Worried about using Baader fluid

[Astronut]

After this weekend's starbash in Wiltshire and it's extremely heavy dew problems, the next morning revealed my eyepiece lenses (field and eye lens) were covered in dried up dew drops and goop after exposing them to the morning breeze to get rid of the dew.

Bernie kindly lent me his Baader wonder fluid with supplied microfibre cloth to have a go at cleaning them.

I give a lens a quick squirt and gently rubbed the surface with the cloth until the liquid had evaporated but it's left some streaks and the Paracorr lens has a ring of goop around the lens edge surface close to the barrel. I didn't apply excessive pressure when wiping but could this goop on the edge be the multicoating rubbed off the lens or could it be just the goop on the lens pushed out to the edge by my incorrect and idiotic technique of polishing with the cloth in a circular motion from centre to edge?

I've been reading a few web pages and threads on the correct technique for cleaning lenses and I now know I should have applied the liquid sparingly to the cloth and not the lens itself - doh!

Just how tough or delicate are lens multicoatings? Please put my mind at rest and then I'll order some Baader fluid and do it correctly next time.

[GazOC]

Modern day coatings will take a lot of punishment, you'd really have to gave it a pretty determined rub to cause any damage.

[Kai]

I hope not as i have used the fluid on just about everything.

Corrector Plates,Mirrors,Eyepieces,CCD cover slips etc etc and touch wood so far no problems.

I cant see the fluid being a issue, maybe if you managed to get dust/grit on the cloth then it would be a different matter.

[Andrew*]

I think you'd be fine. I often leave a smear on a lens and then simply give it a second go. If there was a lot of grease in the first place (on the cloth, even?) then once the fluid has evaporated, it will not have picked it all up. Two or three goes will get it all off and you'll surely get a good result What I do is wipe it wet, and follow immediately with a clean, dry cotton bud/ball.

Andrew

[supernova]

I had a good conversation with Ian about cleaning the mirror,

And I would like to know if this Baader fluid is ok on the mirror of the scope.

Because Orion say there Highlux coating is very sensitive to cleaning,

Bernie.

[Andrew*]

Bernie,

NO! Don't use any "serious" stuff on your mirror. Only do it when absolutely necessary and use nothing more than distilled water and maybe a few drops of washing up liquid.Try not to make contact with the mirror with anything!

the coatings are indeed very delicate and will dissolve with chemical treatment

Andrew

[Astronut]

Thanks for putting my mind at rest on the coatings. I'm going to leave the lenses well alone until I get my own Baader cleaning kit. I've had a close look at all the lenses in strong daylight today and the coatings seem to be intact ie. the greenish tint to the reflections is still there - phew

As regards the mirror - I wouldn't put any lens cleaning fluids anywhere near it. Just use a mild soap solution - soak the mirror surface with a few Lux flakes in water, a gentle pressureless wipe with wet cotton wool balls for any stubborn grease marks (one wipe per ball only from centre to edge) followed by rinses with de-ionised reverse osmosis water should do the job.

I'm planning to do this when my Catseye collimation kit arrives which requires replacing the centre doughnut marker with a reflective triangle. I may as well give the mirror the once over while it's out or I may leave well alone if I lose my bottle

[cygnusx1]

I have used Wonder fluid on both my SCT secondary and Orion ED80 with absolutely fantastic results.

Cleans them spotless with no residual grease/marks at all!!

[Adam Hinds2]

I hope not as i have used the fluid on just about everything.

Corrector Plates,Mirrors,Eyepieces,CCD cover slips etc etc and touch wood so far no problems.

I cant see the fluid being a issue, maybe if you managed to get dust/grit on the cloth then it would be a different matter.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE BAADER OPTICAL WONDER FLUID ON ANY MIRROR!!!

[supernova]

Thanks lads I think I will send my mirror to Orion for a clean when the time comes because it is to valuable and I dont trust brillo fluid on the mirror anyway :insects1:

It would be cheaper than a new recoat.

Bernie.