Scout reg tele service

I’ve just acquired a scout reg mk2 telescope, it is a little chipped in the brown cladding but not to badly, however my initial surprise was that optically it seems rather less crisp than my sig tele VI, with what appears to be a light cloudiness or slight bloom tot he internal lenses. Objective and ocular external lenses appear on. I’m tempted to take it appear and give it a clean, however I wonder if any one could offer advice on the best way to clean these lenses?
My assumption was to carefully dismantle the instrument on a clean setting items on a clean cotton/linen sheet and then clean each optical surface, but I’m not sure how delicate they are and what considerations should be made E.g. cleaning solution or not? Micro cloth, some other special cloth, or maybe cheapest tissue paper, as per Peters suggestion for No32?
There is also some huge black lumps, which I suspect to be black dust from the internal coating. Should the black coating be coming away my my no knowledge assumption would be I should clean out the remainder and re paint the inner serface of the tube some
Sort of deep mat black.... is that correct, and if so is it that simple? Or is it one of those defectively simple seaming tasks that transpired to be a cluster uck

You could try these people, or this gent. Though I see his website makes no reference to doing repairs any longer.

I had the same problem with one of mine I had purchased very cheaply from a guy at a gun show . I followed Peter's directions on how to break the scope down and lay out the parts to insure to get them back in the correct order . The black dust is the coating applied to the inside of the tube sections and can break down and flack off with age . I was able to remove the remainder of the coating using acetone and carefully recoat the tubes using RUST REFORMER in a spray can which went dry is a flat black color ,very close to the original color. just be sure not get any spray onto the tube threads . The lens are cleaned using lens cleaning tissue and alcohol . Put it back together in the order you had taken apart . The whole job can be done in less than 2 hours . Note: the rust reformer will dry in 30 minutes at room temp. .

Thanks for the rust remover tip. I had already disassembled it and cleaned the lenses. Their was a little fungus but most just the black dust, which I removed, but the exposed brass isn’t exactly ideal.
Odd quest, I have never used spray rust remover, are they all black when dry? And why would it be preferable to Matt black paint?

The product is not a paint remover!!! You remove the old existing coating in the interior of the scope's tube using acetone . The rust restorer dries very fast and it applies a very thin layer of product to the surface of the metal / brass . Paint will lay down a much thicker layer and will be easily scratched and will fall a way in time , Plus the rust restorer will dry to a non gloss ,dead flat black color, that will not reflect light, much like the original coating . Plus it will not soften when the scope is left in the sun or hot closet . Paint will have some type of primer applied or the paint will not adhere to the base metal , now you are really building the paint film thickness !! You must remember that what ever you use it must not reflect light .

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Originally Posted by tr63

The product is not a paint remover!!! You remove the old existing coating in the interior of the scope's tube using acetone . The rust restorer dries very fast and it applies a very thin layer of product to the surface of the metal / brass . Paint will lay down a much thicker layer and will be easily scratched and will fall a way in time , Plus the rust restorer will dry to a non gloss ,dead flat black color, that will not reflect light, much like the original coating . Plus it will not soften when the scope is left in the sun or hot closet . Paint will have some type of primer applied or the paint will not adhere to the base metal , now you are really building the paint film thickness !! You must remember that what ever you use it must not reflect light .

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Rustoleum makes the Rust Reformer, it comes in a spray can or a brush on container . It needs no primer to be applied before you use it .
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Thanks, I will try this.

Any updates on your overhauling the Scout telescope ?

I still need to complete the the re stitching of the leather case but the instrument itself is now I think as good as it can be. Re blacking the tubes and cleaning the lenses has vastly improved the image. Quality wise it still remains inferior to my MKVI tele sig, however that is a Broadhurst Clarkson and this is a HCR & Son and it might be more down to that then any deficiency of the different models, I’d welcome other opinions on that...