As a service technician from Carl Zeiss ( I mean, an old technician
from the old school) I have to recommend caution when you read
cleaning documentation from microscope manufacturer. I read
this "thecleanmicroscope.pdf file" from Carl Zeiss and I have to
say: I was not very impressed.

There are several recommendation which do not agree with the
training we did receive in the famous old "Carl Zeiss Ausbildung
Center"

We have been told: never, never use Q-tips from commercial
manufacturer, because this Q-tips are made by machine and to start
to roll the cotton, this manufacturers uses generally glue. The
glue will melt, depending the cleaning agent you do use, and the
result is going to be very ugly. We spent hours learning to do
our own Q-tips using a simple wood stick and rolling our pure
cotton. I do not believe, we did this only for fun.

There is also mention in this document to use such wipe because you
can use it several time. In my book, it is wrong. Whatever
material you do use, use it one time and throw it away. Use a clean
one if your cleaning is not acceptable.

Also, the recommendation of cleaning agent is not correct.
Cleaning agents are different in different countries. Also the law
about chemical uses and purchases are different too. The most
important is not the cleaning agent, it is how sparely you do use it.

You do need to realize, microscopes have been build for over hundred
years. Materials and cements have changed a lot. Cements are
new, and be careful, newer microscopes have much more plastic.

The best recommendation for cleaning is : caution, caution and more
caution.

Accident happen, and service technicians are not an exception.

In 1972, I was cleaning microscopes at the Cape town University, in
South Africa, when the professor in charge asked me nicely if I
would clean his private camera. I wanted to please him and help
him. 30 sec. later, I did realized with horror, I was cleaning his
plastic lens with chloroform.

Caution, caution........

:-) emile


--- In Microscope@yahoogroups.com, "Piotr Rotkiewicz" <euplotes@...>
wrote:
>
> Tom,
>
> Zeiss recommends petroleum ether (a highly volatile petroleum
fraction)
> as a good immersion oil cleaning agent:
>
>
http://www.zeiss.com/C1256F8500454979/0/C6357CD1145CCC34C125705200424
8CE/$file/thecleanmicroscope.pdf
>
> You can buy small amounts of the petroleum ether from here:
>
>
http://www.onlinesciencemall.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/1829763
/vpcsid/0/SFV/30852
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Piotr
>
> On 7/13/06, Thomas Ashcraft <ashcraft@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Often I read, including here in the microscope list message
archives,
> > that "lighter fluid" can be used for cleaning immersion oil off
of an
> > oil objective. But no one mentions a specific brand or any
further
> > cautions.
> >
> > I just got some Ronson brand lighter fluid and it doesn't list
its full
> > ingredients but does advertise that it contains naptha. It
doesn't
> > mention xylene.
> >
> > It seems to me that "lighter fluid" might be very impure so I am
> > hesitant to try it.
> >
> > So then, any further advice or specific cautions as to
using "lighter
> > fluid" for oil immersion objective cleaning?
> >
> > Thanks. - Tom
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>