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The black rotating piece that adjusts the focus on the camera for our robot was recently broken and wouldn't attach. We superglued it back on, and a bit of residue was lining the outer edge of the lens. Somebody saw this and tried to clean it (I'm assuming by wiping it with a cloth), and the residue was spread across the camera lens. We tested the camera and it's virtually useless unless we can clean the lens. We tried rubbing alcohol, and have yet to test the image, but the lens looks too covered with the residue for that to have worked. Somebody recommended trying Goo-gone, is there any potential for that to damage the lens?
Andrew Lawrence
10-03-2011, 20:34
Our camera broke too!
WileyB-J
10-03-2011, 20:39
little bit of gasoline on a q-tip might work
little bit of gasoline on a q-tip might work
Bad idea.
super glue is dissolved by acetone/aka nail polish remover.
you can use that to clean off.
not that not all nail polish removers are acetone(no odor ones are not acetone)
hope this helps.
MrForbes
11-03-2011, 10:01
Whatever you use to clean the glue off might dissolve the plastic parts.
Is the lens a standard small security camera lens? if so you might find a new one pretty reasonable...might take several days to get it though.
http://www.supercircuits.com/Camera-Lenses/
team 3311
11-03-2011, 12:40
Nail polish remover should work fine. Just aplie it with a qtip to reduce the chance of spreding it on place where you don't want it
Whatever you use to clean the glue off might dissolve the plastic parts.
Acetone dissolves many plastics.
WileyB-J
11-03-2011, 21:54
Aha, im not talking about an arsonists amount of gasoline, but just a dab on the end of a qtip should work. (unless you're shaking like a hooker in church)
From wikipedia:
Acetone, which is commonly found in nail polish remover, is a widely available solvent capable of softening cured cyanoacrylate. Nitromethane is also an excellent solvent. Dimethyl sulfoxide can be used as solvent too. Methylene chloride is the most effective solvent, but is toxic. Gamma-butyrolactone is also effective at removing cured cyanoacrylate, and has low toxicity.
Methylene Chloride is found in many paint-stripping products. Read the label to find out.
From wikipedia:
Methylene Chloride is found in many paint-stripping products. Read the label to find out.
I'll be sure to check our bottle of nail polish remover when we get back on Monday. Thank you all for the suggestions, I think that if the nail polish remover doesn't have Methylene Chloride we'll go ahead and try that.
Al Skierkiewicz
12-03-2011, 07:50
Guys, the lens in the camera is a hard plastic material and acetone or other solvent is just going to make things worse. The lens does screw into the mounting that is attached to the pickup as I remember. I have seen lenses for sale that would fit this. However, you must replace with an identical part to remain legal.
Greg McKaskle
12-03-2011, 09:02
You can purchase lenses from companies such as Edmunds Optics. But I'd suggest finding a team with a fried camera and salvaging the lens. You may want to put some Teflon tape on the threads to keep the lens from vibrating within the housing.
Greg McKaskle
Alan Anderson
12-03-2011, 14:25
...you must replace with an identical part to remain legal.
Why is that? I don't think the camera is covered under the rule that prevents modification of motors or control system components. It isn't even necessarily a KoP part.
J.Warsoff
18-03-2011, 13:56
try using glasses cleaner (liquid solution and soft cloth). Worse comes to worst, just replace the lens.
techhelpbb
18-03-2011, 14:01
I've never actually tried this...
However, have you considered the chemicals used to 'polish headlights' and remove the haze and yellow from them?
There's a possibility you'll be able to buff off the damage with that.
However, if there's a coating on there...like they use on eyeglass lenses you'll ruin it doing this.
Best of luck...
have you considered the chemicals used to 'polish headlights' and remove the haze and yellow from them?
What's in that? Does it actually work?
I've got an old minivan whose lenses are more translucent than transparent.
techhelpbb
18-03-2011, 14:58
What's in that? Does it actually work?
I've got an old minivan whose lenses are more translucent than transparent.
There are a *ton* of variations on this theme but I'll link the MSDS for 3M headlight restoration kit.
http://headlightrestoration.org/files/msds-3m-39008.pdf
WATER
SILICA
HYDROTREATED LIGHT PETROLEUM DISTILLATES
KAOLINITE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaolinite)
OLEIC ACID
ASSOCIATED MINERALS Mixture
SOLVENT-REFINED HEAVY PARAFFINIC PETROLEUM DISTILLATES
QUARTZ SILICA
GLYCERIN
MINERAL OIL
POLY(OXYETHYLENE)SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE
So this one is basically a polish compound (mild abrasive) with some petroleum distillates and paraffin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraffin) (wax) components.
There are some of these things making extraordinary claims of 'nanotechnology' I suspect this means that after you buff the lense with this very mild abrasive they provide a compatible clear coat. You might want the clear coat. Some of them claim to restore that clear coat that already exists...problem is we don't know if the camera lens has such a coating now...or if it's the same or compatible composition. On a car with a lot of wear...I bet the coating is already damaged so I've never forked over money for that sort of thing.
I've had decent luck in the past with the Mother's buffing product (on cars!):
http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-PowerBall-4Lights-Headlight-Restoration/dp/B00341MIAW
This is like detailing...go slow and be careful...also keep in mind that no amount of work will clear the damage to any metalized parts that might have melted within a vehicle headlight...but with that Caswell may have a brush plating that might help you.
http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/plugnplate.htm
All of this...of course...is over kill for this tiny lens.
Al Skierkiewicz
19-03-2011, 09:15
The camera lens is likely to have several coatings as most camera lens do. One may help keep internal reflections from affecting the visible video, one helps protect the lens from abrasion, one helps with IR and one helps sun or bright light flares.
Greg McKaskle
20-03-2011, 10:45
Image processing is hard enough with good images. I personally wouldn't spend time trying to fix the lens. If this is on a 206, simply screw it off and replace it.
Greg McKaskle
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