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What is Happening to My Lens?

Started Jun 20, 2018 | Discussions thread
(unknown member) Senior Member • Posts: 2,180
Re: What is Happening to My Lens?
1

saxyomega90125 wrote:

DON'T USE ACETONE!!!!

First, on isopropyl alcohol... you know those Zeiss-brand wet lens cleaning cloths? Lint-free lens wipes soaked in a IPA-water solution. That's all they are. I prefer distilled water, but IPA is common.

Acetone though, now THAT is bad advice. When I got the tomahawk I take backpacking it had ugly black paint on the head that I wanted gone. Steel wool wouldn't take the paint off, my Dremel wouldn't take the paint off, dedicated paint remover of hazmat strength wouldn't take the paint off, but 14 hours in hardware store acetone and a quick buff and that paint was dust. If that isn't enough to kill your lens, the impurities will be.

And don't even touch the lab grade stuff. Forget about price - I have worked with it in the lab, and I have seen the burns and inhalation issues it will give you if you are careless.

Acetone is just fine to clean lenses, even (most) coated ones.

https://www.edmundoptics.com/resources/application-notes/optics/cleaning-optics/

In most optics shops, you will find a box of kimtech or equivalent wipes, a yellow pumper with IPA in it, and a red pumper with aceone.

Acetone is a common active ingredient in paint thinner, so it is unsurprising it could remove paint from something.  Doesn't mean it will dissolve glass or remove antireflective coatings.

It will ruin first surface aluminum mirrors though.

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