Help and advice needed

[banjaxed]

I have just touched the lens on my favourite eyepiece as I didn't realise the cover was off, and it has left a 4/5mm circle of grease from my finger. Is there any way that I can clean it ??

[Timebandit]

 

 

Yes a clean cloth, but It does have to be spotless clean. As any minute grit on it will scratch the eyepiece glass. You may have to use something like baader wonder fluid if the grease is noticeable to remove the grease. 

Hope this helps

 

 

 

[banjaxed]

On 24/06/2019 at 19:35, Timebandit said:

Yes a clean cloth, but It does have to be spotless clean. As any minute grit on it will scratch the eyepiece glass. You may have to use something like baader wonder fluid if the grease is noticeable to remove the grease. 

Hope this helps

Yes thanks for the advice, as this is my favourite eyepiece I will order some Baader wonder fluid and the right kind of cloth.

[Size9Hex]

The baader fluid and a lens cloth is a good idea. I’d add that I use an air blower first to blow off dust etc, then a fine haired lens brush to gently remove any further dust etc, given that such dust could be abrasive if wiped across the surface with a cloth.

[Ruud]

Don't be afraid to clean eyepieces. They are not made of sugar!

Use a piece of cotton slightly moistened with alcohol and clean the glass. You may have to do this twice. If you see any streaks on the glass after cleaning, fog the lens by breathing on it and wipe it with a soft tissue. Kleenex regular is fine, or any other tissue that is soft and not impregnated with lotion.

It's a good idea to first remove any particles, etcetera, with a blower before you clean the glass.

Eyepiece coatings are quite hard, by the way.

EDIT

I have Baader's liquid wonder and think it is a waste of money. I regret spending €9 on it.  It is just alcohol, propanol and water. Plain alcohol from a drug store is a lot cheaper and works just as well. 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2019 by Ruud

[jetstream]

I use BLUE Windex, and a Q tip or soft Kleenex after blowing off any fine grit/dirt etc. No hard rubbing.

[scarp15]

Check out; Tele Vue Optics Cleaning Eyepieces and Telescope Optics. This will explain all you need to know really concerning approach / technique (frustratingly dragging the link is not connecting to the post). As mentioned, to start use a good air blower. I also have a soft sable hair artists brush to hand if required for gently removing any stubborn fibres. Baader Wonder Fluid and a micro cloth rolled to a fine point and the very lightest of touch in a repeated process of slow small circular motions perhaps starting at the centre. Undertake this in a clean and light environment. Blow on the glass after each application / wipe, as your breath will highlight any greasy smudges. Its a bit scary at first, but it quickly gets to become routine and all eyepieces from time to time need some cleaning attention, not least because as you have mentioned, due to an accidental thumb or finger print. 

[John]

I use the Baader Fluid and their micro fible cloth to apply it. I reckon it was a good value purchase because it does the job really well and lasts for ages. Some of my eyepieces would cost £hundreds each to replace so I don't take any chances and I have seen coatings on eyepieces and refractor lenses damaged by poor cleaning approaches, not by me I should say !.

[Louis D]

I use clean, old cotton clothes retired to my rag pile.  I've found the upper part of white cotton athletic socks work really well because they're thick and absorbent as well as lint free.  First, I just lightly dry brush/flick with it to knock away any dust/dirt particles that could scratch the lens.  I then spray a bit of Windex on the cloth, not the lens (it can seep under the edge).  Once it has thoroughly soaked into the cloth, I gently wipe in one direction with a medium pressure.  I then spray a bit more Windex on another clean section of the cloth and work the lens edges in a circular motion with my fingernail to get the cloth down onto the edge grease.  Usually, the lens will be as clean as new after two careful swipes.  I've yet to scratch or streak a Nagler or Pentax with this technique.

[banjaxed]

Thank you for your very helpful replies, I have ordered a lens cleaning kit which contains all the items that were recommended. Just  relieved that I can save my favourite eyepiece.

[Roy Challen]

15 hours ago, Louis D said:

I use clean, old cotton clothes retired to my rag pile.  I've found the upper part of white cotton athletic socks work really well because they're thick and absorbent as well as lint free.  First, I just lightly dry brush/flick with it to knock away any dust/dirt particles that could scratch the lens.  I then spray a bit of Windex on the cloth, not the lens (it can seep under the edge).  Once it has thoroughly soaked into the cloth, I gently wipe in one direction with a medium pressure.  I then spray a bit more Windex on another clean section of the cloth and work the lens edges in a circular motion with my fingernail to get the cloth down onto the edge grease.  Usually, the lens will be as clean as new after two careful swipes.  I've yet to scratch or streak a Nagler or Pentax with this technique.

I don't have to clean my EPs that often, but my works microscope EPs get filthy very quickly. A quick scrub with my t-shirt soon sorts that out. As Ruud pointed out above, coatings are hard (although thin too) and can take a fair bit of abuse. Having said that, my microscope is industrial grade and far more expensive than any astro equipment I'm ever likely to own, so I would expect it to be robust.

[GlenM]

On 25/06/2019 at 10:15, banjaxed said:

Thank you for your very helpful replies, I have ordered a lens cleaning kit which contains all the items that were recommended. Just  relieved that I can save my favourite eyepiece.

Spray the cleaning cloth not the eyepiece. You don't want fluid in the eyepiece. Good purchase for sure.

 

Glen.

 

[banjaxed]

18 minutes ago, GlenM said:

Spray the cleaning cloth not the eyepiece. You don't want fluid in the eyepiece. Good purchase for sure.

 

Glen.

 

Thanks for the tip Glen.

[GlenM]

You're welcome.

 

Glen.

 

[banjaxed]

My cleaning kit arrived and I have just successfully cleaned the lens on my eyepiece, it now looks like new.

Thanks again for all your help.

[GlenM]

Excellent.

 

Glen.