[Histonet] Wrinkles in cartilage sections

[Kristen Broomall]

I need some "O wise one" suggestions!

I'm sectioning sheep trachea & the cartilage layer is coming out full of
wrinkles. The epithelium layer is nice, flat & happy (it is, I asked it), as
is the muscle. The tissue is FFPE and I'm cutting at 5-6 um. The sections
look good in the ribbon, but as soon as they hit the water bath, the
cartilage wrinkles up.

I've tried:

*ethanol in the water bath
*ammonia in the water bath
*tween in the water bath
*soaking the paraffin blocks in ammonia water before cutting
*increased water bath temperature

Suggestions???

Kristen Broomall, HT (ASCP)