What do you use to clean your laser?

[Darren Null]

The manual just refers to a 'cleaning fluid' for the lenses and mirrors. I know that all manufacturers are happy to sell you cleaning kits. I'm not particularly anxious to go another round with GCC because it's having a deletorious effect on my lifespan so far. Also, I'm loath to spend vast amounts on a small bottle of patent nostrum when I can get it in gallon drums round the corner for 1/10th of the price.

So. What is this mysterious cleaning fluid made of? Any answers gratefully received. Also, I know that lenses and mirrors should be on the daily cleaning schedule. Are there any other bits that should be paid particular attention to and how often does it need doing (guesstimate- I know it can change with materials and amount of use). Thanks.

As a related tip, to clean camera lenses, some pro photographers use cigarette rolling papers. The very thin semitranslucent ones. I've tried this and it works well. My camera lens is protected with a skylight filter and a quick rub over with a cigarette paper cleans all the cack and grease off it admirably with no apparent scratching. I don't know whether I'd risk it on the actual lens, but it works well on the semi-sacrificial skylight filter.

[Rodne Gold]

We use Kodak lens tissue , Kodak lens cleaning fluid and long wooden stemmed cotton swabs , all avialable from most photo places. You might save a few cents mixing your own fluid or trying some other swab or tissue , but it's really not worth it.
Thats what GCC recommends and supplys with thier lasers and it works
You use the drop and drag method for the mirrors , ie rest the tissue on em , drop a drop of lens cleaner on the tissue where it rests on the mirror and drag the tissue horizontally along the mirror to wipe off grime etc , maybe do this 2-3x with new tissue each time if its grimy. If you scrub the mirrors with anything you will mess them up , they are surface coated and the microscratches you leave on em by cleaning them in any other way other than the drop and drag method will dull them and reduce efficiency.
The lens is cleaned by the cotton swab and lens cleaner being real careful not to scratch the coating. Often its best to put a drop or 2 of lens cleaner on the lens and leave it for a minute or 2 to soften the grime rather than try remove it when its hard.
You can use other fluids on the lens , but we dont.

[Dave Schneider]

To clean my laser optics I use an Industrial Optical Cleaner specificly for Coated optics by General Production Services in Anaheim Ca.

Place a drop or 2 on the lens, then ROLL, NOT RUB a Q tip over the surface till all contaminates are removed. as a final clean I place a single drop on the lens and blow dry with purified air.

[Mike Null]

Darren

I agree with Rodney on the lens cleaning. For genral cleaning I use denatured alcohol or a diluted citrus cleaner. Nothing fancy and both available in bulk.

[Darren Null]

Thanks very much. I think I'm going to go with the Kodak lens tissue and cleaning fluid. Being a tourist town, there's lots of photography supply places around. Being Spain, anything that requires postage is not to be gone into lightly.

Thanks also for the techniques.

[Tom Cole]

I use everclear (absolute drinkable ethyl alcohol you can purchase in any liquor store). It takes the smoke residue off of all parts of my epilog better than any other thing I have tried including citrus and really basic solutions such as "crud cutter". For laser wood I use "pledge" to remove smoke residue, even on pieces I have pre-painted with spray paint.

[Mark Winlund]

As far as solutions go, I still am using the original bottle from ULS. A couple of times, the bottom lens got really crudded up from cutting acrylic. (not using the air assist) Left a hard sticky mess in the middle of the lens. Having nothing to lose, I scrubbed hard with the Q-tip... I even used my fingernail to get some of it loose. Result? No damage at all. None. Zero. Nada.

I wonder... I know what the manual says, but there it is. This has happened twice in 4 years. Also, the output of my machine is 140 watts.... plenty enough to bake the stuff on.

Has anyone damaged a lens by cleaning it? Mine seem indestructible.

Mark

[Mike Mackenzie]

Mark,

We used special Len's on your system;)

Actually you are very lucky you did not crack it. Usually with that much power you can break the lens once it gets that dirty. If it happens again try removing the debris with acetone it works pretty good to get stubborn build up off of the lens just don't soak it in the acetone it will break the glue loose that holds the lens into the bracket.

[Jim Watkins]

I just had my training for my EPILOG a few weeks ago and the trainer also suggested "EVERCLEAR" pure grain alcohol. He said it is extremely pure and works very well.

He also said daily cleaning to a surface mirror will hasten the damage to the surface as Rodne said. He suggested weekly unless a lot of wood is being done, then a few times a week at best.

My thoughts at least...