How do I remove oil from a telescope lens?

[warfreak131]

I have a set of telescope lens filters, sort of like these:

http://www.telescope.com/control/access ... filter-set

and my dad touched one of them, and his skin oil got on it. I've been using a micro-fiber cloth, but I can't get the oil off, I just keep pushing it around, not removing it. If I rub in a circular motion and look at it under a light, the oil is in a circular pattern, its annoying. How can I remove the oil and not damage the lens?

Please only answer if you KNOW FOR SURE what you are doing. Do not go on a hunch and say that I can, these are expensive filters, and I don't want them damaged.

 

[Astro_Robert]

When I was younger and used a small telescope, I went to a camera store and they gave me some special lens paper. I believe the lens paper was developed for cameras, but chances are you want to treat your telescope at least as carefully as a camera lens. (Sometimes I think of my old refractor as a 700mm lens )

I would definitely recommend going to a camera store and talking to them about it, they will usually have at least one technically knowledgeable person on hand who frequently handles optical equipment and can recommend various things or perhaps even clean it for you.

 

[crazyeddie]

I have a set of telescope lens filters, sort of like these:

http://www.telescope.com/control/access ... filter-set

and my dad touched one of them, and his skin oil got on it. I've been using a micro-fiber cloth, but I can't get the oil off, I just keep pushing it around, not removing it. If I rub in a circular motion and look at it under a light, the oil is in a circular pattern, its annoying. How can I remove the oil and not damage the lens?

Please only answer if you KNOW FOR SURE what you are doing. Do not go on a hunch and say that I can, these are expensive filters, and I don't want them damaged.

Call the manufacturer of the filters and ask them how to remove finger prints. I'm sure they get asked this a lot.

 

[Fallingstar1971]

I use a camera brush and a micro fiber cloth myself. It came in a kit with a little squirt bottle of lens cleaning solution. I use it for my eyepieces, but NOT my primary mirror.

For that I have access to a HUGE bottle of CO2 used to carbonate soft drinks and beer. I remove the primary and hold the hose two to three feet away so the gas can warm before blowing over the mirror. DO NOT USE COMPRESSED AIR USED FOR COMPUTERS. This has a tendency to leave the propellant on the surface of the glass, these mirrors are coated with a very thin coating of highly reflective material. THIS MUST NOT BE DAMAGED.

And never forget the number one rule when it comes to cleaning........DONT! Unless you have NO other option!!!

99% of the time damage occurs from improper or unnecessary cleaning. This is when the most sensitive pieces of equipment are exposed. DONT RISK IT UNLESS YOU HAVE TO!

Brush, cloth, check. Brush, cloth, check. Use VERY LIGHT strokes. The micro-coating on EPs is also very easily damaged.

Check your brush, lightly press it against your cheek. If you can feel it prick you its too hard and you need a softer brush.

If your a refractor, DO NOT EVER EVER EVER remove your lenses.....>EVER! You will never get them re-aligned properly.

I have a filter set as well, I have used the camera lens cleaning fluid with no problems. This is the set:

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=271

And this is the scope:

http://www.telescope.com/control/telesc ... -telescope

Google has some techniques as well, I found my techniques on a University web site I stumbled across while googling your exact questions, for my niece, while looking through mine, bumped her nose on my favorite EP. So I feel ya...... It was a set of guidelines on what to do if you THINK you need to clean the equipment. I stress the word "think" because the University did. And it always, always, always starts with the brush. Light strokes, all in the same direction.

Star