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Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

I think Nickel plating is a more yellowish colour than silver?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Silver must be the best finish as that's how they were originally plated. I guess bright chrome would do as well but probably no cheaper? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

I remember reading somewhere that chrome is not suitable for reflectors, can't remember why, and my eletroplater advises nickel so that's what I use. I think silver was used originally but maybe only on posher bikes/cars, also very expensive now. If you are worried about light quality ask yourself how many night miles you will be doing on these old tugs.

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

My local plater does both silver and bright nickel...I've always had mine silvered but only because that was the way they were done originally and I had to choose something....Modern bright nickels are very good and slow to tarnish (if they do at all) so there's probably little to choose between them in performance....

One thing's for sure though, a resilvered reflector with the focal length set properly is vastly better than one that hasn't been done!!.....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

I remember at the time when I approached the subject, that the plating was more expensive than purchasing a new replica.

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Home silver plating kits are availiable, and the silver solution sold to refresh silver plated articles works well enough.

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

I’m interested in recommendations for a good company that specialises in resilvering reflectors?

JT

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Genius of The Lamp in Birmingham specialise in high quality lighting restoration and will do resilvering. High quality prices also. RC Howell, in Walsall I think, also have a good reputation. Most larger plating firms should do resilvering so I would check with your local companies.

Best wishes, Tony.

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Once it has been nickeled it can never be silvered again
The nickel will require regular polishing
The silver will not.

A story some might find amusing .
I took the M20 to the precious metal platers to get the primary reflector replated.
I arrived right on closing time ( typical for me ) and left the engine running & helmet on while knocking on the now locked door
Turned around to be greeted by a dozen police men pistols drawn.
SO if you go, go early in the morning and drive a respectable car.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

G'day Trevor,
Was it a bank?

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

I had my reflector done in bright chrome many years ago and still okay. Depends on the use of your bike, mine is club registered with blackout hood, daytime use only, so wouldn't really matter. I suppose if you are using it at night then extra expense for silver as per original probably be way to go.

email (option): tknalder@iinet.net.au

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Chrome looks shiny but I understand the surface is very uneven, maybe that's why its not ideal for a reflective bowl?

I was watching an episode of the BBC repair shop recently and they were using an odd device to touch up silver plating, it looked like a sponge with a battery attached, I presume it has soaked in a silver solution?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

If it never gets wet then you might get away with it
However if you ride regardless of the weather then you are likely to get water into the reflector.
Silver is a very noble metal and does not react ,
Nickel is much more reactive so you will end up with corrosion worms in the reflector.
It also depends upon the plater
If they polished the reflector properly so the surface grain structure was broken up and then did the sam between the 2 or 3 nickels then you will get a top jo.
However now days most just do a single heavy plate with a lot of brighteners tossed in the bath.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

"I was watching an episode of the BBC repair shop recently and they were using an odd device to touch up silver plating, it looked like a sponge with a battery attached, I presume it has soaked in a silver solution? "


Wot i said.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gold-Silver-copper-Brush-Plating-Kit-for-jewellery-crafts-ring-and-watch/124270391292?hash=item1cef17affc:g:H9IAAOSw8mhfGU7c


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NUSHINE-SILVER-PLATING-SOLUTION-PLATE-METALS-WITH-REAL-SILVER-50ml-BOTTLE/273799794622?hash=item3fbfbd4fbe:g:xqEAAOxyKh5R-r6k

there are other suppliers.

The heavy polishing required for chrome plate will bugger up your reflector. believe me, if a plating polisher can make a mess of a silencer, a reflector stands no chance.

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Hey guys,

A local polisher got the old crummy silvering off and polished the brass to a bright gloss shine, albeit it is yellow in colour.

I ordered a Caswell nickel plating kit, and will be wand electroplating it (so as to retain the rear's patina, but still having a very reflective surface. I get the kit tomorrow and after the weekend should have a few pics to spare.

Caswell Canada:
https://www.caswellcanada.ca/plug-n-plate-brush-plating/

There is a USA division as well, and they offer kits for nickel, gold, etc. Nickel seems to be the best value as you get double the silver solution, for $30 less.

More to follow.

Brad

email (option): You can look me up in past posts :)

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

['The heavy polishing required for chrome plate will bugger up your reflector. believe me, if a plating polisher can make a mess of a silencer, a reflector stands no chance....']

This is becoming a more common problem if myself and some of my various contacts are anything to go by...

In the last 6 months I have had two perfect original components ruined by a polisher who was employed by a plating company but was obviously semi skilled in that discipline (at best)....One of the parts was a NOS item and I had done all the preparation up to final polishing myself before taking the parts in....

Since then I have started to do all the polishing so the parts are ready for plating...It's time consuming but I don't see an alternative...

Sadly I have a few friends with a similar story and not all from the same plater...Polishing is, in fact, a highly skilled job and the general lack of training and a failure to pass on the skills along with the unfortunate fact some platers sub contract the polishing work now seems to be bearing (rotten) fruit..

Another issue is the stripping of old chrome...This can be done chemically or by a reverse plating process...A word of warning if you have brass components going to the platers...

I bought a BSA 'long' advance/retard lever from e bay for my Goldie project and put it into the platers along with another very rare brass part from a post war switch....

Chemical stripping was used to get the chrome off and both parts came back with bad surface pitting...The adv/rtd lever was unfortunately a right off as on the thinner sections there was insufficient material left to clean it up again...So be warned...With plated brass components make sure reverse plating is the method that will be used on your precious parts!!....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Pre-chrome plate polishing is a hard and dirty job which requires a modicum of intelligence, or just common sense.

I have seen petrol tanks polished so thin that the metal buckled and the tank ruined.

Then again I have known whole components such as levers given to the plater whole expecting him to dismantle them, so I suppose lack of common sense works both ways. :white_frowning_face:

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

Good news: I am not running headlights in my tank, or petrol in my headlight :)

Brad

email (option): You can look me up in past posts :)

Re: Resilvering headlamp reflectors - Nickel vs silver plate?

I met this chap at the Beaulieu Autojumble who does nothing but headlamp re silvering. Though I have not used him myself the items on his display were exceptional. I do know others who have used him and were very happy with the result. Keith Ardley Reflector re-silvering service 14 Bridge road, Mepal Ely,Cambridgeshire CB6 2AR keithardley7@gmail.com or 01353 778493. He charges £5 per 1" measured across the diameter of any brass reflector.

email (option): m.gurr@yahoo.com

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