Best techniques to clean RDS glass?

[ranger]

I have a smoky haze build up on my SRO. Are there best techniques for cleaning RDS lens without scratching, etc.? Thanks

[Duke]

Wet q tips then dry ones

But I’m new to RDS pistols

[Paul D]

I clean it like I clean a camera lens. Blow away any potential abrasive dust and debris. Spray lens cleaner and wipe with a cotton tip Qtip or lens cloth. If you have Shield RMS you really have to be careful.

[Tom Duffy]

I put a little Cat Crap paste on both outside elements with a Q tip, wipe off excess with clean side of Q tip and finish with a microfiber lens cloth. Cat Crap is supposed to help flow the water off the glass in rainy conditions.

[GJM]

Leupold lens pen.

[flyrodr]

Echoing GJM, I think the absolute safest way (least risk of damage to lens surface) is one of the lens pens offered by any number of camera/optics mfgrs. They're made to clean the (very) fragile sensors/mirrors/etc inside cameras. Some are combo sets, and include a liquid lens cleaner. Key thing the lens pens do that a household cotton swab doesn't do, is that the former don't shed cotton fibers on the optics surface (and they have only "soft" fiber/foam/material; no stray "hard" fibers that can be in household cotton swabs).

That said, I mostly use a microfiber cloth and "regular" lens cleaner from the optician that comes in a small pump spray bottle. I hold the slide upside down (so if I spray too much liquid it won't run down/get in the base of the optic), give the "glass" a tiny squirt, and wipe it off with a rolled up section of the microfiber cloth. Using the tip of a rolled up section prevents too much pressure from being applied (as might happen using just a finger to press the cloth against the lens), and makes getting into the corners easier. And, so far, I've only had to clean the front surface of my optics. Reaching the back surface, definitely a lens pen type "tool".

[41magfan]

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/feX0b2.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pofeX0b2j)

[Trukinjp13]

Damn I need to get on board with you guys. I just use whatever stuff comes in the screen protectors for our cell phones. Usually wipes and a glass cleaning cloth lmao.


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[ArgentFix]

My pistol RDS experience is limited to 12k through a P320 RX but I tend to over-lube, get a lot of GSR+oil crap on my lens, and thus have cleaned it often. With the slide off I wrap my fingers around, protecting the breech face, and give a generous spritz directly on the front lens with Windex.

44002

Paper towel to wipe the bulk of it, then small paper towel bits pushed around with a toothpick and/or q-tips to get into the corners.

But also I've realized the glass doesn't have to be perfect. With target focus, the glass can be pretty fucked up, even nearly blacked out, and the overall sight picture is good enough.

[GJM]

My pistol RDS experience is limited to 12k through a P320 RX but I tend to over-lube, get a lot of GSR+oil crap on my lens, and thus have cleaned it often. With the slide off I wrap my fingers around, protecting the breech face, and give a generous spritz directly on the front lens with Windex.

44002

Paper towel to wipe the bulk of it, then small paper towel bits pushed around with a toothpick and/or q-tips to get into the corners.

But also I've realized the glass doesn't have to be perfect. With target focus, the glass can be pretty fucked up, even nearly blacked out, and the overall sight picture is good enough.

Paper towel and Windex are both a big NO on aircraft windshields and I would be extremely careful about their use on a red dot — especially so on a Shield.

[flyrodr]

Paper towel and Windex are both a big NO on aircraft windshields and I would be extremely careful about their use on a red dot — especially so on a Shield.

Big this!! There's a bunch of "impact-proof", "shatter-resistant", etc. polymer materials used very successfully in GJM's example, goggles/face masks, eyeglasses, etc. But impact resistance isn't the same as non-scratching. I've ruined more than one pair of shatterproof prescription lenses by wiping off dried saltwater, using a paper towel, or similar "sins". What you can get away with on glass won't necessarily work on polymers. Microfiber cloths or lens pens are the way to go. But you have to keep the microfiber cloths clean! Toss them in the washing machine occasionally. And keep them in a plastic bag, e.g., Ziplock.

[Tom Duffy]

A lot of good points raised about how to clean a red dot. There’s an old photographic adage about it being better to keep a lens clean than to keep cleaning your lens. Not possible with a red dot so I’m not as careful as I would be when cleaning an old Leica lens for example. After shooting a couple hundred rounds the front element of my dot is full of powder residue and some oil. Best to get the crud off without grinding the abrasive stuff into the element or, as pointed out, letting your microfiber cloth become abrasive. I periodically wash my cloth in mild dish detergent, rinse throughly, and let it air dry. Fortunately, modern lens coatings are extremely hard and resistant to scratching. That said, using paper towels, tee shirts, etc. is going to lead to lots of micro scratches in the longer term which will really degrade the view in contrasty light.

[JRV]

RDS manufacturers need to take a hint from the cell phone industry and make easily-applicable and easily-removable cling-on transparent screen shields a thing.

Make from a micro-perforated material to prevent bubbles. Leave a little tab of extra material on a "corner" so you can get the material off without scraping at your lens.

Get a bunch of powder on the front of your objective? Peel and replace.

If someone is already doing this, or someone can explain a technical reason why this is not doable (coatings and adhesives?), please let me know.

[vandal]

Like the Thyrm product for weapon lights?


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[ArgentFix]

Paper towel and Windex are both a big NO on aircraft windshields and I would be extremely careful about their use on a red dot — especially so on a Shield.


Big this!! There's a bunch of "impact-proof", "shatter-resistant", etc. polymer materials used very successfully in GJM's example, goggles/face masks, eyeglasses, etc. But impact resistance isn't the same as non-scratching. I've ruined more than one pair of shatterproof prescription lenses by wiping off dried saltwater, using a paper towel, or similar "sins". What you can get away with on glass won't necessarily work on polymers. Microfiber cloths or lens pens are the way to go. But you have to keep the microfiber cloths clean! Toss them in the washing machine occasionally. And keep them in a plastic bag, e.g., Ziplock.

Points taken and thanks. Honestly I didn't expect the romeo1 to last this long but that's no reason not to clean it properly.

Don't do what I said :)

[JRV]

Like the Thyrm product for weapon lights?


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Basically, yes.

[Duke]

Sometimes I think I just open threads here so I’ll know what the next thing I’m
Supposed to buy is.....

44087

[ranger]

Thanks for all the insights. I ordered a lens cleaning kit of Amazon and cleaned my SRO lens with no issue. Got it dirty again today!

[UNM1136]

RDS manufacturers need to take a hint from the cell phone industry and make easily-applicable and easily-removable cling-on transparent screen shields a thing.

Make from a micro-perforated material to prevent bubbles. Leave a little tab of extra material on a "corner" so you can get the material off without scraping at your lens.

Get a bunch of powder on the front of your objective? Peel and replace.

If someone is already doing this, or someone can explain a technical reason why this is not doable (coatings and adhesives?), please let me know.

I remember 35 yeas ago going with my dad to a dirt track to watch several classes of cars from midgets on up make a mindnumbing number of left hand turns. The race helmets at the time had clear peel away film on on the face, and when they got mud splattered the driver would peel off the outer layer and toss it.

pat

[txdpd]

If someone is already doing this, or someone can explain a technical reason why this is not doable (coatings and adhesives?), please let me know.

Too much curve in the lenses. A glass product would have to be custom ground to that specific lens and correctly oriented at installation. A film would have to molded with the correct curve or perfectly scored to prevent wrinkles and visible lines. Too hard to manufacture and install.


Paper towel and Windex are both a big NO on aircraft windshields and I would be extremely careful about their use on a red dot — especially so on a Shield.

Ammonia, the cleaner in windex, will degrade polycarbonate and cause it to haze and crack. Paper towels hold dirt on their surface, so it’s basically wet sanding, on a soft surface like polycarbonate micro scratches add up after a while. Neither one spell doom from one time use, the damage is subtle and adds up after a while. It won’t hurt glass but Id be wary about the lens coating.

The catch with the disposable lens wipes is that like paper towels they hold dirt on their surface. They aren't lying when they say the wipes won't scratch lenses but they are skipping over some minor details about what really causes scratches.

It’s hard to beat a clean microfiber and a couple drops of water.