|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
09-14-2020, 08:17 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Orangeville Illinois
Posts: 462
|
Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Doing a search I came across an article about Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors from Mr. Bob Bidonde dated December 1999, going to give it a try as my reflectors have a dull like coating on them but appear to have a shine under that film. Thank you Mr. Bob any other tips before I dips?
Any other ideas would be appreciated especially if you have done this and it worked. Yes... I know I can buy new ones, but where is the fun in that Thanks |
09-14-2020, 09:10 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Never tried it but have heard "lamp black works".
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
09-14-2020, 09:38 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Orangeville Illinois
Posts: 462
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
|
09-14-2020, 10:33 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: California
Posts: 979
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Alternative method.
Get an aluminum pot big enough to hold the reflector. Fill it with water and several tablespoons of baking soda. Put the reflector in the pot and boil the water. There will be a chemical reaction between the aluminum and the silver sulfide. The reflector should be shiny again. Bob |
09-14-2020, 11:06 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Danville, CA
Posts: 1,554
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
So how long do I boil the soda water? Let it sit to cool or wash it off with cold water? Just trying to not overlook something and ruin what I have.
Thanks |
09-14-2020, 11:32 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Glide, Oregon
Posts: 1,339
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
__________________
Ruth "Sometimes you really DO need to read the whole thread" |
09-15-2020, 04:51 AM | #7 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Orangeville Illinois
Posts: 462
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Quote:
I have thought the same thing many times after an exhausting search, my bad Here is the link to the article http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/reflectorcleaning.htm |
|
09-15-2020, 05:59 AM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,115
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
My 2 cents:
I don’t doubt the process works but I can tell you that when I tried it I was not satisfied. The reflectors were not pristine to begin with but ended up un-usable. I take credit but I am not sure what I did wrong, it removed some of the tarnish but lost its luster. I sent them to Craig Riker to be re silvered, he is very reasonable.
__________________
Tim Downtown, Ca |
09-15-2020, 07:11 AM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Signal Mtn, TN (SE TN)
Posts: 2,374
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Did he actually resilver or chrome them? Big difference believe it or not
Yes Craig is reasonable but best of all very good! Best of two worlds! |
09-15-2020, 09:48 AM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Guthrie, OK
Posts: 1,150
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Tried the boiling water & Al foil, didn't work well. Guess the water didn't stay hot enough.
Read online the jewelry buffs use salted lemon juice. Tried white vinegar & salt, tarnish wiped off easily with a soft cloth. |
09-15-2020, 09:53 AM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Guthrie, OK
Posts: 1,150
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
|
09-15-2020, 09:59 AM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sebastian, FL
Posts: 479
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Not sure what he used buy I sent him my light reflectors and they came back looking like they just came out of the factory. VERY satisified and a great gentleman. Had the good fortune to meet Craig at the fall sale in Harrisburg, PA.
|
09-15-2020, 09:59 AM | #13 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Fort Gratiot, Michigan
Posts: 2,296
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Quote:
|
|
09-15-2020, 10:44 AM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Spring Grove, Illinois
Posts: 1,371
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
I believe a lot of the tarnishing comes from incorrect gaskets on the headlamp. The cork gasket should make it very hard to snap that ring in. It almost makes it like an air tight seal. If done right, you should not have to clean them for years.
__________________
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." |
09-15-2020, 10:48 AM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SW Idaho
Posts: 970
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
I think that you'd be lucky to find a reflector that no one has ever touched before you got there. The coatings are thin and won't stand any abrasive, or even a finger print.
|
09-15-2020, 01:22 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Orangeville Illinois
Posts: 462
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Ok.... The boiling water and aluminum foil scared me...
so here is what I did and it worked well for me I used Tarn-X and then applied a coat of wax, so far it looks good Hope it doesn't dissolve in a puff of smoke overnight |
09-15-2020, 01:31 PM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: California
Posts: 979
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Here is a picture of a headlight on a car that sat in a barn since the mid 1960s, over 50 years. The silver is still very shiny.
Bob |
09-15-2020, 07:18 PM | #18 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Roanoke, VA USA
Posts: 1,911
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Quote:
Here is a link. https://www.etsy.com/listing/4748980...SABEgJh4_D_BwE Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
|
09-15-2020, 09:40 PM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Orangeville Illinois
Posts: 462
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
Thanks Shew01, another day of learning, this is used as a polishing compound I assume
|
09-15-2020, 10:19 PM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: PASADENA, CA
Posts: 1,887
|
Re: Cleaning Silvered Plated Lamp Reflectors
|
|
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|