# Recoating a reflector



## jason9987 (Aug 20, 2007)

Can any one here recoat a reflector that has had its reflective finish ruined, I have an HDS U60 and I tried cleaning the refector, then after it looked foggy found out its a very delicate coating and you have to be careful when cleaning it. Well doe anyone have the capability to do this or know someone or somewhere I can get it done. Thanks in advance


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## LuxLuthor (Aug 21, 2007)

This has been asked before, and while there was a specialty chrome spray, I think the basic answer is it needs to be resurfaced professionally.

Send it to Carley Reflectors/Lamps. You'll get it back in about 2 years the way they run.


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## jason9987 (Aug 21, 2007)

Thank you very much LuxLuthor it sounds like Carley will be able to do it for a reasonable price, I'm waiting on them to email me a quote but it sounds good.


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## scott.cr (Aug 21, 2007)

Some years ago an auto body shop (the type that does "bling bling" custom work) near me had a mirror surfacing machine. They chromed? aluminized? some plastic buttons for me and it looked great. I don't know the optical properties of the material they used but it was only $20 for a handful of plastic bits.


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## artin51 (Aug 23, 2007)

Hello everyone, long time reader, first time poster. 
You should look at vacuum metallizing http://www.vacuummetallizing.ca/. A while back i machined some reflectors out of aluminum and had them metallized. Came out great...


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## Bushman5 (Sep 14, 2007)

what about extreme fine polishing of aluminum or steel reflectors? i can polish aluminin and steel to a mirror finish.... is this viable for reflectors?


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## LuxLuthor (Sep 14, 2007)

No.


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## Bushman5 (Sep 14, 2007)

beam distortion?


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## LuxLuthor (Sep 14, 2007)

You need more of a mirror finish for a reflector to work. Your idea just won't reflect enough light.


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## mahoney (Sep 15, 2007)

It depends. If you are patient and carefull enough you can get pretty close to a mirror finish polishing aluminium. Recoating/plating or vacuum metal coating are the best, but I have polished the nickel off of a few McFloods to good effect. I get more light out of the polished version than the original. But, I'm going for a flood beam, things might be very different if the reflector was optimized for throw. You need to make a tool that fits the shape of the reflector, I used plaster cast directly in the reflector with a release agent. Look at it this way, the HDS reflector is ruined in it's current state. What have you got to lose but time by polishing it?


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## Aircraft800 (Sep 16, 2007)

Member erckgillis sais he can do Custom reflector textures in this thread:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2100432&postcount=30

*Maybe he can help you.*


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## easilyled (Sep 18, 2007)

Bushman5 said:


> what about extreme fine polishing of aluminum or steel reflectors? i can polish aluminin and steel to a mirror finish.... is this viable for reflectors?




I tried that once on a Nuwai Q3. There was definitely more light
coming out of the original coated reflector, even though I polished the
Al. in the other one to a nice shine.


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