<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Hi Bob, <div><br></div><div>Developing better tools for handling grid boxes is an area that we have been looking at recently. As mentioned, many labs are using the "off-label" mechanical/drafting pencil approach. These pencils are far from optimal for gripping or for use in LN2.</div><div><br></div><div>We would welcome input from the community on what they might like to see in an optimized gripper tool or other tools in the sample prep workflow. </div><div><br></div><div>Best wishes, </div><div>Ben</div><div>--<br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Benjamin Apker<br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Chief Executive Officer</div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small">MiTeGen</span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small">See our <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.mitegen.com_product_cryo-2Dem-2Dlab-2Dtool-2Dkits_&d=DwMFaQ&c=-35OiAkTchMrZOngvJPOeA&r=L7-zyQ-04fFCMRqzLIOnx7H0exGZHwIQe_wMPuY600I&m=MXmUAqVH7G8sgLS25UU5Jlom8rG0D___PLNtnh1XUa8&s=wTjvp7QLOLPSajOBfmk1cpZ3pQ28z6_JMM9XEy2xnlM&e=">Cryo-EM Lab Tool Kits </a> & <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.mitegen.com_product-2Dcategory_cryo-2Dem_&d=DwMFaQ&c=-35OiAkTchMrZOngvJPOeA&r=L7-zyQ-04fFCMRqzLIOnx7H0exGZHwIQe_wMPuY600I&m=MXmUAqVH7G8sgLS25UU5Jlom8rG0D___PLNtnh1XUa8&s=UAczoglJPH2PFd-TnLhW3A3cGAbf8zM99G8bnuFDifM&e=">Cryo-EM Tools Here</a></span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">95 Brown Road</span><br></div>MS 1034, Suite 183<br>Ithaca, NY 14850<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">office: +1-607-<span style="line-height:15px">266-8877</span><br></div></span></span><span style="font-size:13px">fax: +1-607-</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:15px">697-0400</span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"><span style="font-size:13px">___________________________________________________________</span><br></div></div></span></span><span style="font-family:"Courier New",Courier,mono;font-size:13px">This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. MiTeGen, 95 Brown Road, Suite 183, Ithaca,NY 14850.</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Sep 24, 2021 at 10:00 AM Grassucci, Robert <<a href="mailto:rg2502@cumc.columbia.edu">rg2502@cumc.columbia.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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Hi Michael
<div>I have tried that and the tip comes loose again. I think I will try crazy glue or epoxy on it as suggested by Bill Rice. What would be a better design would be reversing the threads so loosening the top would tighten the tip and tightening the top would
loosen it. That way you could not get tighten it in the first place.</div>
<div>Bob<br>
<br>
<div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
<blockquote type="cite">On Sep 24, 2021, at 9:53 AM, Michael Elbaum <<a href="mailto:michael.elbaum@weizmann.ac.il" target="_blank">michael.elbaum@weizmann.ac.il</a>> wrote:<br>
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<p>Hi Bob,</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Applying a bit more downward force than you'd first feel comfortable with seems to tighten up the threads in the tool so they don't slip. I've never broken the pin or anything else, but it's not inconceivable. Just push straight down. You can also swap out
the official tool for a mechanical pencil (Staedler Mars technico 788), with which it's hard to overtighten in the first place.
<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>best,<br>
Michael<br>
</p>
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<div id="gmail-m_7197479921758119581divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> 3dem <<a href="mailto:3dem-bounces@ncmir.ucsd.edu" target="_blank">3dem-bounces@ncmir.ucsd.edu</a>> on behalf of Walsh, Richard Michael <<a href="mailto:Richard_Walsh@hms.harvard.edu" target="_blank">Richard_Walsh@hms.harvard.edu</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 24, 2021 4:40:02 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Grassucci, Robert; 3DEM List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [3dem] Problem getting top off pin type autogrid grid boxes</font>
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Hi Bob,</div>
<div style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
we use a different autogrid box tool for overtightened boxes. These tend to frost up pretty quickly but since there is no screw it does not come apart. We have this one: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.tedpella.com_grids-5Fhtml_gridbox.htm-23-5F160-2D46&d=DwMF-g&c=-35OiAkTchMrZOngvJPOeA&r=L7-zyQ-04fFCMRqzLIOnx7H0exGZHwIQe_wMPuY600I&m=VUuBFUPEngsryfz8lFsupolCcUBe4N3onXQrA9kYDuU&s=9Vz0DVD6xGW1W6nXr26jJVJ5gugMKgcnvylKDSIgxfg&e=" id="gmail-m_7197479921758119581LPlnk541753" style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt" target="_blank">https://www.tedpella.com/grids_html/gridbox.htm#_160-46</a> but
it seems mitogen also makes something similar: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.mitegen.com_product_gripper-2Dtool-2Dfor-2Dmetal-2Dgrid-2Dboxes_&d=DwMF-g&c=-35OiAkTchMrZOngvJPOeA&r=L7-zyQ-04fFCMRqzLIOnx7H0exGZHwIQe_wMPuY600I&m=VUuBFUPEngsryfz8lFsupolCcUBe4N3onXQrA9kYDuU&s=FImsT2YWrDoUFeZTzBQjJmYVUW83yqCGO6ImVbaBlMc&e=" id="gmail-m_7197479921758119581LPlnk" target="_blank">https://www.mitegen.com/product/gripper-tool-for-metal-grid-boxes/</a></div>
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best regards,</div>
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Richard</div>
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<div id="gmail-m_7197479921758119581divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> 3dem <<a href="mailto:3dem-bounces@ncmir.ucsd.edu" target="_blank">3dem-bounces@ncmir.ucsd.edu</a>> on behalf of Grassucci, Robert <<a href="mailto:rg2502@cumc.columbia.edu" target="_blank">rg2502@cumc.columbia.edu</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 24, 2021 9:34 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 3DEM List <<a href="mailto:3dem@ncmir.ucsd.edu" target="_blank">3dem@ncmir.ucsd.edu</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [3dem] Problem getting top off pin type autogrid grid boxes</font>
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<div>Hi all<br>
We have been having a problem where users tighten the tops of the autogrid grid boxes and the tool’s metal tip unscrews before the top does. Has anyone found some way to better secure the metal tip of the grid box top tool so it won’t spin or ensured the grid
box top would loosen before the tip of the tool? Thank you.<br>
Bob<br>
<br>
Sent from my iPhone<br>
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