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Acetone As Scope Tube Cleaner |
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Blackmore
Optics GrassHopper Joined: August/23/2010 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Posted: April/22/2012 at 06:20 |
I just got a used Leupold matte scope which has what appears to be super glue residue on the tube. Acetone is the indicated solvent for super glue. I don't want to risk damaging the finish, though. Has anyone used acetone as a scope tube cleaner with satisfactory results?
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A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.
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300S&W
Optics God Joined: January/27/2008 Location: Burlington,WV Status: Offline Points: 10592 |
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I've used it (fingernail polish remover) on gloss scopes to remove tape residue and even paint off one I painted but I don't know about matte finishes.
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"I ain't got time to bleed!"
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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The scope tube is anodized, so acetone will not hurt the tube finish at all. DO NOT get it on the lenses or any rubber or plastic parts, though.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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Blackmore
Optics GrassHopper Joined: August/23/2010 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Thanks. I'll take it real SLOW.
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A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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You mean I should STOP using acetone to clean the lenses on my scopes???
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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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3_tens
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/08/2007 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 7853 |
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MEK works faster at removing most anything that has had a solvent base.
NOT Recommended for scopes!!! or wood finishes |
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Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.
Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow Now the rules have changed again. |
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EAGLE
Optics Journeyman Joined: August/08/2011 Status: Offline Points: 346 |
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Why not play it safe and ask Leupold
Eagle |
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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Acetone is extremely volitile and almost explosive and it is my opinion that it is also very toxic both upon skin exposure and inhalation. The reason I say this is that 4 of the people who I worked with that heavily used acetone developed Hodgkin's disease. I would find something else. Generally, as a benign solvent I like to use 91 percent isopropyl alchohol (the same stuff they swab on your skin prior to a flu shot). This stuff cuts thru many soft adhesives reasonably well. Hair spray might also work.
All of my contacts with the folks at Leupold have been helpful. |
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Roy Finn
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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Personally, I use the Zeiss Spray Cleaner that I get from Chris here at SWFA, but apparently the guys at US Optics use Acetone for cleaning lenses.
Edited by Roy Finn - April/22/2012 at 23:27 |
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magshooter1
Optics Professional Joined: August/27/2008 Location: El Dorado, AR Status: Offline Points: 827 |
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Burris tech rep told me several years back that they use acetone to clean all scope lenses before they leave the factory. So that's what I've been using ever since.
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Some people are educated BEYOND their intelligence.
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RotoReuter_DM
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/09/2011 Location: WI Status: Offline Points: 296 |
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Gas or lacquer thinner! Weapons of choice!
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Old Mil ftw
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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I always play it safe with lens coatings. Acetone may be o.k. for certain coatings, but since I've never needed to use anything other than lens cleaning solution specifically designed for optics to get lenses clean as new, I don't see a compelling reason to take a chance in possibly damaging the coatings.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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Roy Finn
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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That's exactly the way I feel too. Zeiss spray and their lense cleaning wipes are all I've ever needed.
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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Me too, especially since you can now get the Zeiss lens wipes at places like WalMart.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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lucytuma
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: November/25/2007 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 5389 |
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Exactly Ted! Thats what I've been using.
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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For removing that glue, a little acetone is probably fine. As far as lenses are concerned, I just found acetone disappointing...still left streaks. The Zeiss cleaner has worked the best for me.
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Reaction time is a factor...
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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Lens (coated glass) vs tubes (anodized, coated or even painted aluminum)- entirely different.
Zeiss lens cleaner sounds like the way to go. Constant exposure to acetone on your job sounds like oncoming health crisis. I don't care how well acetone would work as a solvent on anodized aluminum tubes or coated lenses. How well acetone would do on older magesium flouride lens coatings might be a problem. Acetone will quickly damage stock finishes and painted rifle parts.
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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I totally agree.
Acetone will not harm an anodized aluminum scope tube finish, I can say that for certain. Type II or III hard anodizing used on aluminum alloys is produced by electrochemically forming an oxide layer on the surface that is then dyed and sealed, and acetone will not remove the oxide bond. As a lens cleaner, acetone may very well not harm lens coatings either; I don't know and I'm not willing to take the risk on my own gear, none of which was given to me for free. What I do know for certain is there's a bunch of lens cleaning solutions available that definitely won't harm lens coatings, because cleaning optical lenses is precisely what they were designed to do. Given that lens cleaning solutions will get even the dirtiest lenses just as spotless as the the day the optic was first removed from its box, and given that the lens cleaning wipes and solutions will also clean scope tubes just fine, why take risks on something else? Even if an optic company specifically recommended using acetone to clean lenses, I still wouldn't put up with the smell and risk of spilling it and damaging stock finishes when the lens cleaning wipes and chamois lens cloths do such a good job. |
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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A quick look at the MSDS (material data safety sheet) for acetone describes how bad this stuff is.
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budperm
Optics Retard show me your sheep!! Joined: January/01/2009 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31710 |
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It sure would go a long way toward explaining Female Logic though wouldn't it!
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"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".
--Thomas Jefferson |
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