Dirty lens on laser 303

[dirtylens]

Hi, I bought "laser 303" but it's dirty although I just bought it. How can I clean it ?

Note: First two pictures on removed cap.

 

[Encap]

Would be a good idea to introduce yourself in the Welcome section if you want or expect help.

Nick and problem same thing?

You can't expect perfection or too much from lowest cost mass produced lasers.
All 301/303/305 lasers are hit of miss in many ways. At least you didn't get a DOA one.

If you are not just trolling or doing a hit and run question--I can spoon feed you this much----Use the LPF Search function at bottom of page----there are many threads on lens cleaning.
Here is one: http://laserpointerforums.com/f49/lens-cleaning-66293.html

 

[dirtylens]

This is not troll I tried acetone, cologne(I can't find pure alcohol) with q tips and result is negative. After I tried hair dryer for blow air but the problem continues.

 

[Encap]

This is not troll I tried acetone, cologne(I can't find pure alcohol) with q tips and result is negative. After I tried hair dryer for blow air but the problem continues.

Cologne, and a hair dryer? How old are you? :crackup:

Maybe that is just the way it is and it is not dirty at all.
Doesn't look particularly dirty from your pictures. Try focusing it using the knurled black focus adjuster on the front end.

If the lens is plastic, cleaning it will probably just scratch it up.
If it's a cheap green laser, the lenses are terrible quality and will not tolerate any cleaning well.

Use the LPF search to find out how to clean a lens --- if it is not worth your time to do so why would it be worth anyone's time to tell you??

Go to a Camera shop or a Glasses shop and ask how to clean a lens, perhaps. Plenty of lenses there.

Try this link: http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/quick-guide-laser-301-lens-cleaning-89539.html

 

[dirtylens]

I'm 16, high school student I have limited stuff so I will try your last link if it doesn't work Is it useful to inflate the balloon and squeeze the air inside?

 

[deadshadow]

I'm 16, high school student I have limited stuff so I will try your last link if it doesn't work Is it useful to inflate the balloon and squeeze the air inside?

now you seriously thought about a squeeze balloon? :crackup:
they sell air dust sprays at the shops, maybe it would be a good idea to selling balloons for cleaning

 

[paul1598419]

Those lenses are acrylic and will melt with acetone. You should never use acetone even on glass lenses as it may remove the AR coating. Use lens cleaning solution if you must, with a lint free cloth. This is from your other thread on the same subject.

 

[Alien Laser]

hehe try to use none alcohol cleaners something you clean camera lens then use a vacuum to vacuum it, when using the vacuum hold your laser or i will be sucked in lol
this laser shift in mode and sometimes if its to cold or to hot ( humid ) the will shift in to a different mode and it looks like dirty and its not its just the way IR diodes operate in this laser or if you use mist (water vapor ) it could cause this problem.

 

[dirtylens]

Cologne, and a hair dryer? How old are you? :crackup:

Maybe that is just the way it is and it is not dirty at all.
Doesn't look particularly dirty from your pictures. Try focusing it using the knurled black focus adjuster on the front end.

If the lens is plastic, cleaning it will probably just scratch it up.
If it's a cheap green laser, the lenses are terrible quality and will not tolerate any cleaning well.

Use the LPF search to find out how to clean a lens --- if it is not worth your time to do so why would it be worth anyone's time to tell you??

Go to a Camera shop or a Glasses shop and ask how to clean a lens, perhaps. Plenty of lenses there.

Try this link: http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/quick-guide-laser-301-lens-cleaning-89539.html

Hi, I tried your last link before buy cleaning solution but that thing is not coming out

 

[lasersbee]

Hi, I tried your last link before buy cleaning solution but that thing is not coming out

I know you are new here but you will need to
resize your pics to the default 800 X 600 pixels
so that ALL members can see them without
needing to scroll 2 screens to the right to see
them...:beer:

Jerry

 

[diachi]

Yup, the acetone melted that good.

99% Isopropyl alcohol should be fine for cleaning acrylic lenses in future, just don't leave them soaking in it.

 

[dirtylens]

Thank you i'll use 800 X 600 pixels when a share a image again. So you say laser lens is dead and should I throw it away? or Is it possible to remove and replace the lens?

 

[diachi]

Thank you i'll use 800 X 600 pixels when a share a image again. So you say laser lens is dead and should I throw it away? or Is it possible to remove and replace the lens?

Sure, it could be replaced, but for the sake of an $8 laser, does it really make sense? By the time you acquire another lens you'll probably have spent about the same as you'd have spent on a new laser.

 

[paul1598419]

I had a feeling that lens would look just like it does. Never, ever use acetone to clean optics of any kind. At best you will strip off the AR coating and at worst, you get what you got.

 

[diachi]

I had a feeling that lens would look just like it does. Never, ever use acetone to clean optics of any kind. At best you will strip off the AR coating and at worst, you get what you got.

Chemicals and Supplies for Optics Cleaning


For hard-coated (or uncoated) glass optics, you will need the following:

1. Ultra high purity methanol - gas chromatograph grade or spectroscopic grade.
2. Ultra high purity acetone - gas chromatograph grade or spectroscopic grade.
3. For really bad fingerprints, hydrogen peroxide (3%) and high purity laboratory distilled water.
4. Sterile Throat Swabs in individual packages on wood sticks without glue. Puritan(tm) and Qtips(tm) brands don't seem to have glue when purchased from a pharmacist in sterile form. Unwind the cotton carefully to look for glue. (Have your friendly Pharmacist order you a case - it's cheaper!)
5. Lens tissue from a lab supplier in sealed envelopes. Using generic photographic tissue is not recommended. When I did a survey of laser refurb techs and light show techs, most recommended the Kodak tissue as it is sold in sealed packs. Many inexpensive tissues have impurities that can scratch soft laser optics.

Saying never use acetone to clean any optic ever isn't correct. Acetone is a great solvent for cleaning many optics (not acrylic, as the OP has made quite obvious for anyone that didn't know), as long as they're glass (or other material not soluble in acetone) and are hard coated. If they weren't hard coated then almost any solvent you use is likely to damage them anyway.

 

[paul1598419]

My point was most optics are coated. I agree that if you have uncoated glass, acetone if fine. How often do you see uncoated laser optics? Sure, you can find an example or two, but really how many are uncoated?

I disagree that distilled water will damage coated optics. It is definitely a solvent.