A sample sectioning device (100; 200) comprising: a sample holder (107; 207) that is operable to hold a sample ; a cutting mechanism (112; 212) that is operable to cut sections from the sample ; a mounting base (111;211) providing a mounting surface for the cutting mechanism (112; 212); a drive system (102; 202) coupled with the sample holder (107; 207) to drive movement of the sample holder (107; 207); and a rotating member coupled to the drive system (102; 202) to drive vertical movement of the drive system (102; 202), wherein the rotating member comprises a rotating arm rotatably attached at a first end to the drive system (102; 202) and fixedly attached at a second end to a vertically oriented rotating disk member , and wherein the rotating arm is oriented substantially parallel to the rotating disk member , characterised in that the device comprises a surface orientation sensor (114;214) that is operable to sense or measure an orientation or angle of a surface of the sample , the surface orientation sensor positioned vertically below the cutting mechanism (114;214); and in that the rotating member is operable to be rotated alternately forward and backward and cause the rotating arm to rotate alternately forward and backward from a vertical position, corresponding to a 0 degree rotation angle, to a second vertical position, corresponding to a 180 rotation angle, and cause a slicing movement of the sample holder (107; 207) within a rotation angle between 0 and 90 degrees; wherein a rotation angle of 90 degrees aligns the sample holder (107; 207) with the cutting mechanism (112; 212), and a rotation angle of 180 degrees aligns the sample holder (107; 207) with the surface orientation sensor (114; 214). a sample holder (107; 207) that is operable to hold a sample ; a cutting mechanism (112; 212) that is operable to cut sections from the sample ; a mounting base (111;211) providing a mounting surface for the cutting mechanism (112; 212); a drive system (102; 202) coupled with the sample holder (107; 207) to drive movement of the sample holder (107; 207); and a rotating member coupled to the drive system (102; 202) to drive vertical movement of the drive system (102; 202), wherein the rotating member comprises a rotating arm rotatably attached at a first end to the drive system (102; 202) and fixedly attached at a second end to a vertically oriented rotating disk member , and wherein the rotating arm is oriented substantially parallel to the rotating disk member , characterised in that the device comprises a surface orientation sensor (114;214) that is operable to sense or measure an orientation or angle of a surface of the sample , the surface orientation sensor positioned vertically below the cutting mechanism (114;214); and in that the rotating member is operable to be rotated alternately forward and backward and cause the rotating arm to rotate alternately forward and backward from a vertical position, corresponding to a 0 degree rotation angle, to a second vertical position, corresponding to a 180 rotation angle, and cause a slicing movement of the sample holder (107; 207) within a rotation angle between 0 and 90 degrees; wherein a rotation angle of 90 degrees aligns the sample holder (107; 207) with the cutting mechanism (112; 212), and a rotation angle of 180 degrees aligns the sample holder (107; 207) with the surface orientation sensor (114; 214). <EOS>