Maglite reflector mod

I've always liked Maglites, but I've always been disappointed in the beams. Since Maglite refuses to address the problem, I'm thinking of experimenting.

I'm thinking of getting a replacement reflector from Mag to work on. I'll remove the plating from the reflector (as easily as they scratch this shouldn't be hard) and texture it. (Bead blasting? Dremel? I haven't decided yet.) My question is how can I plate the inside of the reflector?

I have no idea if it would work as I've never thought about plating a reflector but I've seen some solutions for silver and gold plating stuff. The one that comes to mind first was at Linins N Things. The only thing about dipping is it sometime runs. I've also read where some CPF'ers are spray painting reflectors. Good luck and please post your results.

There are some threads that could be found by searching for "sputtering" or "sputter," in which some folks have sprayed the shiney reflector with clear high-heat enamel. This tends to disperse the light, much as the dimpledness of the SureFire reflectors do.

Good luck, and please let us know what you discover as you experiment. This is a problem many of us have encountered. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The aluminum and other metal coatings on plastics are done by vacuum evaporation. The parts are put in a moderately good oil free vacuum and aluminum (or whatever) is evaporated (melted then boiled off) from a 'boat' (typically a sheet metal stamping for small runs, often tantalum or tungsten) that's in turn heated electrically.

The metal hits and cools in place, atom by atom. You can see this process at work if you examine the reflectors for 'overspray'.

The vacuum needs to be 'minus five Torr' or better and oil free. This is way past what mechanical pumps can do, you need diffusion or Turbo molecular pumps (TMPs, kind of like a jet turbine 'pre compressor' for your mechanical pump) and skills to get and keep the system oil free. Clearly not 'shade tree mechanic' country.

High tech windows use the same sort of stuff, only with very thin silver coatings (don't even look silver, do they?).

Metal reflectors, OTOH, can be easily electroplated with silver. The guys that replate silverware in most large cities can do it for you, the old timey car guys keep them in the mood to help out with their headlights and such.

Doug Owen

I think the easiest way to "resilver" the reflector is to go to an auto supply store and get a can of simulated chrome spray paint. Not silver, the shiny faux chrome stuff.

Wilkey

Doug,
I've worked with big industrial vac-dep machines and what you say is on the button. I just wish I had access to the bell jar evaporator at my last job, I could have aluminum coated pretty much anything. Could have done a mag reflector in about 4 minutes not counting pumpdown and venting.

Leave the silver on there, and just give it light, but even coat of clear Krylon. You will get the same results as an orange peel reflector. Search for "sputter" in the archives, more detailed application notes in older threads.

WriteRight!!!

http://thelightsite.cruxial.com/reviews/writeright.htm

Before and after application on a very inexpensive 4AA light:

I second Writeright:



Those are the beams from these:



Both have overdriven KPRs. Both had artifacty beams.

Both now are SMOOTH!

Why not just put Scotch tape or other semi-transparent sheets on the cover lens? It should be easier and the original chromplating should be more reflective than any of those sprey-on's and it will give you more light output.

I was thinking of taking one of those projector bulb reflectors ( some look so close in size I think it will drop right in ) and modding it by drilling it out and cutting off the tube on the back of the mag reflector and epoxy it on the projector reflector.