re-silvering prisms

[richardHaw]

Hello, does anybody know a company that re-silvers prisms? (vacuum depositing aluminium)
a well-known camera restoration company here offers the service but the price is not cheap. manual silvering is OK i guess but the proper way of doing this is vacuum deposition.  Thanks!

[Akira]

I guess you already tried Hayata Camera...

[richardHaw]

I guess you already tried Hayata Camera...

03-5318-22** I called this guy

[richardHaw]

Kanto actually offers the same service but as usual kanto is not cheap 

[richardHaw]

by the way, hayata is not cheap too

maybe some glass shops can help with プリズム銀浮?

[Akira]

As you know, this kind of work is in general more expensive in Japan than in other places.  The same goes with the IR modification of the camera (see Koheisha).

[Hugh_3170]

Do you have any colleagues in university research departments such as physics, optics, or solid state research teams?  Also materials science people.  Usually they have the required gear. 

(just 0.02c worth from a wicked lapsed physicist.)

[richardHaw]

telescope hobbyists should actually know some places but I do not know anybody here who is into astrology

Akira: yes, it is not cheap. i may send this to the UK. I will calculate the cost and if it is not too expensive, i will try kanto. by the way, Hayata is a Lecia specialist

[Akira]

Hayata used to re-silver pentaprisms of older SLRs.  I don't know if they still offer the service.

[Hugh_3170]

Astronomy? 

Yes, people grinding their own mirrors for reflector telescopes must know where to get silvering work done.  Are there any telescope shops near where you live that could help?  BINTEL is one such shop that I know of in Sydney. (http://www.bintel.com.au)

[richardHaw]

Thanks, guys. looks like the minimum here in japan is around $100 per prism i am sure that they are taking those somewhere to be vacuum deposited. 

as far as telescope shops, i know one but it is kinda far. they sell new ones so they probably do not have knowledge about restoration...

[Erik Lund]

Sorry but 100$ sounds like a very cheap solution to me - Considering labour, materials and machine costs,,,

[richardHaw]

Sorry but 100$ sounds like a very cheap solution to me - Considering labour, materials and machine costs,,,

Hello, Erik. I will get back to you when I confirm because we might have found somebody who would do that for less than half of that price

[Erik Lund]

He he, sure there are always people who will make a discount, but will the quality be discount as well,,,

[Hugh_3170]

Richard, setting up is a big cost with vacumn deposition machinery.  If you have more than one item to re-silver, it might pay you to ask about the costing for several items.  Pumping down the vacumn chambers, baking items to expell gases and so on takes a lot of time and energy.  More cost if liquid nitrogen etc is to be used in the final pump down.  The actual deposition is by no means the most expensive part of the overall deal.