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To clean a refractor lens.


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People have many ways of doing it.  Personally, I first use a hurricane blower to get off as much dust  as possible, I then use a good quality chamois (that has never even seen water let alone be in any), always use the smoother side of the chamois as it is that side that takes off any grease.  Some people like micro fibre cloth, I don't.
 

I never use any chemicals.

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I have a simple formula for primary mirror cleaning, can equally be used for cleaning any optical surface.

1, Make cup of tea.

2. Think about cleaning the optics

3. If thirsty goto step 1

If you must clean the optics. mark several points where the lens cell comes out, watch out for any spacer material, this may be as thin as a flimsy ring of very thin polyethelene. Baader wnderfluid is an excellent cleaning medium... Re-assemble making sure in same place,

Good luck.

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I'd only clean as a LAST resort.I second the Baader Wonderfluid-It's 'expensive',though you only need to use a drop,but it works.I wouldn't use anything else.Check it out on FLO's site,which also has a link to cleaning advice from Baader themselves.

I've done several refractor lenses with Baader Fluid and their micro fibre cloth. It's great stuff. The bottle will last ages and is great for eyepieces too. Not for mirrors though !

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I'm no longer sure about the 'last resort' philosophy in this case. There are pollens and moulds which some coatings don't like and the coatings on refractors are very hard indeed, unlike the soft alloy of mirrors, so I clean refractors more readily then I do mirrors. I use specs cleaner or wonder fluid and a microfibre lens cloth. Turn the cloth between cuved wipes to avoid wiping with any grit you just picked up.

Olly

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I've done several refractor lenses with Baader Fluid and their micro fibre cloth. It's great stuff. The bottle will last ages and is great for eyepieces too. Not for mirrors though !

I concur, it is a little scary the first time mind.

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Just remember before you clean the lenses (if you are going to split them) before taking them apart use a permanent marker to just draw a line across the two edges of the two (or three) lens so you put them back together in the same orientation.  You may find this has already been done by the manufacturer but in the case of my small Celestron 90mm guide scope it was not.

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