Look what happened to my mask lens :/

[Hemlock86]

I played saturday and didnt clean my equipment until sunday. When I went to clean my mask, I couldnt get this crusty stuff off with plexus or windex. So when I ran it under the sink it was obvious a layer of the lens somehow peeled up. Im wondering if the paint left on it over night might have ruined it(themask is only 7 months old). The new layer exposed it extremely scratchable too. I did get shot in the googles 3 times though... Its no big deal though because Ive been planning on gettting a new yellow lens anyway,now I have a reason to go and get it. :D

[Dubstar112]

Dude, your lenses would have been fine if you didnt windex them. You can not use windex on thermal lenses. Be carful next time, order a replacement ASAP.

[Hemlock86]

I heard Plexus is bad for lenses too. Is that true? Because I love that stuff and I would hate to stuff using it. But thanks for the tip on no using windex...kinda to late now :/ :P

peace

[hitech]

Originally posted by Dubstar112
You can not use windex on thermal lenses.

You should NOT use windex on ANY paintball goggle lens, EVER.

[OnyX]

i've never had a problem with cleaning my lenses with plexus but i also replace my lenses at least once a year.

[p8ntballa]

Aything but water will weaken the lense. 7 months is pretty long, about time for a new one anyway.

EDIT* LOL I was just thinking. People always joke when some overspray of alcohol or somethin gets on their lense about how its going to peel. Yours seems to have done that LOL

[blackmag3]

it has already been said but i'll say it again. never use windex or any glass cleaner on paintball lenses. in fact only use the goggle cleaner the maker of the goggles says is safe for it. water usually works just fine for my flex 7's.

also , are you being careful to only dab at the inner thermal part of the lense? cause rubbing can mess it up. one last thing , every time you are done playing it is advised that you take the lense out of the frame and clean if carefully. do not let the goggles sit long with paint in them. clean them when you get home from playing not the day or morning after. make sure to clean the gutter that the lense fits into. lastly , make dead sure you put them back together correctly.

[Dubstar112]

wow! you guys are nuts, taking a JT Spectra lense out is like friggin impossible. I dont do it every time i play, i just clean with warm water, and a q- tip.

[Blazingace]

I use Plexus and it works great. It is formulated for plastic and lexan lenses. I used to use it alot to clean the windows on helicopters in Hawaii. They are plexiglass and it had no adverse effect on them at all. You should replace your lenses though. That looks like crazing. Where the lens gets thousands of tiny cracks.

[Ityl]

I have never seen that happen before. But I'd replace my lense ASAP because it's not supposed to do that, something could be wrong with it.

Spectra lenses aren't hard to take out after you've done a few.

[rjvemt1]

i take a shower with my mask as soon as i get home from the field. warm water is all you need, i you got goggled and you have shll stuck inbetween the lens and frame use a wooden toothpick to remove it, then let it drip dry! dont use any chemicals!

[Hemlock86]

Thanks guys :D

See the weird thing though is that my lens was perfect when playing on saturday. I guess its normal and nothing to worry about. I'll just replace it this weekend.

peace

[CRASHKING]

water and toilet paper is all you need to clean your lense's(no joke);)

[potti]

i took the lense out of my spectra about a month ago and i'm still workin on gettin the lense in lol. i'm glad i have 2 masks.

[Jack Napier]

I've had my lens for over 5 years. 7 months is nothing.

[mrhooie]

come on - the spectra lenses aren't that bad to take out. the trick is to seperate the bottom 'face guard' from the goggle frame. Start from the top and work your way around to the nose

When putting them back together, squeeze the nose frame together, that will allow you to get the nose clips in. If it's still a little tough, spit ojn your finger and rub it in the slot to give it some lube

I can change lenses in about 3-4 minutes
probably quicker

[dropkick1]

yeah, windex is not made for paintball goggles, it says that in all google directions, it delaminates the lense as u have just seen. all u need is water and a soft rag.

ken

[Wc Keep]

Originally posted by mrhooie
come on - the spectra lenses aren't that bad to take out. the trick is to seperate the bottom 'face guard' from the goggle frame. Start from the top and work your way around to the nose

When putting them back together, squeeze the nose frame together, that will allow you to get the nose clips in. If it's still a little tough, spit ojn your finger and rub it in the slot to give it some lube

I can change lenses in about 3-4 minutes
probably quicker

we timed my friend as he took apart and replaced a set of spectra lenses on a proteus. the lense took 90 seconds the whole entire goggle took 2 1/2 minutes. the trick really is that once youve replaced the lense several times the rubber thing it in loosens and becomes easier to take off.

but i use jt's anti fog spray. it says it can also be used to clean lenses. but im going to take my lense and clean it everyday with windex just to see how bad it can really get.(im in need of a new lense anyway.)

[xmetal2001]

Originally posted by hitech

You should NOT use windex on ANY paintball goggle lens, EVER.

Exactly. Weakining Lenses is a very very bad thing.(obviously)

[SGTKennedy]

ive always used windex on my lenses. nothing has ever happened. im sure they say No Windex for insurance reasons. i bet if you dont let the stuff sit or overspray it doesnt do a whole lot to the lens. none of my masks have had a problem, yellow or clear lens.
Edit: Maybe im just lucky.

[Spaceman613]

Several Spectra lenses have done this recently in Central Illinois. Plexus and water are the only thing used to clean them. possibly a bad batch or lenses? or a bad batch of Plexus? I always use water with a drop of alcohol. And have never had the problem the rest of my teammates are having.

It appears to be a layer or film on the lenses, perhaps an anti-scratch layer?

This may be a QC issue with lenses. Ive seen 4 or 5 locally. Not a good thing to see.

[personman]

hahaa this weekend, I got gogged a couple times and now my lens is cracked!! YAY now I can convince my mom to order me a nicer mask! WOOT

[mrhooie]

From Doc Nickle's FAT (frequently asked tinkers) page



I don't like when people type in all caps on message boards, but sometimes you gotta get a point across.

DO NOT USE ANY CHEMICALS OR SOLVENTS ON PAINTBALL LENSES!!!

This includes, but is not limited to, glass cleaners (Windex), household cleaners, bleach, gasoline, et cetera...

Any strong chemical WILL begin to react with the lens (which, IIRC, isn't Lexan, but a similar polycarbonate plastic...but don't quote me on that). You can't see them, but microscopic cracks will begin to form. Suddenly, that lens isn't strong enough to stop a paintball anymore. You might get away with it for a while, but is it really worth whatever benefit you might get in the short term when you lose an eye later on?

Think of it this way...that lens has been painstakingly engineered (by JT, Scott, BE, or whoever) to absorb the energy of a paintball traveling 300 feet per second...over and over again. Don't you think they know what that lens is capable of? Do you think they put that line that says "NEVER use solvents or harsh cleaners on the lens" in the manual just for the fun of it?

Use warm water. That'll get off any paint or dirt on the lens. If you've got oil or grease on them, use warm water with a little liquid dish soap (and keep your fingers off next time ). I've never had anything on my lenses that wouldn't come off with just water, anyway.

As long as we're on the subject, wash your goggles after every day's play - not the night before your next day. Paint fill acts like a solvent, albeit a weak one. The paint you get on it during a day's play won't hurt it for that short of a time, but if left on, will weaken the lens just like any other solvent. That's why they also say in the manuals that you should replace the lens at least once a year no matter how well you care for it.

Sorry about the rant, everyone, but I don't like to see people taking the chances they do with their eyes. That's just what the sport (and this board) needs... some new players lose eyes, and they say "oh, the people over on the Tinker board told us to use Windex on our lenses..."

Well, that's my 2 cents. Keep the change.

Kenn Mikos

[dio91]

yeah with that windex it will crack, it happened to my friend when we played up in his woods. I actually use some suave shampoo, or any for that matter, it keeps my mask clear all the time. i use it just before i play that day and whipe with water if i get any paint on it.

dio

[Hemlock86]

Well, I replaced it with a yellow fade lens and I'll make sure Im more careful. :D Hopefully this will last longer then 7 months.

peace

[CRASHKING]

Originally posted by Jack Napier
I've had my lens for over 5 years. 7 months is nothing.


are you asking for trouble or something?

it might not show signs of deterioration(sp?) but its got to be weak as all (you know what)

[SGTKennedy]

as soon as mine takes a mildly close shot i replace it. i think thats more important than windex, a shot at near 300 fps has to significantly weaken the plastic. i dont take to many chances about my eyes. i also figure, no matter how much they tell us it weakens it they know people use windex on the lens, so therefore overengineer and im good.

i admit it is a bad idea and shouldnt be done. not only because it is a risk, but any complications also reflect on the game itself and make it harder for people to talk their parents or senators into letting them play.

i must admit dish soap works well, and smells better than windex. thats what ive been using recently.

[raehl]

1) Don't use PAPER PRODUCTS on your lense either. Scratches. Use your tshirt or some other cotton cloth.

2) The best lense cleaner I've come up with is (and yes, this is gross) spit. Does the job and doesn't streak or "drop" like water. Also free, but be careful shortly after lunch.


I am somewhat miffed as I had my blue mirrorred lense from my vforce goggle in my goggle bag for a long time, and when I took it out the mirrorred finish had a circle worn out of it where the lense had been sitting on the bag (the INSIDE of the bag). Apparently there was just enough of a pint film inside the bag from something or other to eat away the finish. Result: One rather useless mirrorred lense. (And yes, I did clean it before I stuck it in there)


As for 300-fps shots to the goggle, my theory is that you're not suddenly going to see a catastrophic goggle failure that allows a paintball to get to your eye. We've all seen paintballs get taken out by twigs, and while I realize the paint still keeps goign and will hurt for a foot or so after thetwig, the idea of a paintball hitting a lense and fracturing the lense enough to push through the lense and into the eye seems a little extreme. I'd be a lot more worried about people losin geyesight from wearing their goggles without a facemask.


Another way to look at it is I'm pretty sure no one has ever suffferred a permanent eye injury while wearing ASTM paintball goggles in manufacturer form. I'm also pretty sure there arn't any rental fields out there who replace their lenses after every day of use. So it follows that there are lots of rental goggles out there that have taken multiple close hits and no one has gotten hurt.


So, given the choice between $10 or a 0.00000001% chance of an eye injury....

I'll take the $10.


- Chris

[Wc Keep]

actually at one of the fields i go to i cant remmeber what the mixture was but it cleaned goggles great. i think it was water and vinegar.