Wiping the coated surefire lenses?

How do I do it w/o scratching the coating?

I lick mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Scott

It is fine to clean the outside of the window. The coatings are on the inside face of the window. A bit more care should be taken cleaning the inside. Not may models have accessible insides though.

Users of SureFire WeaponLights clean the blast residue off using an old toothbrush and warm water I've heard.

ok, so it's not coated inside and out? Thanks

Wait, on my L4, if I take a breath on it, you see the coating on the outside..

Tried using a camera lens cleaning kit? Those usually involve a soft brush or a lint free soft cloth that is designed to lift off dust rather than dragging it across the lens and scratching it.

Best to use a microfiber cloth or lens cleaning tissue, and also best to use it damp or moist to reduce scratching.

Of course, a flashlight lens is not nearly as expensive as a camera lens, nor is the condition of the coating as critical. Plus, it should be easily replaceable. Just depends on how compulsive you want to be about it.

They may be coated on the outside. I'm not certain. I clean the outside surface of my more-often used SureFires using spit and the corner of my shirt. No frills.

I guess it depends on how dirty it is whether it needs a bit of washing up liquid.

I'm just wondering whether you're after a crude approach to remove real dirt on a tool that's used, or an anal approach for a display-case flashlight (in which case why would it be dirty?!)

Al

Thanks. I don't mind the light looking like hell, but I'm really anal about stuff on the lens.

Which Surefire lights have coated lens? I don't see any coating on any of my (KL4, KL5, KL1-4th, C2) lights, or am I just not looking closely enough?

Jan

I always use some type of cloth. Never use any sort of paper product like "kleenex" or toilet paper because the microscopic wood fibres can be abrassive. I wear eye glasses so I know from experience that coatings are very delicate.

All of SureFire's Pyrex and Lexan windows are coated (these coatings include Anti-Reflection layers). The coatings improve light through-put.

The coating is not always obvious (sometimes more obvious and sometimes not so). If you look at the window from an 'off-angle' (glancing angle) you can sometimes see the reflections have a blue/purple tint to them.

Garageboy,
If we can all agree that the anti-reflective coating on the windows of our lights is the same as that on our computer monitor glass, then this is what works for me.....
The only solution that removes "residue" from these surfaces is a mild hand dishwashing soap (Palmolive, Joy, Ajax, Dawn, etc.), which acts as a degreaser. Windex doesn't cut through grease. It spreads it. Alcohol doesn't cut through grease. It spreads it. Other glass cleaners do not cut through grease, and contain ammonia which may be (?) harmful to the coating. I have tried them all, with poor results.

To clean your light windows of all residue, wet any cotton cloth type material in warm water, and work a little hand dishwashing soap into it. Cloth won't scratch any surface if it is wet. It will leave lint, but we can remove that later. Make sure it isn't dripping wet, in case your water resistant seal up front is not working. Keep wiping until you hear that "squeaky clean" sound. Then take another slightly wet cloth without the soap, and wipe up the soapy residue. Do this a few times until the window looks like a clear window. The last step is to use one of those lint-free eyeglass clothes to polish the window without leaving the lint or fibers that cloth materials leave. If the surface is very dirty to begin with, you may need to do the hand dishwashing soap phase again. Remember that the grease must be lifted onto the cloth, for the job to be done. Rest assured that when you are done, you will not see anything on the window, and you will not see that "rainbow type" effect of light being reflected off the window by the grease resting on the coating.

I am not sure about SF windows, but the aftermarket UCL ones we get from Flashlightlens.com, come coated on both sides.

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beezaur said:
I lick mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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LOL! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif

I also wanted to ask about dust and other things that get inside of the bezel. I carefully use a canister vac and a straw to suck out those particles. What do you guys do; is there a better method? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

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luxlover said:
...this is what works for me...The only solution that removes "residue" from these surfaces is a mild hand dishwashing soap...

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Thanks for that anti-grease tip; just saved it in my CPF folder.

Brightnorm

I use a well aged soft chamois cloth. good enough for panavison an arriflex movie camera's with zeiss, nikon and HB len's it will be fine for a flashlight. you can spit/lick and wipe, or moisten one end go over it once, then use the dry end.
Chammies retain a bit of natural oil that leave no visable residue but clean's fully, grease, water, dirt etc. use the the "flesh" side,(sorta furry) also a zeiss brand lens cloth is about the finest I have found of the store bought lens cloth's. VDG

I'll head over to B&H. I'll grab either a chamois or a microfiber. Do I use these dry?
Arriflex and Zeiss rocks. Kinoptik lenses =D

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GarageBoy said:
I'll head over to B&H. I'll grab either a chamois or a microfiber. Do I use these dry?
Arriflex and Zeiss rocks. Kinoptik lenses =D

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make sure to get a "real" chammy, that is high quality
and no pill's or hard spot's, work's like a dream. VDG

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Vortex said:
I always use some type of cloth. Never use any sort of paper product like "kleenex" or toilet paper because the microscopic wood fibres can be abrassive. I wear eye glasses so I know from experience that coatings are very delicate.

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wow - imagine what its doing to your ***... LOL

Toilet Paper is recycled paper..think of all the newspapers you're wiping with