Don’t Flame Your Mask! (per Undercurrent.org / May 2018 Issue)

[tc]

I’ve used toothpaste on dozens of masks over the years and a lighter on well over a hundred. For me the lighter produces the best results and in much less time.

 

[Dan]

Dozens and dozens of vitriolic posts (many threads over the years) about a simple problem with a simple solution. A blob of toothpaste and some elbow grease.

Now we have SBers advocating for using carcinogens, blowtorches and the usual fake news from Dano with his "chemical reactions with toothpaste - no scrubbing required" balderdash.

Fortunately, the 99.99999999% of divers who are not on SB have managed just fine with toothpaste (or Softscrub if you must) for years. What a non-issue.

Dano did well on the flaming mask part of the video until mentioning “chemical reactions with toothpaste” bit. In 7 years of college and 30+ years experience as chemical engineer, I don’t think reaction between toothpaste and silicone would ever proceed in human life time. May be in geological time. I think he needs to edit off that part of the video.

To me, it’s more like mechanical abrasion (scrubbing /polishing) action of the powder suspended in toothpaste removes the silicone film off the glass. As I mentioned in my earlier post, it took me several scrubbing with toothpaste & 100 dives (2 years) to the point where my mask quit fogging. I wish I knew the much easier flaming method then.

 

[StefinSB]

Don’t Flame Your Mask.

Last month, we report-ed that a few Hollis masks had shattered when a diver hit the water, and now we believe we have found the culprit: not the mask, but the diver.

During manufacturing, a silicone release agent is deposited on the glass, and a diver needs to remove it by polishing the inside surface to prevent the mask from fogging up.

Some divers think they can burn off that silicone deposit with a cigarette lighter, but this weakens the tempered glass and can result in a frameless single face-plate mask shattering on impact with the water.

This is especially so if the strap is pulled so tight it stresses the weakened glass.

The proper way to remove the film is to polish the glass with a gentle abrasive such as old-fashioned white toothpaste.

This applies to all masks.

No Hollis products for me then. My Atomic/HOG/Whatevermasks all do fine after the lighter treatment.

 

[lowviz]

...//... As I mentioned in my earlier post, it took me several scrubbing with toothpaste & 100 dives (2 years) to the point where my mask quit fogging. I wish I knew the much easier flaming method then.

So we all agree that there is a problem.

My point is that when I spend $100USD for a mask, I expect the manufacturer to complete the job.

 

[richmonddiver]

An open flame is?

This is bucket chemistry, not a plating bath. Trivalent (green) chromium is not carcinogenic. None will get into your eyes with a water wash before drying and shipping. Lots of industrial chemicals are extremely hazardous but they can be handled and disposed of if one follows established procedures.

If hexavalent chromium concerns you, then use Pirahana glass cleaner. Problem is, it doesn't keep.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_to_keep_glass_clean_after_piranha

I didn't comment if a flame was a good idea or not. I said that I thought chromerge is not a good solution for this problem.

The important point is that silicone rubber does not have good chemical compatability with either chromic acid or concentrated sulfuric acid. Chromerge is a solution of ~1% chromic acid dissolved in 99% sulfuric acid.

 

[lowviz]

Fair enough on the flame. My apology.

I'm about an inch away from trying warm Chromerge for a short period of time to see exactly when the trimethyl silyl groups burn off with no abrasion of any kind. It still bothers me that the manufacturers continue to throw this mess in our lap. Selling a newbie a mask that is guaranteed to fog is just plain wrong.

 

[RyanT]

@Dogbowl, it's probably a bad idea to go face first off the boats that have a 4 foot drop to the water. In this case, however, the diver went off the water-level dive platform and just kind of crouched down and leaned over into a gentle face-first roll off the boat. This is pretty much standard entry for the DMs on this boat. This sort of entry seems like something a mask with good glass should be able to withstand. I do wonder if something about the frameless designs put more stress on the glass faceplate?

Oh yeah, and put me in the category of not flaming my masks, just never saw the need with any brand.

 

[scubafanatic]

According to DiveGearExpress:

Masks | Dive Gear Express®

Don't use toothpaste on modern dive masks, especially those masks that have optical quality ultra-clear glass lenses, vision correction lenses or 'optical coatings' on the lenses. You will either damage the lenses, or needlessly waste toothpaste since most modern toothpaste formulations are not at all abrasive.

The same goes for using a lighter to 'burn' the lens to prepare a new mask. Dive Gear Express will not warranty masks that have been treated with abrasives or burned with lighters.

Most new dive masks do have mold release agents in the flexible skirt that during storage will migrate to the surface of the lens and cause fogging. These deposits can be safely removed with an extra application of a powerful surfactant like baby shampoo, SeaQuick or SeaDrops defog.

 

[lv2dive]

I used a lighter to burn the residue on the glass on my mask long before I had heard of ScubaBoard.

Dozens and dozens of vitriolic posts (many threads over the years) about a simple problem with a simple solution. A blob of toothpaste and some elbow grease.
Now we have SBers advocating for using carcinogens, blowtorches ...<snipped>
Fortunately, the 99.99999999% of divers who are not on SB have managed just fine with toothpaste (or Softscrub if you must) for years. What a non-issue.

 

[richmonddiver]

Fair enough on the flame. My apology.

I'm about an inch away from trying warm Chromerge for a short period of time to see exactly when the trimethyl silyl groups burn off with no abrasion of any kind. It still bothers me that the manufacturers continue to throw this mess in our lap. Selling a newbie a mask that is guaranteed to fog is just plain wrong.

No worries on the first part.

Give the Chromerge a try. FWIW I based my argument on the following chart.
Printable Chemical Resistance Chart | Custom Advanced
The silicone rubber on a mask might be a more resistant formulation.
You could buy a few silicone orings and see how they hold up.