Eyelash oil on eyepieces

I have a new TV zoom and wondering if I should clean any eyelash oil off the glass? Is it better to just leave it alone or will this eat away at the coatings over time? On the other hand will cleaning the oil after each use cause far more problems? Thanks.

Dave Adams

You can leave the oil without it hurting the coatings, but it does cause scatter. However, I think that over cleaning is not good and should be avoided if possible. So let it get dirty until you notice scatter maybe, then clean?
I sold several EPs due to this problem. I just could not see having to deal with it. But if you love the EP, then you must learn to keep your eye further away or live with the oil I guess.

Dave Adams said:
I have a new TV zoom and wondering if I should clean any eyelash oil off the glass? Is it better to just leave it alone or will this eat away at the coatings over time?

I really don't know about the long term effects of eyelash oil specifically, although I have seen coatings on some used eyepieces that were discolored permanently by what appeared to be just ordinary deposits that weren't cleaned. I suppose the problem occurs when some weak oxider gets on there and has plenty of time to work. Personally, I think you should clean filmy deposits at your earliest convenience using Al Nagler's instructions on the Tele Vue web site. I don't see the point of having a premium eyepiece that has an eye lens covered with gunk. If what you care most about is preserving your investment, don't use the eyepiece at all. If you want to use the eyepiece, clean it properly as needed. That's what I think.
--
Mike

That happened to my 3mm-6mm zoom right after I got it when I used it at a public star party. I called TeleVue for advice, and Al picked up the phone! He walked me through his technique. IIRC, 1) blow off dust, 2) gently swipe with Q-tip dipped in acetone, & 3) rinse with Q-tip dipped in alcohol. He said the coatings are pretty tough and can even be cleaned with Windex (as long as you don't apply excessive pressure and blow off the dust first).

I've found that eyepiece in particular to be the most frequent to get smeared with eyelash oil. The lens is just slightly below the top of the eyepiece, the lens is flat, and the eyepiece only has about 10mm of eye relief.

When it comes to mirrors and objective lenses, I would agree with Floyde that less cleaning is better, but I take the opposite approach to eyepieces, and clean them as soon as I notice a smear or sizable spec on them. It is a small area to clean with a large benefit.

Hugh Bartlett

I like 99.4% pure alcohol to clean lenses. I like acetone too, but it affects more materials than alcohol, so I feel alcohol is safer.
No soap for lenses, just pure distilled water, alcohol or acetone for me.

Hi all,

Just one reminder about acetone - I've seen a couple of wicked accidents with it due to the heavier than air vapor phenomenon. Under the right conditions acetone vapors behave like a liquid, clinging to low points, forming puddles, traveling along surfaces. Look out for ignition sources!

Mike