Question from Newbie regarding cleaning mirror

I recently purchased used an Orion 8" Dob. The mirror looks like it could use a cleaning. I wanted to ask before trying to take anything apart. It looks like it comes out of the back fairly easily. Are there any tricks I need to know? Thanks for all your help!

Unless the mirror is absolutely filthy, DON'T clean it. A little dust and even some smudges will look much, much, worse than they are. Live with it for a while until you have had the chance to learn good collimation and have a pretty good idea how your scope functions. It probably isn't hurting the views as much as you imagine.

When you can finally no longer stand it, clean it then. I like to soak the mirror for 15 minutes in a solution of room temperature distilled water, a little pure alcohol and a drop or two of liquid detergent. Then use fresh cotton swaps to wipe the stubborn dirt loose, no scrubbing (one gentle wipe each, do not reuse). Rinse the clean mirror with fresh distilled water and the drops should run right off when the mirror is stood on edge to dry. Use the corner of a clean tissue to soak up any stubborn droplets. That should do it for a few more years depending on how dirty your viewing site is.

That's the basic process in a nutshell. Bottom line, clean as little as possible. That's the real trick.

good luck,
dan

Mark Aguirre said:

I recently purchased used an Orion 8" Dob. The mirror looks like it could use a cleaning. I wanted to ask before trying to take anything apart. It looks like it comes out of the back fairly easily. Are there any tricks I need to know? Thanks for all your help!

You can get rid of a lot of dirt without much fear of damaging the mirror. Place it in the sink on a towel (face up, of course). Make up a dilute solution of water and a mild detergent. At this point, tap water is fine, but you can use distilled water if it worries you. Pour the solution over the mirror and then let it sit for a few minutes.

Rinse thoroughly with tap water, and then with distilled water. If you tilt the mirror, most of the water will flow off, leaving just a few drops or steaks. You can use the edge of a Kleenix or other tissue to get rid of the remaining drops.

In my experience, anything dragged, no matter how lightly, across the surface will create minor scratches or sleeks. The mirror has some gritty stuff on it, and it gets dragged along with cotton balls, old undershirts, or whatever anyone recommends.

Clear skies, Alan

And while I agree with the previous advice provided...no need to clean until it is really necessary and necessary is actually pretty dirty...

When it is time to clean, don't be afraid to clean it...

Using the methodologies outlined by the others and using a bit of common sense should see you through. Cleaning a mirror is not something that needs to be feared.

Mark Aguirre said:

I recently purchased used an Orion 8" Dob. The mirror looks like it could use a cleaning. I wanted to ask before trying to take anything apart. It looks like it comes out of the back fairly easily. Are there any tricks I need to know? Thanks for all your help!

Bottom line? Don't. Not unless it's covered with bird poop and dead bugs. You will do far more damage in cleaning that a few dust specks will ever do. Leaver her alone.