Is it possible to "rechrome" the inside of a light.

JabbaTheHut

I have a few spot lamps. The glass on them is fine, but the reflector on the inside is faded, and worn. Assuming I can remove the glass, is it possible to paint on, or whatever, to the lamp, considering that they are plastic?

Tzar Chasm

You should be able to polish it if you can seperate the parts.
I'd start there, you wont get an effective paint solution without spending a Lot of money

JabbaTheHut

Thanks, but unfortunately the paint is gone off the inside of it, so polishing is no good.

Edit: When you say expensive, how expensive?

Gravelly

Lots of Youtube videos of lads doing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G5IfHoWRs8

Silvera

What make are the spot lamps? e.g. Hella? Lucas?

There are often good s/h lamps for sale on ebay. Would most likely be cheaper than rechroming.

PaulK_CCI

if the material of the reflector is plastic, you're looking at paint somehow, which is never really going to approach the original quality. If it's metal, it should be no problem, but for a once off jobbie, it will be expensive to have them rechromed. 

Finding a good quality 2nd hand replacement is most likely your 'cheapest' alternative

JabbaTheHut

Thanks lads. They're Hella. They're rare enough to find 2nd hand, and usually expensive if I can find them. That's why I was hoping to chrome them.

But I was wrong. They're metal. An alloy I think, so maybe they can be rechromed alright, although they're only chrome on the inside.

jca

I think the correct term is re silvering. There might be companies in the UK doing it.

gholian

It going to be expensive. There is or at least was a company in the UK that does "chrome Painting". It supposwd to be a lot cheaper but I got a quote for a badge and that was ?100 which I thought was mad. If the metal underneath allow or diecast. There is chrome paint out there.

JabbaTheHut

I think it's alloy. Is that chrome paint any good for the heat generated inside the lamp?

gholian

JabbaTheHut wrote: »

I think it's alloy. Is that chrome paint any good for the heat generated inside the lamp?

It gets warm, doesn't get mad hot. If you worried could use exhaust paint. Por15 exhaust paint has a really nice shinny finish.

JabbaTheHut

gholian wrote: »

It gets warm, doesn't get mad hot. If you worried could use exhaust paint. Por15 exhaust paint has a really nice shinny finish.

I'm not sure that the exhaust paint will do the job I'm after. I'm on a budget, but wouldn't like to feck things up by being too cheap.

jca

The latest episode of car SOS sees them getting wartime headlights resilvered, they looked great after they were done. It was an Austin utility van.

gholian

Call the chroming places in the UK and get price. IF over budget use Chrome paint. Paints nowadays are supposed to take bodyshop temperatures so should be no issues.

JabbaTheHut

Thanks for the help. I'm waiting back for a price from the UK