How to do reflective coating?

I have made a reflector for a flashlight. How can I do the reflective coat in this reflector? Anyone Knows?
Thanks.

What type of material did you make the reflector from?

Poliester resin molded from silicone.

Typically aluminum is vacuum evaporated onto it. You need a medium level vacuum system, a tungsten or moly 'boat' and a supply to heat it with.

Science labs and platers often have such rigs (or know how to get access to them). The astronomy guys need to have this done to home made mirrors, you might start there?

Doug Owen

The most easiest way to coat your resin reflector is to coat
it with conductive silver paint,then let it dry.Then bring your item to elecroplating shop to coat it with thin coating of copper first(for initial coat)then final cote it with nickel or chrome or what ever you like.You can buy conductive silver in pottery shops or RS electronics /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

LEDMANIA's approach is good! Also check the yellow pages for vacuum metallizers as Doug suggests. I recently has a small batch done, but the "lot minimum charge" was $70! There are a lot of plating options available from Caswells.com.

Larry

Good idea LEDMANIA! One question: Silver has the highest reflectivity of all metals. Is the conductive silver paint alone to fragile or to rough for a reflector?

Hi PeterB!
Silver conductive paint is not tough to use as reflector.It is only a primary coat for any nonconductive item to become conductive so that it can be able to be elecroplated.Yes, You can use that paint but you cannot polish or buff it like what you can do to chrome or nickel. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for all your replies.

I have made a new lamp set for the surefire nitrolon commander nx. My first lamp set is using an s017xa reflector, but I am not very satisfied with the results (beam pictures will be posted some day to you check). So, I have molded the original lamp set in silicone and injecting resin on this I have get a new reflector, specifically made to this surefire. I will post pictures as soon as possible.

Here in Brazil, I may not find the silver conductive paint. Someone of you know where I can buy it from internet?

Thanks again.

Hi gad!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
You can buy silver conductive paint at www.caswellplating.com as tvord had suggest.Take note that spray type is more wasteful than by brush (or manual)application co'z you have a great deal of control to paint on small items by brush.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
ENJOY!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You might want to look into doing reflecting without a metal coating. Properly designed these can be much more efficient than metal. This is how fiber optics work! Total internal reflection! Outer layer is something in which the speed of light is higher than the inner portion. Typically air or very pure glass. The optic in the Inova X0 works this way.

If you insist on metal you could use the method to silver mirrors or take it to someone that resilvers mirrors. But the chemicals can be hazardous! And I have no idea how well this would work on polyester. Silver will tarnish. Gold might be better.

Really thanks guys.