head light bucket - reflectors

kenparker

kenparker

Well-known member
I have inherited a pair of headlilght buckets. Looks new. The reflectors also look new and are very shiny. How do I tell if the reflectors are chrome or the good silver (aluminized) ? kenp
 
Good chance if they were not replaced in maybe the last 4 or so years they are chrome. Chrome might have a blue tint to it, aluminized might be more on the warm scale.
 
The aluminized one from Bratton's has the word 'top' stamped on it.

https://www.brattons.com/newly-re-tooled-aluminum-1-bulb-headlight-reflectors.html

If you measure from the throat of the socket sleeve to where it touches the rim and there is a difference of about 1/8" between top and bottom, it is either original Twolite or aluminized repro. I don't think any of the chrome ones had the 1/16" offset.

On the other hand, there may be aluminized reflectors without this offset; the other vendors don't mention it. These would be appropriate for the earlier H-type lamps.
 
If I may ask - what were the original reflectors made out of, the base material, not the reflective coating?


I took one of my headlights apart, and the reflector feels like it is plastic. In addition, the reflective coating isn't very reflective, so I'll probably be replacing them.


Sorry for the sidetrack....
 
cpf. No apologicies necessary. It is not a side track.


Thanks for the replies, guys. Now for a followup. The reflectors I was refering to do have a very faint blue tint to them, thus I am going to suspect they are chrome. These were bought by the previous owner and have beeen wrapped in the original shipping newspaper since 1988. A lot of his stuff from 1985 to 1988 was supplied by Brattons. Their base material is brass.


I have two other sets of original reflectors. One set is one light and the second set have two light bulbs. All four reflectors are base material of brass, but all the original silver plating is long gone.


Having a hard time measuring any of them accurately, so not sure about the 1/16" offset
 
Your chrome reflectors can be recoated with aluminum by UVIRA, look them up. The original reflecting coating was silver.
 
J Franklin said:
Your chrome reflectors can be recoated with aluminum by UVIRA, look them up. The original reflecting coating was silver.
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UVIRA ((541) 474-5050) is definitely the place to take your original reflectors. If your reflectors are not original the older repros had a reputation of being the wrong shape. This leaves the best solution to be to buy the reflectors from Bratton's. They invested the tooling to make the correct shape reflectors and I don't think they are wholesaling them to the other suppliers. To make things better they have the aluminum plating. Aluminum may sound cheap but this is the surface they use in medical mirrors and spacecraft mirrors, not a place to cut corners.

Charlie Stephens
 
cpf240 said:
If I may ask - what were the original reflectors made out of, the base material, not the reflective coating?

I took one of my headlights apart, and the reflector feels like it is plastic. In addition, the reflective coating isn't very reflective, so I'll probably be replacing them.
Click to expand...

The originals were silver plated brass.

Tap the back of the reflector - "tink-tink" is metal, "tunk-tunk" is plastic. You can also scrape the outer edge with a knife.

The best (and cheapest) silver polish is vinegar and salt. Cleans it right up. Also works for other metals.

kenparker said:
Having a hard time measuring any of them accurately, so not sure about the 1/16" offset
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Just stick a ruler or metal tape into the socket opening (front) and note where it touches the rim. Noticeable difference between top and bottom (or not). Top and bottom usually marked with small v-notches in the edge.

The offset (for Twolite) isn't absolutely necessary, but keeps the beam height from creeping up and down while focusing.
 
Charlie Stephens said:
UVIRA ((541) 474-5050) is definitely the place to take your original reflectors. If your reflectors are not original the older repros had a reputation of being the wrong shape. This leaves the best solution to be to buy the reflectors from Bratton's. They invested the tooling to make the correct shape reflectors and I don't think they are wholesaling them to the other suppliers. To make things better they have the aluminum plating. Aluminum may sound cheap but this is the surface they use in medical mirrors and spacecraft mirrors, not a place to cut corners.

Charlie Stephens
Click to expand...

Bert's in CO have them, the polished aluminum plated. I bought a pair from them last year and they have a blue dot at the top also and have an offset socket hole.

https://modelastore.com/head-lights?product_id=4271
 
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