Need advice on cleaning burnt smoke off boro lens

[Bimmerboy]

Hi all,

Last spring, I got in the habit of lighting fire pit with one of my incan blasters, named Beelzebulb (Musical-flashlight-from-hell-now-with-fire!). Long story short, the borofloat lens has a burnt on coating from the smoke that I have not been able to get off. It's pretty thick too as I let it build up over multiple fire starts, thinking it would come off easily. I've tried hot water soaks, vinegar, the edge of a plastic credit card, etc., with no success.

Is there a tried and true method of getting this burnt stuff off? And while we're at it, the residue is also on the polished Kiu stainless bezel. Is there a good cleaner to take that off with no scratching?

Thanks!

 

[hiuintahs]

This might be a wild shot. But I have some glass cleaner for my wood burning stove. The glass doors get sooty and hard to clean off with typical home based cleaners. "Rutland's Conditioning Glass Cleaner for Stove, Grill and Hearth" works like a charm. It's a cream and I put a dab on a paper towell, rub it a bit and it just wipes off clean. There is no abrasives in the cream at all.

 

[Str8stroke]

Oh wow, I suggest trying Citric Acid. You can also make some sour gummy worms at the same time!

If not, 2000 grit sand paper?

 

[Bimmerboy]

"Rutland's Conditioning Glass Cleaner for Stove, Grill and Hearth"

Interesting! To make it worthwhile to buy as opposed to just getting a replacement lens, I thought perhaps it might also be good for my horrendous oven window. Upon googling though, I see there is no recommendation for using it in ovens, and also leaves a coating. Excellent to know about this stuff though. Thanks!

Oh wow, I suggest trying Citric Acid. You can also make some sour gummy worms at the same time!

If not, 2000 grit sand paper?

No citric acid, but I do have a bottle of Goo Gone, and an interesting new gummy worm recipe. :devil:


Will try boiling instead of just hot tap water to see if the stuff softens at all, but am starting to think I should just get some fresh lenses. Getting it off the stainless bezel may be the bigger problem.

 

[slumber]

I've heard guys use Simple Green to clean weapon mounted lights with carbon build up on the lens. I saw one guy state that Surefire recommends using it, but I don't know that it's true. Might be worth a try.

 

[NoNotAgain]

As long as the borofloat glass doesn't have an anti reflective coating on it, Easy-Off oven cleaner will remove the grime.

You can also use, mineral spirits and OOO steel wool to cut the carbon build up on the lens.

 

[Str8stroke]

I use the Citric Acid on everything. Making a paste and spraying water on it to keep it wet for a few hours works wonders. It can usually be found in the baking section of the grocery. When you are done cleaning rust off tools, and that grimy light you got off eBay, sprinkle it on some gummy bears or worms and let the kids have at it! lol It is by far the tastiest cleaner I have ever eaten.

Once a year, I pull the knobs off the sinks and the plastic water air thingy and soak them. We have hard water and a few hours soaking breaks all the soap, toothpaste and scale off.

 

[chewy78]

use some sand paper

 

[Juggernaut]

I'm assuming the sand paper suggestions are sarcasm or am I underestimating the hardness of boro? I know the quarts in sand paper will scratch normal glass with ease. When my lens get smoke covered I always just used steel wool, as steel is softer than glass.

 

[chewy78]

I'm assuming the sand paper suggestions are sarcasm or am I underestimating the hardness of boro? I know the quarts in sand paper will scratch normal glass with ease. When my lens get smoke covered I always just used steel wool, as steel is softer than glass.

:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs

 

[Bimmerboy]

Thanks, everyone! I've got either 000 or 0000 steel wool, and will give that a try.

And, if sandpaper is a good idea, a bench grinder must be even better!

 

[NoNotAgain]

Thanks, everyone! I've got either 000 or 0000 steel wool, and will give that a try.

And, if sandpaper is a good idea, a bench grinder must be even better!

If a bench grinder is a good idea, then a center less grinder would be a most excellent one. 12" diameter and 4 inches wide with lots of HP. :thumbsup: :naughty: Don't try this at home kids.

Most hydrocarbon solvents do a good job of cutting carbon build up. Mineral spirits is good due to the high evaporation point meaning it stays wet instead evaporating.

 

[NoNotAgain]

Bring back the Filet-O-Fish! Filet-O-Fish! Filet-O-Fish! Filet-O-Fish!

 

[bykfixer]

I use bar keepers friend to get baked on brake dust off alluminum wheels. Make a paste with a toothbrush and work it in circles.

It has a mild acid in it similar to the stuff folks spray on concrete to cause the paste to wash off the next day for that exposed aggregate look.

It also works on other car parts with baked on soot like water pumps and power steering pumps.

But if the lens is anti reflective coated that's already trashed. So it'll probably never be the same no matter how it gets clean.

For coated camera lenses there is a tool that looks like an eraser on one end and a soft dust brush on the other.
It's made by ProMaster and others. It makes quick work of removing finger prints and smudges on those nano coated camera lenses that scratch when you look at them wrong....


^^ if memory serves $6-8 at a camera store
Theses or similar are available on the web.

 

[nimdabew]

Pencil eraser.