here: MineralCollecting.org >> Posted Articles >> Article 25

by Paul A. Smith, Fairfax, Virginia, (703) 273-1468
E-mail: jpmicros@aol.com
From the Mineral Mite, Newsletter of The Micromineralogists of the
National Capital Area, Washington, D. C January, 1996

WHISKERS AS A PEDESTAL FOR A MICROMOUNT:

The general practice of micromounters is to place a specimen on a pedestal in a plastic box. The box may be lined with a black construction paper insert or it may be painted with a flat black paint. Some use a black plastic box but still insert a black paper liner because pedestals do not adhere well to the plastic. The pedestal is required in most cases in order to elevate the specimen close to the top of the box for better viewing without having to make major adjustment to the microscope settings to keep it in focus for viewing. The black lining of the box is to reduce the likelihood of anything detracting ones attention from the specimen and as mentioned above, to allow the pedestal to be secured in the box for safe storage and transportation.

While blackened balsa wood, match sticks, cactus needles and small corks are common pedestal material, some specimens are so tiny that other vehicles for mounting are necessary. This is because it is not considered proper for any of the pedestal to show when viewing the specimen and these small "specs" would certainly occupy only a very small portion of most pedestals. Even hair brush bristles are too large for some micro crystals although the same technique can be used in adapting them and whiskers to use as a pedestal as will be described in the following. Before going into those details it is important to know the source of "whiskers". Not just any whisker will do. We want only black whiskers for the same reason we have blackened corks and black lined boxes, namely to avoid any distraction from the specimen. Where does one find black whiskers? From black cats? but only a few cats or cat owners are willing to donate whiskers for any reason. Animals with black whiskers are likewise reluctant to part with these body parts which appear essential to their safety and well being. I discovered this when ! approached my son for a whisker from his daughters cat. The cat was quite docile and allowed me to snip one whisker but my granddaughter was very reluctant to allow any further reduction in the supply of whiskers from HER cat I got the message and refrained from further attempts to acquire cat whisker pedestals. Further research assured me that there were other sources of whiskers. Accordingly I kept a watchful eye out for any animal that had black whiskers and was not in a position to resist donating these appendages to my cause. In my subdivision in Fairfax Virginia, there is an abundance of squirrels and frequently they become the victims of motor vehicles and become ROAD KILL! When I discovered this source of pedestal material I immediately kept a watchful eye out for likely candidates and presently I have an adequate supply of black whiskers. IN ADDITION TO SQUIRRELS I have found that rabbits, woodchucks and some yet unidentified animals have black whiskers suitable for use as micromount pedestals. However, my favorite and most available source of whisker is the gray squirrel.

Obviously, one of the problems in the use of a whisker is that there is not a sufficient surface to allow it to stand in the box while the adhesive (glue) dries. Some means of holding it in place is required and while this may be accomplished by drilling or burning a hole in the bottom of the box or by placing a carefully engineered block of thin balsa wood in the bottom of the box and piercing it with a small needle in which to place the whisker for gluing, one of the most available methods is to use a short section of one of the blackened corks. I take one section of a cork that I have cut from a full cork in order to make the cork the correct height for another specimen, blacken the surface that has been cut and, using a needle, puncture the cork with the whole length of the needle. This produces a hole into which I introduce the whisker after dipping it in a small amount of Elmers Glue. After allowing a few minutes for the glue to harden, I use a pair of scissors to cut the whisker to the approximate length necessary to fit the height of the box. and then measure and adjust the height so that the specimen is no higher than the very top of the box. Sometimes it is possible to pull the whisker through the cork until it is the right height and then trim it from the base of the cork until it is the correct height,

Placing the specimen on the whisker pedestal is a problem sometimes. I find that it is necessary to examine the mineral-crystal to determine the best point or angle of view and then apply the whisker pedestal to the specimen with a small amount of water soluble glue. It is desirable to use glue that can be removed easily in case it is applied to the wrong surface of the specimen and needs to be adjusted. While quick drying glue is desirable, some leeway in the time for the specimen to set and become permanently secure on the pedestal is an advantage.

In addition to the use of whiskers acquired from road kill, I have found that the hair from the tail of a horse is adequate providing it is black. It is almost as stiff as a whisker although I have found that it tends to curl or lean to one side more than a whisker. Horse hair can be obtained from stables where horses are kept. Most horse owners are most willing to contribute masses of horse hair if they are approached in a polite manner. There are definite techniques for mounting micro specimens of such small pedestals and a dedicated micromounter must take the time to become adept at this method of mounting small specimens. Try it, you will like it!

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