Thanks to the several of you who gave advice on how to separate SLR 576
reflectors from the glass by boiling them in water.
The question now is how to plate them and coat them. My local electroplater
advises that the should be silvered, as with vintage American metal
reflectors, but he states the American reflectors were left uncoated. The
boiling process made the laquer(?) coating turn almost the same dark caramel
color as the back, giving clear evidence the concave reflecting surfaces were
originally coated. If anyone has been this route,
1. Are the Lucas reflectors indeed silvered vs chromed?
2. Is there a commercial source for the correct laquer? One site I round
indicates the Egyptian Laquer Company in Lafayette, Indiana (765-447-2136) as
a source for heat resistant laquer to coat tarnishing metals. Has anyone had
experience with their material?
3. Why is uncoated chrome plating not a satisfactory alternative? Is this
a matter of an anachronistic hangover from days before chrome plating was the
norm, or are there legitimate reasons for silvering (e.g., greater
reflectance? resistance to spotting?).
Any advice is appreciated.
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