Title pretty much says it all, but I've got a nice set of fog lights with early style TN1-TN2 lenses that I'm trying to restore as a side project. As with most of these sets, the reflectors need to be re-chromed, though they're actually in pretty good shape. I just don't want to go through the process of cleaning everything else up and leave the job half done.
I thought maybe some of you bretheren out in California might know of a good chrome shop, or perhaps even someone here does small chrome jobs from time to time. I was quoted $100 per reflector by a local shop, but that seems pretty high to me. I can and will strip the chrome first, if it makes a difference.
Thanks for your help!
-George
Barry- (70-914nut) does powder coating and can do chrome PC if that is an option.
You can't even get good chrome in California anymore. Only shitty eco-friendly stuff now...
Ever seen the film floating on water method of covering a part in a pattern? Could that be done with a chrome like film?
Not cheap, but work is excellent. In Melbourne
http://www.spacecoast-plating.com/
Thanks for the advice guys. I know very little about chrome and apparently very little about the world in general still. Just been one of those days. Thank you for the price advice Scotty. Maybe I'll swing back by that shop I went to. Or, I'll take a look into James' suggestion over in Melbourne.
Hang on . Do a google search of chrome on plastic. There is a shop in , I thing, Georgia that send his stuff to Texas. Chroming dashes , tail light reflectors and headlights are his specialty. I had the site booked marked but cant find it now.
Queen city plating in Washington does a lot of the pebble beach cars. Good but spendy.
jcl
There's a guy on the EX500 board who has been doing chrome since 1988. He's near Pittsburgh.
Do tell, Ken. I may need this service and know others as well that are local that will.
Superior Chrome Plating
Attn: Bobby Baker
7326 Domino Lane
Houston,Texas 77076
Chroming auto parts since 1952
713.671.0100
While I would recommend that this be professionally done, there are some do-it-yourself kits. http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/chrome-plating-kits/reprochrome-chrome-plating-kits.html
At about $200 for the kit and a plating rectifier $129 it might be an option for some. I have never used this kit and I am only providing the information. I am not recommending this in anyway.
Hi George,
You might want to do some searching on the reflector coating, I know I did and boy did I learn a lot! Anyway here's a link to a board post of mine a while back that describes my senior thesis and covers the process and the building of my PVD machine,
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=174156&hl=
What you'll find is that almost all factory reflectors are not chromed, they are actually coverered in a coating of Al or Ag that's evaporated onto the substrate at a micron level. The trick is that the metal needs to be evaportated in a "perfect" vacuum, if not the mirror finish becomes black and/or tarnished.
My machine is done and works but I haven't had enough time to finish perfecting the application process since graduation. I'm hoping to get back to it sometime before the end of the year so I can start recoating reflectors. If I do you'll see a post on the board.
Chroming works on reflectors too, but the reason that they are coated in Al or Ag is because of the preferred outputted light color and the higher reflectivness.
Mike
You can also look at http://www.paulschrome.com/ as an option...
George there is Chrome Shop up near my House (or used to be )
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