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How to "properly" clean fine optics? |
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anomad
Optics Apprentice Joined: May/23/2011 Location: Salt Lake City Status: Offline Points: 148 |
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Posted: June/03/2011 at 20:11 |
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One of the reasons I stumbled across this forum was in search of a real pro's guide to cleaning good optics. I haven't found it, but I am sure the collective knowledge here can point me in the right direction.
I only have a couple scopes that don't cause temporary blindness to look through. I plan to change that when my economic situation improves. I use a leupold lens pen, blow off whatever dust I can with canned air or lung power, brush and then use the chamois side to touch up any smudges. I realize the danger of dragging a particle of dirt across a nice lens. Is there a nice writeup you good folks can point me to for my own education? I like to properly take care of my toys. |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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http://www.opticstalk.com/lense-cleaning-kits_topic27709_post393169.html?KW=cleaning+lenses#393169
Just like cleaning your glasses the liquid lens cleaner solution is a good thing. Be gentle.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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anomad
Optics Apprentice Joined: May/23/2011 Location: Salt Lake City Status: Offline Points: 148 |
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Well, luckily, I don't have glasses yet... Thanks for the links, I will read them carefully. |
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www.technika.nu
Optics Journeyman Joined: August/02/2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 611 |
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The more seldom you clean the lenses the better it is.
Each time is a potential chanse of scrathing or destroying the coating.
That said i would not want to use scopes with extremely dirty lenses, but I don't clean them everytime or without a good reason.
Håkan
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powderburn
Optics Journeyman Joined: April/09/2010 Status: Offline Points: 345 |
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I thought that was what you had a shirttail for. ;^)
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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and Windex and Rainguard... (that was a JOKE... NO ONE use Windex or Rainguard on a scope lens)
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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Magnumdood
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/17/2009 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 226 |
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I about spit diet dp all over my keyboard when I read that! LMAO! I'm in somewhat the same situation, though your wording infers you have a lot more scopes than I have. I only have 4 metal tubes with lenses in them that I would classify as rifle scopes. I have 4 others that are just plain junk that I took off of rifles I bought. I have 1 Hensoldt (amazing optic), a 2-7x32 Vortex, a 2-7x32 Nikon Monarch and an Aimpoint 3X magnifier mounted behind an Aimpoint CompM4 Red Dot. The first rule I follow is to keep the lenses covered with Butler Creek lens covers, Bikini covers or the stretchy neoprene covers...whatever it takes to keep the air, dirt and rain off of your lenses. IF I have to clean them in the field, I flood the lens with Zeiss lens cleaner and try to wash the offending particles off (dust, maybe some dirt/mud that has splashed up and hit the lens when it was unprotected). I then take a Zeiss cleaning paper and tear it so there are a lot of jagged edges of paper along the tear, then I roll it up so the torn paper edges become a brush of sorts. I then carefully try to get the offending particles off. I would pull that chamois end of the Leupold lens pen off and throw it away. It will do nothing but grind whatever is under it into your lens coating. Utilizing your torn, rolled up cleaning cloth, use a circular-spiraling outward motion, starting in the center of your lens, carefully wipe the lens cleaning solution off. If you can see well enough to finish your hunt, wait until you get home, take the scope off, and really flood it with tap water to get any hard particles off. Then repeat what you would do in the field with the Zeiss lens cleaning solution to remove the sediment the tap water would leave if you allowed it to dry.
Yes, I am a waaaay over the top fanatic when it comes to being careful cleaning expensive optic lenses. They cost too damn much not to be a fanatic when it comes to care; and they’ll last you and your children a lifetime if you’re using even moderately-priced optics ($200 ~ $500). |
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mike650
Optics God Joined: May/14/2006 Location: West of Rockies Status: Offline Points: 14569 |
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Here's a great one from Jon on another thread.
There's one I posted many months ago that's very good and similar to Jon's post (minus the pic) but I can't find it right now. It's from the Swarovski cleaning kit literature and goes into step by step detail of cleaning optics when in the field and separate step by step instructions when at camp/home. |
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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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Sandpaper is NOT a good cleaner...
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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Rothstein1987
Optics Journeyman Joined: March/18/2011 Location: Minnesota Status: Offline Points: 340 |
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Mausers forever
That was great but can you do it again?? |
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Bitterroot Bulls
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: May/07/2009 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 3416 |
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You can also use saliva from your tongue and a lens cloth. Saw it on one of Swarovski's videos. Good for an in-the-field fix, and easy on the coatings.
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-Matt
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anomad
Optics Apprentice Joined: May/23/2011 Location: Salt Lake City Status: Offline Points: 148 |
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We're on the same page. I have never cleaned my Leupold target scope. Its on a bench gun and rests happily behind butler creek flippers. My Nikon is on my varmint gun and its due for a cleaning. My other scopes are probably ok with a tongue job and a wipe from a lens cloth, as suggested... I'm too poor to scratch a nice lens. Hey, my lab has a great wash cloth of a tongue... Too bad he only likes shotguns. A Zeiss cleaning kit is in my wish list over at SWFA. |
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mike650
Optics God Joined: May/14/2006 Location: West of Rockies Status: Offline Points: 14569 |
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... or paper towels. |
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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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stickbow46
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: January/07/2009 Location: Benton, Pa Status: Offline Points: 4678 |
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Even if the sandpaper is wet
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Pearls of Wisdom are Heard not Spoken
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