[AT] restoring tractor lights

[Rob Wilson]

One good trick I learned when restoring the lights for my
A-C C was to soak the lens in muratic acid for a few days. 
You won't believe how ckean they will come. The old rusty
discoloration comes right off and they look new again. As
for the reflectors they are pricey to replate if needed. 
There are companies that do this resilvering but it is 
not cheap. I used some nevrdull and polished the dulled
silver a little bit. Be careful as the silver is VERY
thin and will polish right off :)

Rob

> 	I was reading an article yesterday in one of the older issues of
> the Belt Pulley magazine. The author wrote a pretty nice article about
> restoring antique tractor lights. He went into detail for taking them
> apart including drilling out the rivets and so on. Where the article 
left
> off was when it came to two things. One, a lot of old lights I have 
are
> losing the silver lining on the inside of the reflectors. I have a 
feeling
> this silver lining could be restored by using a proper technique and
> wondered if anyone on the List has ever done it successfully?  I 
realize
> that some lights can simply be outfitted with 6 volt sealed beam 
lights
> but that would not work for the rear lights with the combination red 
and
> white light. I also realize that a lot of guys restoring antique 
tractors
> simply do not use the lights or worry if they work or not. I happen to
> like to have mine working.  I would just put new sealed beam lights on
> the tractors but most of them look quite out of place. I'm not going 
to
> spend $55 a light to get those that look right either.  grins.
> 
> 	The other question comes because the author also skimmed right
> over the part where it comes to installing the lens and a new gasket.
> I don't think those cork or rubber gaskets are available any more and
> wondered what to do about this.
> 
> 	Any comments or help would be appreciated.  Thank you.
> 
> Cecil
> -- 
> The nicest thing about telling the truth is you never have to wonder
> what you said.
> 
> Cecil E Monson
> Lucille Hand-Monson
> Mountainville, New York   Just a little east of the North Pole
> 
> Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment
> 
> Free advice
> 
> 
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