Hercules lens scratched? Please help me !!

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Some times ago my Hercules dot become imperfect: around it I could see some unwanted spots. Following some professionist instructions, I have unmounted the open shutter mechanism and cleaned the len with the most professional and delicate products: a fresh glasses microfiber cloth with isoprophilic alcohol, then cotton fiocc, and at last a teflon tape. The results? Now I can see a couple of dots, patterns, lines and every dust and garbage imaginable! It seems to be in the middle of a starry sky! Every time that I redo the procedure, the issues increase. I think that Hercules lens was made by quality glass and not cheap acrylic, so that lens will be less delicate and more easy cleanable, but the results leave me full of doubts. What can I do now? The len is not twistable because is fixed with a white strong paste in the main module. The look of the spot now is very ugly and unacceptable: no more a perfect clean round dot, but a dot surrounded by every imaginable junk!

Richard.

 

[jander6442]

You could as a last resort remove and replace that IR filter. You could also just leave it.out.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Hello and thanks for the quick reply.
Sorry but I do not see any IR filter. Probabily the len is IR coated or have a filter inside the main body, between the diode ant the last len. I can see only a little len mounted and blocked by a strong white paste ... no action will be made on that len!

 

[jeffreythe00]

Could you please post photos of the lens you cleaned? Also could you post pics of the dot as well? It might be repairable but I will need to see photos of the lens at the very least .

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[jander6442]

That is the IR lens could be the filter as called here before... I don't see how it got all scratched up seems you took all precautions.

I would have just used a water with a very small amount of soap skipping the alcohol.

 

[Encap]

Contact LaserGlow ask them what to do. They can send you a new lens if you can install it-- if not then send it back to LaserGlow for lens replacement.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Thanks to all! These are the requested photos:

 

[Eudaimonium]

I can't seem to open the photos in full resolution. ImageShack irritates me a lot.

It appears it's merely dirty, not scratched.

I'd guess your procedure for cleaning the lens wasn't good.

Use a cotton swap (q-tips) and some at least 70% cleaning alcohol, 90+% prefereable.

Use the cotton to apply and VERY GENTLY rub the alcohol on the lens. Continue to do so until the alcohol evaporates. If you leave it still in liquid form, when it does evaporate it might leave blotches like ones you are having now.

Do not apply pressure to the lens, it will scratch it. Just very gently wet the lens with alcohol and move it around. If needed, use the other side of the q-tip (the dry side) to pick up alcohol after it's applied.

If all fails, you can send it to somebody for cleaning.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Hello!
If You click the link and the click the photo, You will got the full resolution!
I have tried everything, but the situation rest the same.
The len has some green/blue/brown reflections, so I think that the len is AR coated.
Probabily the coated is now partially damaged, and this can be the reason of the multiple patterns.
As last try, before to send all the laser back to Laserglow, I can try to remove all the residual IR coating with 3M extra-fine finishing abrasive paste ..

Richard.

 

[jeffreythe00]

I agree with eudaimonium. I really believe the lens is just filthy which is why I asked you for photos. Your coating could be damaged too but I really think its residue from whatever cleaner you used.

Dont try to remove the coating. Its a REALLY bad idea. If you think it looks horrible now... You dont even want to know what it would look like after you try to polish the coating off.

Try this. Clean the lens again "gently" and see if any of the scattered light moves. If it does then its residue.

 

[Eudaimonium]

Hello!
If You click the link and the click the photo, You will got the full resolution!
I have tried everything, but the situation rest the same.
The len has some green/blue/brown reflections, so I think that the len is AR coated.
Probabily the coated is now partially damaged, and this can be the reason of the multiple patterns.
As last try, before to send all the laser back to Laserglow, I can try to remove all the residual IR coating with 3M extra-fine finishing abrasive paste ..

Richard.

If I do exactly that, it just returns me to the homepage. No photo.

Anyway,

Like Jeff said, trying to get rid of all coating is a VERY bad idea.
If it's simply some crap on the lens you got from last attempt at cleaning, it will be easily removed with the correct procedure. That's most likely the case.

If it's indeed a destroyed coating, you are going to have to consider that, for all LaserGlow is concerned, the defect is your fault and could probably charge you a lot of money for repair or replace.

 

[Minamoto Kobayashi]

Hi to all.
Yes, every time that I try to clean the len, some lines and some patterns move, so may be really a question of bad cleaning.
I try to find in my town a specialized company to try to clean the len in a more professional way.
Hercules is a very expensive item, so to spent some money to restore it is a forced choice ...

 

[Eudaimonium]

Alright, let us know how it goes.

Also, note that the correct word is "lens" not "len".

One lens, three lenses.

 

[jeffreythe00]

Maybe some of these procedures could help.

Thorlabs.com - Tutorials

 

[HitShane]

Hi to all.
Yes, every time that I try to clean the len, some lines and some patterns move, so may be really a question of bad cleaning.
I try to find in my town a specialized company to try to clean the len in a more professional way.
Hercules is a very expensive item, so to spent some money to restore it is a forced choice ...

It seems like everytime you try to clean it you are in the process focusing the lens in or out more, or the whole thing is pushing in closer to your diode?

 

[RA_pierce]

In the pictures you posted I can see the smears on the lens. It can easily be cleaned.

I use the same cleaning procedure as Eudaimonium and get very good results.
90+% alcohol and cotton swabs.

I use one side to get a very small amount of alcohol to clean the surface of the lens with one gentle swipe then the other dry side to remove the wet alcohol so it does not leave a residue.

I use each swab for ONLY one or two swipes and repeat the process until the beam is very clean. Usually it only takes 4 to 5 swabs if the lens is very dirty.
Also, be sure to never touch the cotton or microfiber cloth that you use to clean the lens because it can transfer oils from your hands.

Here are a few more tips for keeping your lens clean:

• Keep the aperture shutter closed whenever the laser is not being used.
• Avoid removing the shutter unnecessarily to prevent exposure to dust.
• Do not blow on the lens with your mouth.
• It is normal for dust to accumulate on the lens over time. A can of compressed air or a rubber air-blower is useful for removing loose particles from the surface.
• Avoid cleaning the lens frequently or unnecessarily. The more you mess with it, the more likely it is to get dirty.
• Do not use paper towels or tissues. They contain wood fibers which can scratch the lens. Microfiber cloths and cotton swabs are best.
• ALWAYS BE GENTLE when cleaning the lens!

One more thing: Sometimes dust may get on the rear surface of the lens or another element inside the laser. It will be impossible to remove without disassembling the lens assembly. If this is the case, you may want to consult Laserglow and see if they can help you.
These lasers are relatively easy to disassemble and clean but I do not recommend you try it without first asking the staff at LG. It can void the warranty and you run the risk of damaging the optics.