Cleaning Scope Lens

Apollo

Apollo

Jason Stanley
I bought a used scope a couple years ago. Finally got around to using it. Everything works fine. The lens, however, is a disaster. I think it is the lens closest to the muzzle, but it might be inside the scope????. Little tiny black dots everywhere. Still clear enough to shoot, but nowhere near clean. I have not tried to clean it yet - not sure what to do/use. Thanks in advance.

Stanley
 
Apollo said:
I bought a used scope a couple years ago. Finally got around to using it. Everything works fine. The lens, however, is a disaster. I think it is the lens closest to the muzzle, but it might be inside the scope????. Little tiny black dots everywhere. Still clear enough to shoot, but nowhere near clean. I have not tried to clean it yet - not sure what to do/use. Thanks in advance.

Stanley
Click to expand...

What brand scope? Perhaps it can be returned and serviced by them. If it were a Leupold they would do it for free. Some other manufacturers may offer similar service.

Dick
 
Either buy a scope cleaning kit OR buy a blush brush and clean the particles away and then use either a lens cleaner or alcohol and a lens cloth from your local store or wally world.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I tried washing the lens with hot soapy water and cotton balls. No change. I will try some alcohol. If that doesn't work, I will contact Alan Orr. Thanks again for the replies.

Stanley
 
Apollo said:
Thanks for all the replies. I tried washing the lens with hot soapy water and cotton balls. No change. I will try some alcohol. If that doesn't work, I will contact Alan Orr. Thanks again for the replies.

Stanley
Click to expand...

If there is any coating on the lens the alcohol might take it off. But then that ship might have already sailed since you tried soap.
Try a lenspen.
 
Last edited:
What make of scope?

One of the main causes of "specks" may be the deterioration of photo imaged cross hairs such as found in Bausch and Lomb's BALVAR scopes or the flaking of the interior tube body's finish.

Ted
 
It is a Sightron fixed 24 with A.O. Again, scope works perfectly, just dirty. I'll contact Alan Orr (Sightron) or Bill Ackerman.
 
Lens cleaning

As an optical engineer I can tell you some horror stories about what sorts of damage can be done to optics by slopping solvents particularly water based types onto lenses. Once mosuture gets into the system it promotes the groth of fungal spores.

Have a good look at the lens elements in question with a magnifying glass using an angular point source of light to illuminate it. If you see a fuzzy blob with snow flake like patterns in it then it is probably fungus. Whether their on the inside or outside it will need cleaning by someone who provides that service. If the coatings have been compromised and are flaking off it's a bigger deal as the elements in question will need recoating. They will continue to deteriorate if not redone. Basically anything except surface grime or spots of solvent are best left to the pros. One of the most commonly used lens cleaners we used in the lab was a stuff called huff and puff. You breath onto the lens surface which deposits a fine deposit of water on the lens which can be wiped off with a clean tissue. It's pretty cheap to boot.
Andy.
 
Acetone

I was told they use Acetone at the repair facility to clean the lens. I've used it and have yet to damage a lens.
 
Some 10 years ago I bought 2 pair of glasses.
1 safety and one with all the coatings.
I told them that the safety glasses would be subject to paint and finish overspray and wanted to know what I could clean them with they said I could use acetone on the plain (no coating) lens but not the pair with coatings.
I did for years.
FWIW
 
More info

Vern said:
Some 10 years ago I bought 2 pair of glasses.
1 safety and one with all the coatings.
I told them that the safety glasses would be subject to paint and finish overspray and wanted to know what I could clean them with they said I could use acetone on the plain (no coating) lens but not the pair with coatings.
I did for years.
FWIW
Click to expand...

The term safety glasses or spectacles in Oz mean that they conform to TGA specifications as far as impact resistance. So essentially here it means they are made from poly carbonate or lexan. You cannot use methyl acetone on poly carbonate it will melt them. Yours weren't made from that material. Lens coatings are not created equal. Some are designed to adhere to plastics like CR-39 or polycarbonate or glass of various refractive indices. There are many types within those categories as well. Some will be broken down with solvents containing alcohol, acttone, and glycol. Unless you know what you have it's best to stick with water vapour.
Andy.
 
Why not eyeglass cleaning solution? WalMart(I hate the place) gives free refills of their lens cleaner in their vision centers. It specifically says it does not contain alcohol, but does smell a bit like it. It works great for me.
 
Excess

mwezell said:
Why not eyeglass cleaning solution? WalMart(I hate the place) gives free refills of their lens cleaner in their vision centers. It specifically says it does not contain alcohol, but does smell a bit like it. It works great for me.
Click to expand...

As soon as you have to apply a drop or spray the cleaner onto the surface it's almost guaranteed to be an excess which can and often does seep past the edges of the rings, seals and threads to begin promoting fungus growth. Usually the lens is then wiped from the centre out with tissue which helps force it into the threads.
Andy.
 
Andy I thought scopes were sealed with a gas inside. Seems that would keep a liquid out. What am I missing? This is a interesting topic.
Stephen
 
Well

Well scopes are usually filled with clean dry nitrogen. But not pressurised. It takes some very expensive sealing systems to do that. After a while the gas leaks away. I've seen some scopes have more air in them than nitrogen after just three years. Filling them with argon albeit more expensive is a lot easier to keep the gas in because of the size and shape of the molecule. In any case the fluids can easily seep past o rings threads etc and supply life giving moisture to fungal spores and in some cases start the break down of the coatings.
Andy.
 
Zeiss sells a pre-moistened lens cleaning wipes to clean lenses, it reads on the box "Safe for use on lenses with anti-reflective coatings". I use them for eyeglasses but never used them on scopes. It also reads "Contains isopropyl alcohol". Might be worth looking into, they do a good job on eyeglasses.
 
This is the one I'm using. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Shield-Eyeglass-Lens-Cleaner-1ct/16002280
It's the AR formula, meaning it's safe for anti-reflective coated lenses.
As for it leaking into the scope, I'll let the mfg of a waterproof/fogproof scope worry about that if it ever comes up. Even a $20 NcStar scope is wateroof. It only takes a very light mist or to moisten a lens cloth, but I've always been told to never wipe a dry lens. Never had a scope in many years that leaked while cleaning it, and only a couple of cheap hunting scopes that have ever failed by fogging up. They were before I started using lens cleaner. Anyway, I appreciate the info
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top