Clleaning Offdust motes

[TrevorW]

Could I use a mini airbrush compressor to blow off dust on my optics etc

[Stonius (Markus)]

Many people say no because there can be oil or solvents in the air stream. On the other hand professional film shoots use canned air on lenses that are worth as much as a house, so go figure :-)

[TrevorW]

Originally Posted by Stonius

Many people say no because there can be oil or solvents in the air stream. On the other hand professional film shoots use canned air on lenses that are worth as much as a house, so go figure :-)

In which particular part of the airstream ??

[Mickoid (Michael)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

In which particular part of the airstream ??

I think Markus means the airstream from the airbrush gun. Compressors use oil to lubricate the pistons that compress the air and some of that oil may work its way into the airstream.

[markas (Mark)]

Trevor,
If you are concerned with the telescope mirrors, it is best to leave well alone - until they are very obviously compromising performance. Then washing is the best answer, but don't embark on this without consulting the instructions, at least N times

For camera windows, filters, and lenses, I use Visible Dust brushes which are activated by fast rotation in air. I also use a small USB powered vacuum brush, for inside filter wheels etc. For very intractable dust specks I use a very soft microfibre cloth dampened with a Visible Dust solution called SmearAway. I never use blowers of any kind because they tend to just shift dust around the area.

I have also found that cleaning filters and camera windows should not be undertaken in a humid atmosphere.

Hope this helps,
Mark

[bluesilver (Peter)]

This may not be what you are referring to, but for actual cleaning the mirrors i have made up this solution and used with cotton wool, woks a treat.
http://arksky.org/asoclean.htm

[TrevorW]

Thanks for the feedback