Any good ways to resurface an old reflector? (title change: it's plastic, not metal!)

[Bimmerboy]

Edit: Posting about this below. Sorry for the confusion, everyone.

While rummaging through the murky depths of the garage, I came across what was probably my first flashlight from when I was about 10! Well, you know that wasn't gonna' get thrown out.

However, the lens has been missing for many years, and the reflector's shiny surface is totally destroyed. It's all been oxidized away, so therefore cannot be polished back to a shine. The reflector is metal, probably aluminum or some kind of alloy. I'd like to restore it so this flashlight can be used again, but have no idea how to go about it.

After a bunch of googling around, it seems not many people are looking to do the same... in fact, I could find none. There was one thread from here a ways back, but it didn't get very far, and the guy was worried about harming the plastic reflector... mine is metal, so that's not a concern. And of all things, Modamag's deadline for exotic coating service was just over a month ago... I'd have gotten it chromed and polished. Wish I found this light a little sooner!

So... has anyone successfully resurfaced a smooth reflector to "like new" condition, or know of a proper way to go about it?

 

[will]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

try searching for telescope repair - most telescopes have mirrors, the repair services sometimes offer a resurfacing. be prepaired to spend $$$$$.

Chrome plating might also be a way to go.

 

[depusm12]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

I asked the same question a while backe here's a link to that thread and some others with more info. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=160170

 

[Bimmerboy]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

Thanks, Will and Depsum. Looking into the possibilities presented by both your replies. Heh... I'm afraid I'm eventually gonna' sucker myself into spending more than can be reasonably justified on something like this, but hey... it was my first flashlight.

A little background on this bad boy. The light was part of a set of crime scene forensic tools designed for kids. The kit included fingerprint powder and brush, magnifiying glass, microscope, glass slides, etc. It all fit into a plastic case with a half-seperated picatinny rail on top, held closed by means of a sliding mount underneath the light, which would friction slip onto the rail. The whole kit and kaboodle could travel together as a complete unit. It was super cool for the scientifically interested little kid... and yes, I went around the entire house dusting for fingerprints, inspecting carpet fibers, hairs, the whole bit.

How could I not be tempted into paying 5 times what the entire toy was worth new, just to restore the reflector? :devil:

Then again, a somewhat effective, and cheap DIY solution would also suffice. Any ideas out there? Has anyone even just so much as re-finished a car bumper with chrome paint? If so, how shiny did it turn out?

Edit: The name of this kit was the "Mobile Crime Lab", made in the USA by a company called Amsco.

 

[RCatR]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

The chrome paint SUCKS trust me-unless you have a craptastic '93 bumper that has seen salty winters and has been hit twice; the chome paint is never an improvement. I'd say spend some quality time with mother's aluminum&mag polish, and a couple rags. As long as the surface isn't terribly pitted you can manage a mirror finish. Don't rinse the reflector on the final polishing pass; keep rubbing it until all the compound appears to be worn into the rag-it leaves a thin anti-corrosion layer this way.

 

[will]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

The chrome paint SUCKS trust me-unless you have a craptastic '93 bumper that has seen salty winters and has been hit twice; the chome paint is never an improvement. I'd say spend some quality time with mother's aluminum&mag polish, and a couple rags. As long as the surface isn't terribly pitted you can manage a mirror finish. Don't rinse the reflector on the final polishing pass; keep rubbing it until all the compound appears to be worn into the rag-it leaves a thin anti-corrosion layer this way.

I second that providing the reflector is aluminum -

Is it possible it is made of plastic. If it is - then chrome paint - Old time trick - if you blow air on the paint before it dries - the resulting shine is better.

 

[RCatR]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

Whichever way you go before&after pics are REQUIRED

 

[mahoney]

Re: Any good ways to resurface an old metal reflector?

Try a polish with Flitz or Simichrome. If that fails, you can remove the old chrome and polish the aluminium. I've done this by making a "tool" of plaster. Plug the lamp hole with tape and extend the front of the reflector with tape. Spray in some sort of mold release and pour in some plaster of paris. When the plaster solidifies you can wrap/glue sandpaper on the cone part and work away without deforming the shape much. Don't start coarser than you need to and don't skip grits as you polish finer and finer. I finished up with notebook paper covered with Flitz wrapped on the tool.

 

[Bimmerboy]

Eeesh... this is embarrassing. All these replies, and I just found out the reflector is not aluminum... it's plastic! Apologies to those who spent time replying, thinking I knew what the heck I had.

Without taking the light apart, I fingernail tapped on the reflector, and it sounded like metal... as in, it really sounded like metal! Well, upon taking it out for full inspection, it became obvious that it's not. I verified this by taking a file to the outside lip, which doesn't show. Yep, it's plastic alright.

Interestingly enough, the entire parabola is plastic, but has a stamped aluminum base press fitted into it's neck. Perhaps that helped add the metallic resonance, fooling my musically trained ears... lol. Anyway, this provides a PR base to conduct to and hold the bulb, and a flange at the bottom of it makes contact with a metal strip that gets pushed onto it by a sliding switch. I hope to get some pics up tonight.

So, now we're dealing with a whole different scenario. Since the reflector can't be polished, it's looking like either chrome paint, or if it's cheap enough to not be total insanity, professional restoration.

Again, sorry to waste people's time with the metal talk. I'll be back with pics, and hopefully some info.

Edit: Will - good tip about blowing air across the paint. Can you elaborate more on that? Do you mean using a fan, or carefully applied compressed air?