Telescope Reviews: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with?

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Equipment Discussions >> Cats & Casses

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orion61
Vendor(Clear Edge Optical)

Reged: 10/20/07

Loc: NW Iowa BURRRR

What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with?
#5681746 - 02/15/13 03:09 PM

I presume I am not the only person that does this, but what do you Wax/Polish your scope with?
Is there a special wax suggested..
As a Guitar Player I know Fender sells a Guitar wax that
is about $12.00 a Bottle of 2 oz.. turns out ro be Pledge

Edited by orion61 (02/15/13 03:22 PM)

Post Extras:

slyke
sage

Reged: 02/21/08

Re: What do you Polish your scope with? new

[Re: orion61]
#5681753 - 02/15/13 03:13 PM

Polish is a fine abrasive as are some commercial 'waxes'. Those are the last things I want near any optics.
-Stephen

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orion61
Vendor(Clear Edge Optical)

Reged: 10/20/07

Loc: NW Iowa BURRRR

Re: What do you Polish your scope with? new

[Re: slyke]
#5681775 - 02/15/13 03:23 PM

Sorry Stephen I didn't word that title right, I have edited it after your reply, I meant wax/polish your scopes paint job with..
My fault....

Post Extras:

t.r.
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/14/08

Loc: Upstate NY

Re: What do you Polish your scope with? new

[Re: orion61]
#5681799 - 02/15/13 03:36 PM

Yep, polish those lenses right up until they SHINE boys!

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Ed Holland
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 06/16/10

Loc: San Jose, CA and Oxford, UK

Re: What do you Polish your scope with? new

[Re: t.r.]
#5681976 - 02/15/13 05:04 PM

I've never polished a telescope. I were to consider it, I'd probably head for the turtle wax or some other similar non abrasive "finishing" product designed for automotive paint. Of course, this might make the tube slippery and harder to handle - one can definitely feel a difference in friction before and after waxing the car.

Ed

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*skyguy*
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 12/31/08

Loc: Western New York

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: orion61]
#5681998 - 02/15/13 05:17 PM

I've been using "Pledge Furniture Polish Spray" on my 12" SCT OTA for the past 12 years ... it still looks like new!

Post Extras:

rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: *skyguy*]
#5682025 - 02/15/13 05:30 PM

Yep...been using Pledge since the dadgum 80s.

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donnie3
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 12/15/04

Loc: bartlesville oklahoma

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: *skyguy*]
#5682026 - 02/15/13 05:31 PM

dont use wax!!!! i used some car wax on my meade 8" and after i did, it was slick as #$%^ and can easily slip out of your hands if your mounting it on a gem. the pledge furniture polish spray sounds like a good idea. donnie

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: rmollise]
#5682266 - 02/15/13 08:09 PM

Quote:

Yep...been using Pledge since the dadgum 80s.

I use the generic version of Pledge. That, dew and dust seem to do a good job.

Jon

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BigC
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/29/10

Loc: SE Indiana

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: donnie3]
#5682426 - 02/15/13 09:50 PM

Too late!

I use car wax,a nice carnuba.

It does make things slippery but no wax-caused disasters have happened here.

Using ANY aerosol is a lot scarier because I know some of it will get on the optics.

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*skyguy*
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 12/31/08

Loc: Western New York

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: BigC]
#5682529 - 02/15/13 10:57 PM

Quote:

Using ANY aerosol is a lot scarier because I know some of it will get on the optics.

I spray the Pledge on a cloth and make sure the optics are capped ... never a problem.

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: orion61]
#5682539 - 02/15/13 11:02 PM

Klasse All-in-One.

A German made acrylic protectant. Goes on clean and tidy. Buffs off clean and tidy. Doesn't smell. Great stuff and a very little goes a very long way, so a small container will last forever for scope use.

http://www.autogeek.net/klasseallinone.html

Regards,

Jim

Edited by jrbarnett (02/15/13 11:05 PM)

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Binojunky
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 12/25/10

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: jrbarnett]
#5683240 - 02/16/13 11:06 AM

Turtle wax works fine for me,used it for decades, all car polishes and household cleaners can have additives in them that are either abrasive or a solvent, the secret is to use lightly and sparingly,modern car polish is designed to not damage the clear coat,DA.

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jacktechie
super member

Reged: 03/20/08

Loc: SF Bay Area

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: Binojunky]
#5684587 - 02/17/13 02:36 AM

Filtered water through under cabinet system and a microcloth. Don't care about shiny, but worry about slippery barrels.
Jack

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aa6ww
sage

Reged: 10/23/11

Loc: Sacramento, Calif.

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: jacktechie]
#5686349 - 02/18/13 01:58 AM

I use turtle wax. I put a few coats on all my scopes, during my withdrawal period in the middle of winter. All but my TV-85 that is.
My Takahashi's have the absolute best paint you can image, like a quality show car. Glassy smooth and not a hint of orange peel.
My big APM refractor has lots of orange peel but looks nice waxed, but not nearly as beautiful a finish as my Tak's.
All my Celestrons and Orion scopes don't have that same luster, but they are all beautiful once a few coats of wax hits them.
I do this during the sorrowful nights of winter when its cold and raining outside.
I'm looking forward to a C8 Edge HD soon. I wonder how that finish compares to the aluminum gray tube finishes.
I use to wax my Carbon Fiber C8 before I sold it to my friend, that was a beautiful finished scope. Sold it to get ready for the Edge 8 HD, not for any particular reason other than to want an Edge now.

...Ralph

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Illinois
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 12/18/06

Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: aa6ww]
#5686535 - 02/18/13 07:53 AM

I never heard of it! Polish your scope? I only use clean white soft cloth to clean my scope but never on lens and mirror!

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Starman27
Post Laureate

Reged: 01/29/06

Loc: Illinois, Iowa

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: Illinois]
#5686625 - 02/18/13 09:02 AM

Clean microfiber cloths. I keep a dust cover on when mnot in use for a long period. I haven't waxed the 14 inch Meade and the TAKs don't need it.

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Eddgie
Postmaster

Reged: 02/01/06

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: orion61]
#5686685 - 02/18/13 09:47 AM

While there really isn't any need to, it won't hurt either, and for me, if I am going to wax something painted, I use car wax.

I like the hardness and durability of a good car wax, and when not exposed to the weather 24/7 should last a couple of years.

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: Eddgie]
#5687041 - 02/18/13 02:39 PM

Lucky post, Edgie.

It turned out AP uses Turtle Wax on their scopes.

-Rich

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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan

Reged: 02/28/06

Loc: Petaluma, CA

Re: What do you Polish your scope finish (paint )with? new

[Re: Eddgie]
#5689302 - 02/19/13 05:10 PM

Problem with car waxes is that they contain loads of petroleum distillates and which are prone to fuming and outgassing. Klasse is a non-toxic acrylic protectant that doesn't smell or outgas. It also lasts as long as all but the best high-carnuba-percentage car waxes. Cheap car waxes with no or low carnuba content are soft and don't last very long.

I wouldn't put a freshly waxed OTA into an enclosed container (storage box or bag) if I used a car wax. Klasse, though, is no problem in this regard.

Regards,

Jim

Edited by jrbarnett (02/19/13 05:14 PM)

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