American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 0

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 1

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 2

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 3

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 4

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 5

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, AO Spencer, with 2 Knife Holders, US $3,699.00 – Picture 6

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome, Ao Spencer, With 2 Knife Holders

US $3,699.00

Scottsville, Virginia, United States
Jan 30th

Open on mobile:
QR code

American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome For sale- an American Optical 860 Sliding Block Microtome. I have frequently heard of these referred to as the Cadillac of microtomes, and as they are no longer in production they are highly sought after. For those of you that search ebay longingly to find one, you may recognize this one. I have had it listed for quite awhile as missing parts, and apparently those parts are very hard to come by. I finally had someone offer me these parts, and so now I would consider the microtome to be reasonably complete. Actually better than that, as the purchase not only added the regular knife holder to the equation, it added the long knife holder as well. The regular knife holder is missing one of the thumb screws that secures the knife in place, but I am guessing that worst case you could replace it with a bolt, and hopefully you could find a matching thumb screw. I had assumed that you could simply take one out of the long holder if you weren’t using it and put it in the regular holder. But the threads are different oddly enough so they are not interchangeable. In the interest of getting the listing back up and running I have simply added two pictures to the ones I already had posted. The first of those is a shot of the back of the unit with the missing advance trip finger attached. When I first tried it out the advance mechanism didn’t want to go back into place, but I gave it a few shots of WD-40 and now it does return. A bit slower than it should perhaps but faster than you are likely to be making strokes. And no doubt with some additional lubrication and use it will get back to stride. That picture also shows the stop that was missing on the end in place. That is now included as well. The last picture shows everything that has been added to the equation since the original pictures were taken. The guy disassembled the knife holders in order to pack them more compactly to fit in my mailbox. I think I have the regular holder back together correctly, minus the one missing thumbscrew as noted. The long holder I have never had before, I believe they are a rare commodity. So that one I will have to puzzle over a bit to get back together, but I believe the major pieces are all there. If it is missing anything it would be a nut or a bolt I am guessing. I leave it to you to examine the pictures carefully and make sure you have what you need. The only thing I don’t have that I have had on 860’s I have bought and sold in the past is a little crescent shaped cup that wraps around the sample holder, I think they are waste containers. But in looking at others sold here on ebay they don’t have them either so either those are also a scarce commodity, or they aren’t a necessity, or maybe my memory is just playing tricks on me. For those of you that didn’t get a chance to read the original listing, when I got this one the sliding block was on top but I couldn’t get it to budge. Which is fairly typical for these, but usually if you drown them in WD-40 you can break it loose. This one was a bit more reluctant. OK, a lot more reluctant. I finally had to resort to progressively more aggressive hammering to get it to break loose. I protected the sliding block with pieces of wood and it didn’t break so no major damage inflicted. It did however scuff up the finish of the block just a bit on both sides, enough that I feel compelled to mention it, but generally speaking no big deal. As the parts required for operation have now been found, I would consider the microtome to be complete and functional. The block now slides smoothly but I suspect that you will need to polish the contact areas better than I have and relubricate the surfaces as necessary, I think the action could be more effortless than it is now. Beyond that I think it is pretty much good to go, but it is untested other than as described and NO warranty is offered. However, IF you pay the asking price and find it has a problem you cannot live with within 14 days of receipt you may return it. Returns are ONLY allowed on Buy It Now Purchases. Accepted Best Offers are strictly an as is sale, no returns allowed. Return would be for a refund of the purchase price, not including shipping costs, which will be substantial. Just so that we are clear on that, this is an item that has not been thoroughly tested. As such it may work fine or it may have problems, so any purchase entails a certain degree of risk. If you Buy It Now your risk is limited to the shipping costs both ways. If you submit an offer you do so knowing that you cannot return it. In either case it is up to you to decide whether the risk level is acceptable to you, and if not you need to pass on this particular item. Please check out my other listings for more interesting lab, test, and optical equipment. Check back often! Sold as is, as described, as pictured. Potential buyers are asked to please make sure you have read the listing carefully, and understand what you are buying. Ebay’s condition codes for used items, which I am now required to select from, might imply a degree of functionality that my limited time, knowledge, and facilities do not allow me to ascertain. If the functional condition of the item is known it will be stated as such in the listing. Unless a warranty is specifically offered returns are not accepted regardless of any implied functionality. You are also encouraged to visit my “ME” page, where my terms, conditions, and philosophy of doing business are outlined. I don’t think anything there is outside the bounds of normal e-commerce, but they are binding on the transaction. Payment is expected within 7 days of the close of the sale and I need to hear from you within 3 days to confirm the transaction. Because of the weight and bulk of the item I have chosen to let ebay’s shipping calculator figure out the cost based on your zip code. I would prefer to ship it fedex ground if possible, please wait for me to invoice you for the purchase before paying so that I can change the shipping method.

Condition	Used : An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
Seller Notes	“please read the listing CAREFULLY”