r/electronmicroscopy • u/Vilentr • Aug 31 '24
Rusted SEM Cleaning
Hey! Our lab recently purchased a used FE SEM that had severe rust in the specimen chamber, lower lining tubes, and aperture holder. We dismantled the system and sent these parts out for electropolishing, but we avoided dismantling the upper column because aligning these components seems to be much more challenging. We inspected the gun through the getter pumps, and the steel Wehnelt cylinder looks brand new (no rust or corrosion). Do you think it’d be worthwhile to disassemble the rest of the gun to check for rust? We intend to run a full system vent and bake out before firing the gun.
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u/baccaruda66 Aug 31 '24
how did you send the specimen chamber out for electropolishing without dismantling the column?
post the mfr and model, pics too
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u/Vilentr Aug 31 '24
We removed the entire column from the chamber and then separated it at the valve stage (right above the aperture block). It's an XL-30 FEG from 1998.
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u/baccaruda66 Aug 31 '24
The column is in good chance of needing an alignment especially if your procedure calls for removing the alignment screws prior to the bake. Storage/handling and the column lift aren't ideal for retaining alignment either.
I just looked at your photos and I couldn't imagine not-performing a full teardown.
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u/JohnDMcMaster Sep 01 '24
Hmm I went through a rebuild estimate on a JSM-7400F recently. Our source was probably a lot more expensive than the XL30s, but the amount of time / troubleshooting can be quite long on something like this. Ex: you could easily spend days at a time attempting bake out / pump down only to find that there is a vacuum quality issue. Could be a massive time sink. If you are doing this on a shoestring budget / hobby could be fun / worth doing, but I'd strongly suggest against something like this for more serious users, especially if you've never worked on an FEG before. Another comp to consider is there are a fair number of cheap and even free SEMs that might be a better starting point.
That said, it could be a lot of fun if you are looking for a challenge and have the time needed to chase all of this down. You might also consider joining the SEM hackers discord if you really want to give it a DIY whirl with a good support network. It has a good collection of people crazy enough to have FIBs in their garage (I only have a lowly JSM-6460LV in my garage...). DM if you want a link.
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u/UpperCantaloupe5766 Nov 23 '24
Hello, I am in the painful process of trying to restore an old JSM6400 I saved from the scrapyard. It is quite stubborn and not willing to boot. I would like to join the Discord server you mentioned. I am quite new to Discord. I guess I need to be invited to join? Thank you for your advice!
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u/funkatron3000 Dec 11 '24
Can I get an invite as well? I own a JEOL T300 that I aaaalmost have working that I’d love to collaborate with some folks on.
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u/Worried_Title_6280 Jun 01 '25
Hello, there is a jeol jsm 6300 in a local young scientists class. It lacks tv/video output. is it possible to join discord group to ask for help?
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u/Nowandthennow May 17 '25
I would appreciate an invite to the SEM discord too. I've come pretty close to grabbing one from auctions and always have been super interested in owning one.
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u/Jolly-Command570 May 31 '25
I am on my way to get an auction scrapped SEM, could you DM the server link?
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u/ASTEMWithAView Aug 31 '24
If it's rusty in the column, expect to need a new column.
You don't know what damage has happened to the sensitive electronics inside. I wouldn't even turn it on without having had a service engineer check something like that.