Have you ever scratched a reflector by trying to clean dust or finger prints?

You can see the archived poll results on the Wayback Machine:

https://web.archive.org/web/20221220093741/https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/72650

Yep, cant so much as touch them.

Chris

No stern looks either. Just subtle glances; otherwise, be ready to buy a new one. :slight_smile:

If aluminum… maybe you can pull it off.
If plastic, forget it.

If you really do have to clean it, don’t forget to use the trick to put screen protectors on your Smart-Phone/Tablet so there’s not a single speck of dust on the screen.

Go into the bathroom, turn on the shower as hot as it goes, wait 10-minutes for it to really steam up the bathroom.
The moisture sticks to the dust and makes it drop to the floor; so there’s no dust floating around your bathroom (at the time).

Take tech device into hot steaming bathroom, apply screen protector (or clean lens - clean reflector, whatever); congratulate yourself for getting a perfect score on your mission; now figure out how to explain to fellow household members why you really haven’t lost your mind :stuck_out_tongue:

Probably overkill for cleaning flashlight reflectors, but I’ve heard very good things about this First Contact cleaner:

$48 per ounce….

… Elmers glue as a budget option? :smiley:

I have thought of replacements, and perhaps diluted Elmer’s glue would work? Gotta try it out. :slight_smile:

There is away to clean reflectors. If it does not work dont try any harder.

That product is just rip-off priced collodion. Collodion has been around for a very long time.
Works well on low curvature telescope mirrors. It would be hard to peel from a flashlight reflector, better to go with a no touch ultrasonic bath style jewellery cleaner.

Very interesting, thanks for noting that.

1/4 oz. collodion is $8.29 in Amazon, not too much cheaper than the cleaner.

I think it would be useful for my laser lenses, as they are very sensitive and expensive. Time to make some myself!

Don’t buy from Amazon.
It’s most common use is as a medical adhesive for electrodes so pick some up from your local medical supply house. The stuff is priced moderately.

10 oz. bottle-$33
16 oz. bottle, ether free-$30

Thanks for the link!

I’ll have a look around and see if I can get my hands on this awesome stuff. :slight_smile:

It seems most of us have learned not to touch reflectors the hard way. I know I did anyway.

Excellent information Ryan, thanks! Wonder if that will work on a full frame digital camera sensor? Hmmmm.....

Yeah. The asgard/TY-08 scratches super duper easy.

I was wondering that as I watched the video, but my EOS 40D with it’s 1:1.6 cropped sensor probably doesn’t warrant the cost.

The only time this ever happens to me is if I try to clean or touch one. Never happens otherwise.

I have found that a 1 part Parsons Ammonia to 10 parts distilled water and 3 minutes or so in an ultrasonic works like a champ on plastic or aluminum reflectors. Blow them dry with compressed air. NO TOUCHY!!!

The little ultrasonic jewelry cleaners can be found even at Walmart. I use an industrial ultrasonic but only because we use it for other cleaning. The industrial units can be found on E-bay sometimes for pennies on the $$. ... even new. Beware of used units.

Dan.

Any ideas about this unit?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultrasonic-Cleaner-Jewelry-Dental-Watch-Glasses-Toothbrushes-Cleaning-Tool-600ml-/330722654674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d009b39d2

Ha Ha, you got that one right. When I bought my Sunwayman C20C I noticed a LITTLE dust on the reflector and STUPID me LIGHTLY tried to wipe it off and noticed that I was putting some minor scratches on it. Of course I stopped what I was doing but it was all over but the crying. Thank god I stopped when I did.

New clean cotton ball with a little spritz of isopropyl, then dry with more cotton balls until any streaks are gone. Letting it dry on its own leaves spots, cotton balls won't leave scratches. Q-tips don't work - they're packed too densely and will scratch, and fluffing up one end (watch it...) will transfer oils from your fingers and you just end up with more smudges than you started with.