Here is why I tell people not to use IPA on optics.

Why to not use drug store IPA on your optics:

Quote:

Rubbing Alcohol and all preparations under the classification of Rubbing Alcohols are manufactured in accordance with the requirements of the U.S.Treasury Department,Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and Firearms,Formula 23-H(8parts by volume of acetone,1.5parts by volume of methyl isobutyl ketone,and 100parts by volume of ethyl alcohol)being used.It contains not less than 68.5percent and not more than 71.5percent by volume of dehydrated alcohol,the remainder consisting of water and the denaturants,with or without color additives,and perfume oils.Rubbing Alcohol contains,in each 100mL,not less than 355mg of sucrose octaacetate or not less than 1.40mg of denatonium benzoate.The preparation may be colored with one or more color additives,listed by the FDAfor use in drugs.Asuitable stabilizer may be added.Rubbing Alcohol complies with the requirements of the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and Firearms of the U.S.Treasury Department.
NOTE—Rubbing Alcohol is packaged,labeled,and sold in accordance with the regulations issued by the U.S.Treasury Department,Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and Firearms.

End Quote.


355 mg per 100 ML is more then enough to leave a NASTY white film.

Steve

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mixedgas

Rubbing Alcohol and all preparations under the classification of Rubbing Alcohols are manufactured in accordance with the requirements of the U.S.Treasury Department,Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,and Firearms. 1

---

1 Statement applicable to the USA only.

Yup. In the Navy when I took a class on nuclear grade soldering we used to always clean the solder joints with IPA. It works great to cleanu up extra rosin. And then the next step was to clean off the haze left by the IPA with something else. I'd never use it on optics.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JohnYayas

Yup. In the Navy when I took a class on nuclear grade soldering we used to always clean the solder joints with IPA. It works great to cleanu up extra rosin. And then the next step was to clean off the haze left by the IPA with something else. I'd never use it on optics.

---

Modern rosins don't require cleanig, in fact they serve well left in situ.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dnar

Modern rosins don't require cleanig, in fact they serve well left in situ.

---

We didn't use anything modern in the Navy. In addition, we had to inspect each solder joint under magnification for pits, etc, so it had to be cleaned first.

so what is best used for cleaning optics ?
i like the idea of first contact as used by some pl members but its a pita to use on some stuff , because i find it hard to get off
and other places it difficult to put on

I find that a good grade of acetone works well. I try to use the drag method when I can. If I can't, I use surgical grade swabs with wooden sticks.

purosol is what i use its AWSOME

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/...g=en&region=US

I actually found some on Amazon, as ordering from sigma aldrich can be fun...

http://www.amazon.com/Methanol-99-9-...1&s=industrial

I was amused by the customers also purchased...

Dsli Jon turned me on to the reagent grade acetone soaked lens papers folded and held by a hemostat. The ability to customize the shape of the edge used for the single drag makes this very adaptable.

One of the little understood costs of the post 9/11 "war on terror" in the U.S. has been the tight restrictions on the availability of many chemicals such as methanol.

I live in a state with very high humidity. Thus I prefer methanol for ion laser optics. Acetone tends to retain moisture as it evaporates. Ion Laser, and Ultrafast optics tend to be slighly hydroscopic. I use acetone for removing stubborn dirt/grease then clean with methanol.

In emergencies, I will use a very good grade of drug store hydrogen peroxide for very stubborn films such as fingerprints on optics, but I expect the optic to retain water. FRESH H2O2 from the drug store comes with very pure triple distilled water, so its not so bad. REPEAT, that is for emergenices, or if I get caught out without a cleaning kit, or cant get one, as if I fly to SELEM or something.

I use very high purity methanol, and I work hard to get small, legal, amounts of it, shipped under argon.

I prefer drop and drag with Kodak or Thorlabs lens tissue. I wont use the cheap camera store tissue, I've had too many "stones" in it.

Second choice is wound wooden stick swabs with no glue. Pharmacists, if told why you want them, plus a business card, will sell you sealed sterile packs of them. They get flushed/washed with solvent quickly before cleaning the optic.

Camera store lens cleaning gunk is a detergent and degreaser, and its OUT as far as I'm concerned.

Some non-cavity optics would get first contact, but I cant afford the US version, the patent in the states has not ran out.

Note, very little of the above applies to CO2 -FAR IR optics. In fact since my day job system has a tunable beam at 4.5 microns, I'm going to have to find a way to do the far IR optics, possibly plasma cleaning them.

Dont get me started on all the funky over-reaction stuff since 9-11, its cost me a fortune in lost business. Attention US Government, MY Lost business = LESS tax revenue for you. Plus you'll have to pay welfare/medicare/Social Security for me when I'm older, because I can save less money for retirement.

Steve

Your right about the source of the tissue.

The First Contact sold by Stanwax is expensive, but it works well and goes far. Is there more than one version?

OK. I won't get you started. I won't. I won't even mention it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by planters

Your right about the source of the tissue.

The First Contact sold by Stanwax is expensive, but it works well and goes far. Is there more than one version?

OK. I won't get you started. I won't. I won't even mention it.

---

It is made in the USA close to 300evil in WI... If I recall correctly. I love acetone but steve hit it on the water thing... To be quite honest I have been tempted to use everclear as it is easier and cheaper to source but really still not pure enough.