⑨ Mounting on a wooden block

• When several tissues are embedded in a single embedding dish, cut each tissue apart.
• Create a straight groove between the tissues with an electric soldering iron and separate each tissue.

• After cutting each tissue apart, shave away the paraffin surrounding the tissue with a knife, leaving an approximately 5 mm to 1 cm wide amount of paraffin around the tissue. For this task, leaving slightly more paraffin in the upper-right corner where the microtome blade contacts the tissue makes it easier to produce thinner sections.

※The paraffin shaved off in this step is recovered, melted, and used for recycled paraffin.

• Furthermore, shave the paraffin on the bottom surface of the block to make it flat.

• Write the identification number on the block in permanent marker.

• Shave off the paraffin surrounding the tissue with a knife to make it fit onto a glass slide.

• Select a wooden block appropriate for the size of the tissue and write the tissue number on the block.

• Slightly melt the tissue surface to be attached to the wooden block with an electric soldering iron and then press the tissue onto the wooden block.

• Melt the point of contact between the paraffin and wooden block with a soldering iron to firmly fix the paraffin to the wooden block.

• Scrape off the excess paraffin adhered to the wooden block with a knife.

• Completion

• Big blocks of paraffin cannot be mounted on a wooden block. Each time the paraffin is sectioned, it should be mounted on a metal specimen stage and then removed from the stage after sectioning is complete.
• Write the identification number on the back of the specimen in permanent marker.