recoat profile reflector

[dmxlights]

I have some profiles Moonlight 750 (copes of the S4 profiles) with the reflective coating is coming off and would like to re-coat them as they are very handy profiles for the size. They are 650w tungsten and we have some spares for them. Has anyone ever done this or what would be the best way to do it. The reflectors are made from glass.

 

[Robin D]

https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/mirror-recoating/ might be able to help. They do a good job on telescope mirrors. They may not be able to handle non-flat reflectors but if you don't ask, you will never know.   

[Jivemaster]

Were they originally chrome plated or silver plated or silver mirrored? 

[dmxlights]

26 minutes ago, Jivemaster said:

Were they originally chrome plated or silver plated or silver mirrored? 

I not sure it looks like a bit sliver plated it could be silver mirrored. I do know one thing for sure get it on your hands and it hard to get it of as it seem to stick. It will come off when you put your hands in water. I will take a better look later at them and see can I tell

 

[sunray]

I was about to mention Orion but bear in mind virtually every telescope is silvered with an aluminium coating called Hilux which I suspect is not as heat resistant as silver or chrome.

Edited July 17 by sunray

[James Remo]

http://www.scientificmirrors.co.uk/ Would be the people I would talk to, I've only purchased front surface mirrors off them, so can't say if they are any good for re-coating

[dmxlights]

Thank you for suggestion and I am looking in to them.  I am also asking local to me to see if anyone does chrome plating or sliver plating. I have got one person who said put tin foil on it with the shiny side toward the bulb may work.

[david.elsbury]

Tin foil will likely melt in short order. Get something fit for purpose and heat resistant.

[dmxlights]

43 minutes ago, david.elsbury said:

Tin foil will likely melt in short order. Get something fit for purpose and heat resistant.

I was thinking that and I would not have tried it anyway. I am going to contact a glass company that is about 1-2 hours away from me to see if they can do something I only found out about them at 4:00pm today and they closed at 4pm as well.

[Jivemaster]

Ask a local glass and glazing supplier, there will likely be a glass wholesaler with a mirroring facility who may be interested. Likewise sports trophy dealers may know someone who silver plates. 

What is the base material?

Something must be available because cars and trucks have had headlights for years. 

[dmxlights]

I have show in it to a friend and he thinks it was chrome plated but he said the way it flakes into tiny pieces also could be Sliver plated.

I have asked a few car auto parts shops for high temp chrome paint and none had any and one where I asked did say it would be chrome plated as it can take much higher temp than sliver plated. The same shop said there was a kit you could get one time very easy to re do car headlight reflectors as older cars the headlight reflector was glass as well but now a days the headlight reflector is plastic with chrome plated on it.

[J Pearce]

Used S4 profiles are selling at around £50 a unit. Is it really worth the fuss and expense of re-silvering a cheap knock-off?

[Jivemaster]

A skilled electroplating operator can plate silver or chrome onto plastics and the finish will be as good as the base material, plating onto metal would be easier. Can you find a manufacturer of sporting cups and trophies someone who could put a reflector dish inside a silver plating run.

[Ynot]

1 hour ago, J Pearce said:

Used S4 profiles are selling at around £50 a unit. Is it really worth the fuss and expense of re-silvering a cheap knock-off?

THIS...
I seriously doubt that you're going to get anywhere that will re-plate the existing stock reflectors or supply a replacement for anything less than silly money. Unfortunately this is just what you get when you 'invest' in knock-off gear. 

Bin them and look around for 2nd hand S4 lanterns. Although ETC are discontinuing some of their tungsten kit now, I don't think the profiles are on the list that are going, but I'd be pretty sure that they'll be able to supply spares for all lanterns for at least the foreseeable future.

[Bryson]

There's a long way between "dimmable" and "dimmable in a way that is acceptable behaviour for house lights".

 

EDIT:   Wait.  How did I post this in the wrong thread?  Thats weird.  I would have put money on that I was in the E27 lamps thread.