Sputtering

[tibim]

Has anyone tried sputtering a reflector with chrome paint? You can get it in the car paint section, for bumpers and stuff. Seems like if you could get a good speckled coating on there it might reflect the light better than using clear enamel.

Trying to find something to fix up my MagLED 3d beam(without spending $20 buying a reflector). The big hole in the middle on anything other than the tightest focus is annoying.

 

[ROVER]

I did it, but ruined the reflector by putting too much on it. It did really smooth out the beam, but decreased output too much to be a usefull mod. I don't see it right now, but if I find it I'll share a picture.

I think the idea is promising, but once again my excitement for a new mod has been dashed by my skill level:shakehead

 

[andrewwynn]

we sputter with CLEAR paint all the time and it will help a lot. I would suspect that though the 'chrome' seems more reflective, the clear works by just bending the light.. it would be very interesting to see if it can be done, but i recommend going with the 'tried and true' vs re-inventing.

-awr

 

[Norm]

Spend $20 on a reflector you'll be far happier with the results.
Norm

 

[andrewwynn]

LOL..agreed :-D however sometimes the journey is more fun than the destination.

-awr

 

[dw51]

You might try the "reflective" clear paint made by Rustoleum. I tried it on a couple of reflectors (a few coats reflective, a few clear) and am very pleased with the results. I don't know if you can still find the paint though. I found it in the clearance aisle at Wal Mart a few months ago.

 

[slvoid]

Too bad I don't work at the materials science lab anymore, I used to sputter coat tons and tons of crap with gold, silver, and platinum. I would've gladly coated a bunch of reflectors for you guys with the spare sheets of platium and silver we always had lying around.

Not sure if you're talking about the same kind of coater but this thing used very pure argon gas in a vacuum environment and cold plasma vapor deposition.

 

[Pokerstud]

I have been through this as well. TEST BED: MAG 2C, 3 X 123, BOROFLOAT LENS, ROP LOLA. I hate artifacts, and the stock mag reflector is junk, SO......I took a stock mag reflector and sputtered it with Rustoleum clear matte that I had on hand. I did it in test stages until all the artifacts were gone. Then I took a metal medium stippled reflector from Light-Edge, no shimming, just swapped the 2 reflectors, and the difference was overwhelming. The sputtered mag reflector was maybe 25% of the output of the metal medium stippled reflector. My conclusion is spend the $20, and get ALL the lumens. My $.02