TAL Primary Mirror Clean

[daz]

Had to do it - was giving me nightmares!!!!

I marked the OTA and rear cell so I would know exactly which orientation the cell sat at, and then just lifted the whole cell out.

First, I washed off the surface dust with filtered water, then using a very weak solution of warm water and washing up liquid and 2 tonnes of

cotton balls, I carefully washed the surface.

Air drying and hair-drying left a few marks which I VERY carefully re-washed and polished off.

Whole process took about an hour I would think, not too bad.

Anyway, see the difference for your self.

Before

(click to enlarge)

After

(click to enlarge)

Couldn't get any iso-whatsit at the time, so its probably not the best job, but its a damned site better than it was!!!

Come on skies, lets have a clear bit!!!

[Naz]

Brave man Daz. Looks good, which brand of washing liquid did you use, some I believe contain additives that can leave smears.

naz

[FLO]

Looks good to me

[daz]

Brave man Daz. Looks good, which brand of washing liquid did you use, some I believe contain additives that can leave smears.

naz

Dunno Naz! Probably a Tesco brand (not the blue-stripey stuff) I would think!!!

[Whippy]

Looks to t'me squire .

Tony..

[SteelRat]

Looks good Daz 8)

[themos]

2 tonnes of cotton balls

I was going to say "I bet that took a lot of balls"...

[daz]

Certainly did Themos!!

Well, it appears that although the Cloud Gods have been fairly Kind, the "Spirits of Availability" have not been!!

Every time the sky has cleared - something has prevented me from getting the scope out.

Hopefully, if the weather does as forecasted, tonight might be a winner!!!

[Rob]

I told you to use the brillo pad :nono:

Looks great buddy... number one, never be affraid to clean optics. Number two, ONLY if they need to be cleaned. to be fair that amount of dust on your mirror would not have distorted your view but it bothered you so fair enough!.

Oh yes... the Brillo pad was a joke. DONT Brillo your optics

[daz]

Wire brush and Dettol!! Many, many uses!!!

[tom.yates]

Good job mate, I clean mine quite often think people worry to much the coatings are tuffer than you think

[Rob]

Good job mate, I clean mine quite often think people worry to much the coatings are tuffer than you think

Thats very true!!!

[Brinders]

Cleaned the primary and secondary on my TAL 150P last week using a similar procedure - light solution of washing liquid (Cussons Morning Fresh) applied with Sainsbury's cotton wool balls and rinsed off with distilled water from the local filling station and blow dried with an hair dryer. Worked a treat. Just the collimation is all over the shop now!

[peeceeTal2M]

I got my isopropyl off ebay seller mistral_ie if thats any help, and it was the 99% pure stuff too!!

Phill