Burning a frameless mask - tips?

[alphonsis]

I'm tempted to try the burning trick to deal with my mask's tendency to fog. However, I have a frameless mask, so I'm concerned about the heat of the lighter affecting the seam of mask and glass.

Also, do you hold the lighter in the middle of the lens until it soots up and clean it off, or do you move it around to evenly soot up the whole lens?

thanks!

 

[msg]

Before you burn, try cleaning the mask with toothpaste or a non-abrasive cleaner. Then spit should keep it from fogging.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I'm tempted to try the burning trick to deal with my mask's tendency to fog. However, I have a frameless mask, so I'm concerned about the heat of the lighter affecting the seam of mask and glass.

Also, do you hold the lighter in the middle of the lens until it soots up and clean it off, or do you move it around to evenly soot up the whole lens?

thanks!

Wash the whole thing good in soap and water a few times to help remove the surface oils then scrub the lens with toothpaste a few times and it should cure your problem. I have to admit that in the nearly 30 years I have been diving I have never heard of anyone sooting up a mask to help clean it.

 

[Teamcasa]

I'm tempted to try the burning trick to deal with my mask's tendency to fog. However, I have a frameless mask, so I'm concerned about the heat of the lighter affecting the seam of mask and glass.

Also, do you hold the lighter in the middle of the lens until it soots up and clean it off, or do you move it around to evenly soot up the whole lens?

thanks!

I doubt a lighter (butane) will produce much soot. I've been diving since 1968 and I've never heard of sooting a mask to keep it from defogging. But then again, a clean mask and a touch of spit or baby shampoo works for me.

 

[dsteding]

I burn. Use a lighter, it will produce soot, from the oils on the mask. Evenly move it around, hold the mask so you can look down through the glass at the tip of the flame and guide it around slowly. Scrub with toothpaste afterwards. No fogging guaranteed.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'd stay away from the lighter. Propane torch works better and faster.

Disclaimer: Any injuries resulting from this are strictly the responsibility of the moron trying it. There that should be just as good as McD's having to put "Caution Hot" on top of their coffee cup lids for the idiots that come thru.

 

[rossandmaureen]

One of the Dive Masters in Puerto Aventuras was doing this on my last trip there in November and, since he was doing it with a brand new Atomics Frameless, was being VERY careful. He was, however, burning off the manufacturer's film all over the inside of the mask with extra special caution as he neared the edges. He claimed that this is a far better method than using toothpaste as it burns off the film rather than "sanding" it down with an abrasive like toothpaste and expects to be fog free as a result. It is not the butane that creates the soot but the burnt film. If I have money to burn on a new mask I will give this a try.

 

[alphonsis]

thanks for the advice on toothpaste, but I am going to this method because I have failed to clean the film off with both toothpaste and softscrub. I also use baby shampoo to stave off the fogging, however, after enough floodings, the protection from the shampoo is lost and the mask will start to fog.

The reason for all the floodings is I'm taking a diving course and we're constantly removing masks for blind diver tows, maskless regulator recovery, etc.

Ok, so any tips on how close I should get to the interface between the skirt and the glass? I'd love to avoid melting my mask.

 

[alphonsis]

Wash the whole thing good in soap and water a few times to help remove the surface oils then scrub the lens with toothpaste a few times and it should cure your problem. I have to admit that in the nearly 30 years I have been diving I have never heard of anyone sooting up a mask to help clean it.

I've definetly done this more than a few times, I think I'm at about 20~ or so times. There's something about the film on the Oceanic Shadows that's really resilient. My other masks are fine...

 

[Scott M]

thanks for the advice on toothpaste, but I am going to this method because I have failed to clean the film off with both toothpaste and softscrub. I also use baby shampoo to stave off the fogging, however, after enough floodings, the protection from the shampoo is lost and the mask will start to fog.

The reason for all the floodings is I'm taking a diving course and we're constantly removing masks for blind diver tows, maskless regulator recovery, etc.

Ok, so any tips on how close I should get to the interface between the skirt and the glass? I'd love to avoid melting my mask.

It is not all that hard. Just move the lighter around and stay a little ways away from the edges and you will be fine. No need to light the mask on fire or melt anything. It will soot up in seconds. It takes maybe 15 to 20 seconds per lense. After that wipe it clean and run it through the dishwasher. End of story, no more fogging.