Polymer Cleaners

[cosmicdebris48059]

Greetings, I seen a video on YouTube where a guy used some sort of polymer cleaner to clean the corrector plate on his SCT. It starts out as a liquid and dries firm. I was wondering if anyone here has used this method, if it is safe for the mirrors and if so can it be left on for a period of time? The reason I ask is cause I would like to use it to protect my mirrors while I disassembled my scope so I can regrease and make some modifications to the focus tube and correct the extreme mirror flop issue it seems to have. I bought a Crayford Focuser to help with this issue but would like to minimize the amount of mirror flop as much as possible.

[Dave In Vermont]

I read up on that stuff some time back. My take is that it's pre-mature to declare it safe with all types of optical-coatings in use. Until I see clear evidence that it really is, and not from a report by the manufacturer/advertiser, I personally won't touch it.

Call me a cynic - but I love my glass!

Dave

[cosmicdebris48059]

That's exactly what I'm concerned with and why I'm submitting the question here to the experts!?...

 

[Dave In Vermont]

If a definitive answer/report on this had appeared - me thinks we'd hear about it. Let's see what surfaces? It certainly sounds like a convienent method IF it has no bad effects.

It's certainly a good topic! Maybe it will elicit an answer.

Dave

[CraigT82]

Have you seen the price of that stuff?  You could just use clingfilm or acid free paper to cover your mirrors whilst disassembled.

[ronl]

There is a three page review in this months Astronomy Now, tested on various optics and mirrors,

well worth a read, very expensive at £93.00 for the kit.

[John]

I used Baader Wonder Fluid and a micro fibre cloth when I did the corrector on an SCT and the meniscus on a mak-newtonian. It worked very well, costs quite a bit less and you get enough to meet your cleaning needs for eyepieces and any other lenses you might have.

I read some reports on the polymer type cleaners a few years back and there were some issues with astro optics. Once person lost portions of their lens coatings and another had it seep between two lens elements. Perhaps the technology has moved on now but I'm still wary of what I put on my optics, and how often.

 

[barkis]

https://youtu.be/2cMbivz-hrM

I saw this demo on cleaning the SCT plate. Seems a fairly benign, and safe way, but then there sensible 
means already described in the thread.   Just stay well  away from Brillo Pads.