I've found that clamping the ceramic base in a vice with the jaws
flush & parallel to the seam and using a small crescent wrench
to torque off the top works well. The seam shears quite easily
and you get a top and bottom with almost no damage.

And with a windowed part, you can usually just shoot through the
glass using macro mode. You can also purchase +1 and +2 diopter
close up lens adaptors cheaply enough. Most magnifying glasses
have severe chromatic aberrations IME.

Mike Hawkshaw wrote:
>
> Bob,
>
> If you do get into the chip successfully (I wonder if a milling machine
> would work here), fasten a good quality magnifying glass onto the front of
> the cammera lens somehow, and you will be able to focus very close up and
> personal.
>
> All the best....Mike.

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