I’ve finally got some scopes worth worrying about scratching during a cleaning process. On my cheap scopes in the past I’ve just used one of those clothes for cleaning eye glasses. How often and with what do you guys recommend for cleaning your optics glass?
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Rifle Scopes Cleaning???
- Thread starter The Duke
- Start date
I keep caps on mine and always close them between firing to avoid any dirt or whatever from getting on the glass. Other than that if I do get something on them I use a optic cleaning pen that came with my trijicon acog. Works nicely.
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Acetone and a q-tip. Blow any large or loose debris off the lens first. Canned air is good for that.
Only when needed. No need to be rubbing on the lenses if not needed. Get a good lens cleaning kit. Also look what the manufacturer recommends. Some coatings can be different.
Also watch the canned air for a couple reasons. First it comes out very cold and can crack lenses. Second what do you think is happening if you shoot high pressure air at dirt on the lens? Sand blasting. Not good.
Having worked in the optics industry for a bit. We cleaned the lenses with acetone. We also carefully removed loose debris with canned air. Never had a problem.
Have at it but after seeing lenses crack from canned air I would never use it. To each his own.
I use a lens pen and some Zeiss wipes (walmart), simple and effective. Brush debris, wipe/air dry, the follow up with the carbon part of the lens pen.
For simple non debris, I use one of those optics towels.
For simple non debris, I use one of those optics towels.
I have a lens pen for each of my optics. Works great on ACOG, EoTech and all other scopes. I f you're dead set on using water, get a gallon of distiller. NO minerals to leave marks behind.
Lens coatings are applied at extremely high temperatures. They are also made up of several metallic minerals. Again, having worked for a major rifle scope manufacturer, we used acetone to clean lenses. It will not harm the lens or the scope.
Do the same thing you would for any high-end optical equipment: Blow debris off the lens surface (either using compressed air or a small air bladder like the Rocket Air by Giottos, making sure to point the optic so that the debris can fall down off and away from the lens), then use the brush on a LensPen, followed by the cleaning tip. Follow those steps closely, and you won't have a problem with lens scratching. Use your T-shirt to wipe the lens a few times, and you will be looking for new lenses if you're picky about optical quality.
Edit: The Rocket Air is just what I use, mostly because, well, it looks like a rocket. There are much cheaper alternatives out there
Edit: The Rocket Air is just what I use, mostly because, well, it looks like a rocket. There are much cheaper alternatives out there
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It's been my experience that cans of compressed air are safe to use with optics as the velocity is not really enough to damage the coatings and damage to lenses will not occur if you keep the can upright during use. When you tip the can too far or turn it upside down it allows the propellants to escape and get all over whatever you are spraying this causes a rapid temperature change and cracked lens elements.
1. Avoid cleaning optics in the first place
2. Quick blasts of canned air
3. LIGHT brushing with lens pen brush
4. More canned air
5. Slosh Zeiss lens solvent around and dump out. Repeat.
6. Qtips to soak up solvent and remove water spots. Discard qtip after a single swipe.
7. Lens pen for final polish.
8. Avoid getting optics dirty
2. Quick blasts of canned air
3. LIGHT brushing with lens pen brush
4. More canned air
5. Slosh Zeiss lens solvent around and dump out. Repeat.
6. Qtips to soak up solvent and remove water spots. Discard qtip after a single swipe.
7. Lens pen for final polish.
8. Avoid getting optics dirty
I know you know better, but for the benefit of those who may not:
Sustained use of canned air results in super cold air coming out. Short quick blasts, and pauses to warm the can back up don't.
To avoid extra risk of cracking lenses, avoid sustained (cold) use of canned air.
