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Disastrous optics cleaning!

 

I cleaned the optics inside and out on my C14EdgeHD today.? It's been 4 years and it had gotten pretty bad.? I took off the corrector and let it bathe in a soap solution and copiously sprayed the primary with what I thought was a dawn soap/water solution, blotted with cotton balls.? At some point I noticed black marks on my gloves and thought perhaps it was some grease from the baffle tube.? It turned out to be dissolving black paint from the inside of the tube.? This whole affair turned into a panic mode operation.? I finally got to a point where I believe I got everything off the primary and it looked pretty clean without streaks.? In the meantime the paint on the inside of the tube near the primary has been streaked, blotted, and generally destroyed.? I am assuming for now that the soap/water solution was something else.? Perhaps acetone?? My nose doesn't work so I can't tell from smelling.? I just can't fathom why I would of put a solvent like that into my optical cleaning solution.? OR...has anyone out there had the black paint inside their C14 dissolve in water and soap.? Man! that was a big FUBAR project, I hope I never experience again.? I will have my wife smell the solutions to see whats what.?? I may need to repaint the inside but that will be a whole other project.
 

I haven't had to repaint the inside of the tube, but I did once take the OTA of a very old-model C-14 pretty well apart -- including removing the primary -- and I documented what I did here:



Perhaps that will help if you have to delve further into your own instrument, but as I said, my work was done on a very old model.

-- Jay Reynolds Freeman
---------------------
Jay_Reynolds_Freeman@...
(personal web site)

On Mar 28, 2022, at 13:00, George Dunham via groups.io <gdunham@...> wrote:

I cleaned the optics inside and out on my C14EdgeHD today. It's been 4 years and it had gotten pretty bad. I took off the corrector and let it bathe in a soap solution and copiously sprayed the primary with what I thought was a dawn soap/water solution, blotted with cotton balls. At some point I noticed black marks on my gloves and thought perhaps it was some grease from the baffle tube. It turned out to be dissolving black paint from the inside of the tube. This whole affair turned into a panic mode operation. I finally got to a point where I believe I got everything off the primary and it looked pretty clean without streaks. In the meantime the paint on the inside of the tube near the primary has been streaked, blotted, and generally destroyed. I am assuming for now that the soap/water solution was something else. Perhaps acetone? My nose doesn't work so I can't tell from smelling. I just can't fathom why I would of put a solvent like that into my optical cleaning solution. OR...has anyone out there had the black paint inside their C14 dissolve in water and soap. Man! that was a big FUBAR project, I hope I never experience again. I will have my wife smell the solutions to see whats what. I may need to repaint the inside but that will be a whole other project.
 

Starizona have some great videos on optics cleaning.? Just some gentle advice though, don't sniff even small traces of acetone - it destroys the mucous membranes!
good luck.
Paul
 

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I have only cleaned the outside of the corrector on my C 14 Edge. Dew spots cleaned easily with cotton balls and optic cleaning solution. My mirror looks pristine. The scope is about 10 years old and lives in a roll off roof observatory. Lou


On Mar 29, 2022, at 4:34 AM, paul K <paulskirk53@...> wrote:

?Starizona have some great videos on optics cleaning.? Just some gentle advice though, don't sniff even small traces of acetone - it destroys the mucous membranes!
good luck.
Paul

 

I had deposits on the inside of the corrector plate and cleaned them by inserting my hand bent at the wrist through the secondary hole - without removing the corrector. So it can be done on a C14. I guess one can also reach the primary if need be.
Alexei

On Tue, 29 Mar 2022 at 12:54, Lou Halikman <bonedoctor51@...> wrote:
I have only cleaned the outside of the corrector on my C 14 Edge. Dew spots cleaned easily with cotton balls and optic cleaning solution. My mirror looks pristine. The scope is about 10 years old and lives in a roll off roof observatory. Lou


On Mar 29, 2022, at 4:34 AM, paul K <paulskirk53@...> wrote:

?Starizona have some great videos on optics cleaning.? Just some gentle advice though, don't sniff even small traces of acetone - it destroys the mucous membranes!
good luck.
Paul

 

George it sounds like this is the opportunity to put away the white EDGE HD tube & upgrade to a carbon fiber version from Public Missles that already has a darker interior & your scope will look great, too. Plus the carbon fiber will reduce the weight of the scope by a couple of pounds, also.

Fernando

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